Lucas council asks staff for options to upgrade council‑chamber audio and video

The Lucas City Council on Oct. 3 asked staff to return with options to upgrade its council‑chamber audio and video systems, seeking a middle ground between minimal fixes and a full, outsourced production system.

City manager John Whitsall told the council remote participants must be visible to both in‑room attendees and online viewers, and the city’s current device (the Pearl Mini used by vendor Swagit) is no longer sold. "If you're watching online that's considered somebody viewing the meeting so they have to be able to see you also," Whitsall said, arguing the legal requirement and production limits drive the need to review alternatives. Whitsall presented estimates including an IT‑support model Baxter quoted at about $13,920 a year, current outsourced services at roughly $12,000 a year, and a higher‑end three‑camera production package priced in the tens of thousands.

Council members raised tradeoffs: some said a dedicated IT technician sitting in chamber was not an appealing long‑term solution, while others urged better recording quality and accessibility for viewers. Mayor Dusty Kuykendahl asked staff to return with multiple approaches that could be pieced together — for example, an upgraded camera and additional monitors with an extra computer, or a full production system. "If you can kinda come back with a couple options ... piecemeal it back," he said. Staff told the council those costs could be drawn from the budgeted IT upgrades allocation and agreed to seek demos and vendor comparisons before the next decision.

Why this matters: Upgrading the system affects public access, legal compliance for remote participation, and the staff time required to run meetings. The council instructed staff to research and present low-, mid- and high‑cost options and to arrange demonstrations for council review.