Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Government Technology topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Council directs staff to pursue pilot of open-meeting voting system; concerns raised over recurring costs
Summary
After discussion about upfront and recurring costs, the council directed staff to pursue a one-year pilot and demo of an open-meetings voting system (hardware, software, training) to modernize in-chamber voting; the annual support cost raised questions among members.
The Needles City Council directed staff to pursue procurement and a demonstration of an open-meetings voting system designed to display vote results on a council chamber monitor and consolidate roll calls.
City Manager Rick Daniels and the city's IT representative presented options and cost breakdowns: approximately $10,500 in upfront costs for equipment and installation, and a recurring annual support fee of $3,750 (the vendor also proposed a five-year contract costing roughly $22,950). Councilmembers asked whether alternative, non-subscription models exist, pressed the staff on the expected number of meetings supported across boards and commissions, and sought a one-year pilot to evaluate functionality and recurring-cost justification. The council voted to have staff return with a procurement plan and to arrange a demo; a majority favored moving forward while one councilmember voiced concern about recurring costs and voted no.
