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Council awards $240,450 AV and broadcasting upgrade; eScribe to provide agenda management and closed captioning
Summary
Council approved a not‑to‑exceed $240,450.79 agreement with Western Audio Visual and Security for a 46‑week audio/visual and technology upgrade to enable live streaming, closed captioning and improved accessibility; PEG funds will be used and meetings will relocate during installation.
The Lemon Grove City Council voted unanimously May 5 to award an up to $240,450.79 agreement to Western Audio Visual and Security for audio/visual and technology upgrades to the council chamber and community center and authorized the interim city manager to execute the agreement.
Senior Management Analyst Portland Bates described the project scope: installation of cameras and broadcast systems, upgraded microphones, new display monitors in the dais and public areas, a signal distribution and switching system, and training for city staff. The contract includes commissioning and testing and a 46‑week timeline after the equipment is received; council meetings will be held at the Lemon Grove Library community room during installation.
Bates also said the project will roll out a new agenda management platform (eScribe) to help the city comply with SB 707 requirements and to provide live streaming and closed captioning. Staff told the council the city’s PEG (public‑education‑government) fund has just over $450,000 available and that the project is an appropriate capital use of those restricted funds.
Councilmembers asked about closed‑captioning in Spanish and remote public‑comment access. Bates said the system supports captioning and translated audio streams and that residents will be able to phone in comments. Members also raised concerns about AI‑driven camera tracking; staff clarified the system can operate from preset shots or be manually operated and will not have to rely on AI tracking during meetings.
A motion to award the agreement was made, seconded and passed on a unanimous roll call. Several councilmembers praised the accessibility improvements and asked staff to protect mounted equipment when the room is used by community groups during nonmeeting hours.
The contract includes provisions for training staff and archiving recordings on the city’s website (staff said the city will not rely on third‑party platforms such as YouTube for archival video to maintain control over records). Installation is expected to be staged to minimize disruption and staff will provide a schedule and communications plan before relocation of meetings.
The council did not vote on additional design details tonight; members asked staff to bring placement and mock‑up plans to council or to the dais for review.
