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Board debates BoardDocs digital packet and livestream subscription costs and transparency features
Summary
Board members reviewed a presentation on the BoardDocs (Diligent Community) digital packet and livestream manager, questioned voting transparency, implementation timing and annual subscription costs ($7,500 for Diligent Community and $4,500 for livestream manager), and discussed whether to roll out at the new fiscal year or sooner.
Board members spent substantial time on March 23 evaluating a proposal to move to an electronic board-packet system (Diligent Community/BoardDocs) and a paid livestream manager to meet increasing accessibility requirements.
A staff presenter described benefits including a single secure packet location, annotation with a stylus, split-screen viewing for presentations and the ability to capture attendance and voting in real time. Board members pressed on transparency of electronic voting—one member said: “pushing a button on the laptop...is not as transparent as voicing a vote or raising a hand,” and staff replied that votes could be displayed on screen or recorded later in the minutes.
Staff gave subscription figures: $7,500 per year for the Diligent Community package and $4,500 per year for the livestream manager portion that supports accessibility and closed-caption accuracy. Board members expressed skepticism about vendor claims and asked about implementation timing; staff said an initial 10-week rollout was proposed and suggested beginning with the new fiscal year (July 1) so the subscription and capital timing align.
Board members also discussed continuing to offer printed packets for members who prefer paper and noted potential long-term savings from reduced printing. No binding contract vote occurred on March 23; staff will return with final procurement documents and an implementation timeline before any subscription commitment.
What's next: staff to provide a financial plan and implementation schedule and bring a formal recommendation for board vote at a later meeting.
