Council weighs cable-commission tech fixes and who should own new equipment

Lake CRTV coordinator Paul Peterson told the council the chamber’s broadcast system "has been in here about 10 years" and is showing its age, resulting in repeated repairs and unreliable live streams. Peterson outlined two options from vendors: a full overhaul to replace the rack, microphones, cameras and monitors or targeted repairs — including a $3,500 rack replacement and a small dedicated streaming unit — to stabilize the system more cheaply.

Council members said the primary near-term need is reliability for remote viewers and that long-term ownership and funding will require changes to the joint powers agreement that governs franchise-fee allocations. Peterson explained that the commission and city currently split ownership of equipment historically and that franchise-fee and PEG-capital funds have been used to buy broadcast gear. "The streaming has been shutting itself off for a year," Peterson said, explaining why he has been using a portable backup for important events.

Council asked Peterson to obtain updated estimates for (a) the small repairs that would restore reliable streaming and (b) the industrial-grade, tilt-and-swivel monitors suggested for the chamber. Jolene and staff noted any shift of equipment ownership back to the city would trigger a review of the JPA and franchise-fee allocations. The council signaled support for an immediate, low-cost fix from available commission capital while asking staff and the cable commission to return with options for long-term ownership and funding.