LONG SAULT – A holistic package for recording and presenting South Stormont council meetings will be coming to council in the middle of September.
The township has taken its first steps doing some “test runs” with the positioning of council members. Last week’s meeting did away from a wide line of council members facing the gallery to a “horseshoe” of council, much like the City of Cornwall.
Some council members indicated that it would improve municipal etiquette, addressing their questions through the meeting chairman (the mayor), instead to speaking toward the audience.
“The intention is still there to have council meetings recorded. However, there’s going to be some additional research done and some other options presented to council before we proceed in that fashion. So it will still happen, but it might be a little later in the fall,” Clerk Loriann Harbers told council last week.
Harbers added that the council layout was also part of that plan, which will have the system connected to the microphone system, Microsoft Windows and “all that good stuff.”
A package for council to consider is expected in the middle of September.
The municipality has budgeted $15,000 for a recording system and then annual maintenance costs of $7,500.
Coun. Andrew Guindon asked about live streaming. Harbers said the proposal was to record first and “test and see interest” from the public on the municipality’s website before considering a live stream, due to the “significant cost” increase for live streaming.