Libertyville considers video recording board meetings
The images won't be flashy but Libertyville residents soon may be able to watch their village leaders in action without attending meetings in person.
A board committee has recommended the village spend up to $2,000 to buy a video camera and connect it to the existing sound system at village hall to record village board meetings and make them available online.
Video recording those meetings is part of a continuing effort to increase the amount and type of information available, according to Trustee Jim Moran, who chairs the board's three-member special projects committee.
“This is just another avenue to be able to reach residents,” Moran said during a discussion of the idea Tuesday. Moran, who was elected to the board last year, campaigned in part on making local government more accessible.
In July 2010, Moran and fellow resident Luke Stowe pushed for audio recording village board proceedings. That practice begin in September 2010, but the following is modest. There were 200 hits for the May 8 meeting audio, for example.
Moran said he wouldn't expect waves of viewers to tune in for video if given the chance, but considers it another piece of the village's commitment to openness.
A redesigned village website debuted last January making agendas, minutes and related materials available online and offering other features. The changes appear to have worked as the number of visits have increased nearly 17 percent, from 21,835 last November to 25,473 in May. A village mobile app also is pending.
As unanimously recommended by the committee, the village would spend up to $1,000 on a video camera, subject to approval by the full board. Moran said he has secured a donation of about $1,000 to cover the cost of connecting the camera to the audio system.
Initially, the set up would be a single, stationary camera pointed at the village board, with recordings to later be made available online.
In a separate matter Tuesday, the village board authorized a contract for consulting services with Client First Consulting Group to include assistance with various projects, equipment and software. Costs will not exceed $10,000. The village also plans to hire a part-time communications assistant to concentrate on its technology offerings.