Council committee advances up to $10,000 to replace meeting video computer

The City of Old Town finance committee voted to advance to the full council a request to spend up to $10,000 to replace the aging computer that runs the meeting-recording system.

Mr. Mayo, who delivered the finance overview, told the committee the current system uses proprietary 2006 hardware and Buffalo drives that have reached capacity and age. "They would suggest using a computer for around $3,000," Mayo said, adding that setup and mapping of existing files would likely add "about $5,000ish dollars in labor." He said the work would allow the city to continue sending an analog feed to the cable channel while gaining the ability to stream meetings live on Facebook or YouTube.

A councilor moved to advance a recommendation that the full council authorize spending not to exceed $10,000 for the replacement computer; the motion was seconded and put to a vote. The committee was told the $10,000 amount was intended only for the computer replacement and related setup, not for camera or microphone replacements. Mayo said a full replacement of cameras and audio equipment would cost "more in like the $70,000 range." He said the funding would come from a reserve account, which he would identify at a later meeting.

The committee proceeded to vote on the authorization and the motion was approved to move forward. No formal tally was recorded in the transcript; the authorization was described in discussion as limited to the computer and necessary mapping labor.

Council members also asked whether the city should solicit competitive bids instead of using its regular IT contractor, SJ Rollins. Mayo said the city contracts IT services with Rollins but that a bid process could be done if the council preferred; he did not expect a materially lower price because the hardware was the primary cost.

The committee adjourned after the vote and the full special council meeting began.