Council reviews overhaul of council chambers AV, accessibility options and proposed new AV technician

Umbrash — Councilmembers and staff spent the first half of the work session reviewing proposals to upgrade the city council chambers’ audio‑visual system, increase accessibility for hearing‑impaired residents, and improve remote streaming of meetings.

City staff invited TPI Technology Providers Inc., the city’s AV vendor, to present options aimed at reducing aircraft noise intrusion, improving intelligibility and providing better camera coverage of the dais. TPI said the preferred approach is to first quiet the room with acoustic treatments and then layer technology—microphones, ceiling and dais speakers, closed‑caption feeds and additional cameras—to restore intelligible audio and give cameras headroom to work effectively. Staff and TPI also discussed portable equipment for off‑site events and ways to feed multiple video windows into the city’s Granicus livestream.

The city will ask an acoustician to do an on‑site evaluation to determine whether noise is entering through windows, doors or roofing and what absorption or ceiling/roof work is needed. Staff asked TPI to prepare a statement of work and budgetary estimate that will be included in the fiscal year 2026 budget process.

Accessibility and captioning were a major focus. Presenters and councilmembers discussed captioning options that include Microsoft Teams’ built‑in captions, a PowerPoint caption overlay currently used in the chamber, and third‑party services such as Wordly AI that offer live translation and a QR‑code mobile feed for multiple languages. Staff noted Granicus currently streams a single program output and recommended adding a windowing processor so viewers online can see both the speaker camera and presentation material at once.

Councilmembers and TPI staff reviewed camera configurations and automatic camera switching tied to the council microphone system, which would limit the need for a dedicated camera operator. TPI described solutions that can be programmed to move to the active quadrant or speaker automatically; larger cities also employ a broadcast operator but TPI said systems can be set up to operate without one for smaller communities.

The group also discussed site‑specific fixes: sound‑absorbing curtains, wall panels, carpet tile options to replace reflective tile, drop‑down projection screens, and wells in the dais to lower monitors and improve sight lines.

Separately, staff proposed adding a new full‑time AV/IT technician to manage council chambers systems, off‑site AV for special events, Granicus streaming, camera integrations, and light help‑desk duties. Supporters of the position said a full‑time specialist is typical for cities that operate frequent streaming, off‑site events and more sophisticated AV infrastructure. Opponents argued the systems TPI described (automatic camera switching, programmed feeds and vendor support) could reduce or eliminate the need for a full‑time hire, and that the city should wait for TPI’s scope and cost estimates before approving a new position.

Next steps identified at the meeting: staff will engage an acoustician, ask TPI for a written statement of work and budget estimate, and incorporate those numbers into the tentative fiscal 2026 budget so the council can decide whether to fund equipment and/or a new technician.