EMERSON—An internet broadcasting service that will allow council to stream meetings “live,” archive sessions online, and provide close-ups of council members and speakers and presenters during public meetings will be evaluated soon as council considers new broadcasting options for meetings.
Borough Administrator Rob Hermansen said the borough should consider the new technology that will stream meetings live from the website, plus link to the community’s public access channels on Verizon and Optimum.
“It’s one of the things we really should look at. I think this would be a big asset,” Hermansen said at the Nov. 23 council meeting.
He said any meeting held at Borough Hall, including Council, Shade Tree, Recreation Commission, or Planning Board, could be broadcast and archived on the borough website.
He said cameras and needed equipment could be installed during upcoming Borough Hall renovations after a decision is made.
Currently, council meetings are broadcast live on YouTube from a single camera in council chambers, and archived for future viewing. No council closeups are possible; only a wide view of the council dais is shown.
Live streaming and archiving of public meetings allows for the public and press to access council meetings as they occur and also to watch a recorded meeting if they cannot view a meeting when it occurs.
The camera does not zoom in on who is speaking or highlight the speaker’s name or issue, such as a resolution or ordinance, being addressed. Those types of options may be available via a Swagit system, said the company website.
Hermansen said Fair Lawn Borough currently uses Swagit to broadcast its meetings.
Mayor Danielle DiPaola said she has received complaints that the council meetings have not been seen on at least one of two public access channels. Council President Ken Hoffman said he saw a meeting broadcast on Optimum Ch. 77 but DiPaola noted she did not find it on the Verizon community channel.
DiPaola noted that many senior citizens view council meetings on its community cable channels and said she prefers to keep the broadcasts on public access channels.
Hermansen said the costs are yet to be determined, but the cameras would be installed by the technology company. He said that Swagit charges “a per meeting cost” and said other companies would also be looked into before a final choice was made.
Hermansen said as budget season approaches, the council can continue looking at meeting streaming services.
DiPaola said the company appeared to be “the most streamlined way to do it” and Hermansen noted the Swagit set-up is “very simplistic” for residents to access on the website.
No date for a Swagit presentation to council was set, although council requested the technology committee attend a Swagit webinar to develop questions for the company.
On its website, Swagit Productions, LLC said it “specializes in providing hands-free video streaming and broadcast solutions to local, state and federal government agencies as well as other online entities. Streaming media is our specialty and our passion. We focus only on the latest trends, emerging technology and new avenues of distribution — all with one main goal: getting your message to reach the largest audience possible.”