Schaumburg might start streaming village board meetings

Schaumburg officials are considering whether to begin video recording and webcasting their village board meetings or remain one of the area's most prominent holdouts.

The village's administrative and general government committee on Wednesday directed staff members to research how easily and inexpensively equipment could be acquired for what may turn out to be no more than a short-lived trial period. That information is expected to be reported at the next meeting Oct. 25.

Village Manager Brian Townsend said a preliminary estimate of the cost of three cameras and other necessary equipment was between $12,000 and $15,000.

For the relatively unsophisticated recording and posting of the meetings on YouTube envisioned for a trial period, staff time would cost about $50 per meeting, he added.

The initial version of what the village is considering for such video presentations is to include the output of three static cameras in one frame. Two cameras would separately record both halves of the village board dais while a third would record the podium where residents address the board.

Trustee Tom Dailly, despite being the committee member to raise the issue, said he is not entirely sold on it. He added that Hoffman Estates officials - who've been recording their meetings for many years - told him they believed some weren't viewed by anyone.

On the other hand, making the videos available is considered by some to be a sign of transparency, Dailly said.

"Some people say we should be doing this," he said. "It is 2017."

But Trustee Marge Connelly said, "I'm not hearing anyone ask for this, frankly."

Information Technology Director Peter Schaak said there would be a way to measure how many people watch the videos.

Connelly said that measure should be more than how many people clicked on them for a moment.