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Committee directs legislation for livestream and captioning upgrades after members call current audio 'poor'
Summary
The committee asked staff to draft legislation to purchase a Boxcast livestream device, add ADA-compliant closed captioning and continue maintenance on the current Pearl system; members cited poor audio quality and low current viewership, and suggested a one-year pilot and publicity if implemented.
The Review & Oversight Committee voted on Sept. 16 to have legislation drafted for upgrades to the council chambers audio/video setup, including a livestream device and ADA-compliant closed captioning.
Clerk of Council Helen Dunlap outlined options and costs: a one-time Boxcast livestream device (about $1,000), annual closed-captioning for ADA compliance (about $1,000 per year), Boxcast hosting (about $1,300 per year) and an annual maintenance agreement for the existing EKO/Pearl system (about $920). Dunlap said Information Technology staff member Mr. Beals reported an average of roughly four viewers on current streams over recent months.
Several members said the current audio quality makes meetings difficult to follow. "It's horrible," Chair Linda Barath said, adding that she has called into meetings from out of town and "you just can’t make stuff out." Mary Gorjanc and other members agreed upgrades were justified to provide residents a viewable, listenable livestream.
Members discussed storage and access: Boxcast would host recordings for roughly three months; longer copies could be obtained via a public records request and the City may retain recordings for internal use longer. Councilmember John Nickell and Vice Chair Paul Marnecheck suggested a one-year pilot and broader publicity to see whether viewership increases with improved quality.
Moved by Vice Chair Paul Marnecheck and seconded by Chair Barath, the committee asked that legislation be drawn up covering the four budget items outlined by the Clerk of Council. The motion carried unanimously. Finance Director Jenny Esarey said she had not been provided detailed budget figures until the meeting and requested formal cost numbers be forwarded to the finance office for review before final appropriation.
Next steps: staff will prepare legislation reflecting the proposed purchases and ongoing maintenance and will clarify funding sources with Finance prior to a Council vote.
