Libertyville to consider televising meetings

Libertyville residents interested in how their government works could get a chance to watch for themselves even if they can't attend a village board meeting.

Acting quickly on a campaign promise to make local government more accessible, Mayor Terry Weppler has asked the village board's special projects committee to explore whether broadcasting meetings on local cable television would be feasible.

"It's something we need to look into," Weppler said.

"Our meetings can be very boring, but part of my issue is that people in the community are uninformed and not because they want to be."

Weppler said he wants to know the costs associated with televising the meetings on local cable in the same manner as the Lake County Board and Libertyville-Vernon Hills Area High School District 128.

"It's just a matter of communication with residents," he said.

In the surrounding area, Cook Memorial Public Library District and the villages of Mundelein, Vernon Hills and Gurnee tape meetings and air them later on local cable.

Vernon Hills has been providing the service for at least 15 years and has an extensive set up, which includes a studio for locally generated programming, such as a monthly 60-minute program featuring local events, organizations, and activities.

It also airs public service announcements and broadcasts District 128, as well as Diamond Lake Elementary District 76 and Hawthorn Elementary District 73 school board meetings.

The cable studio budget in Vernon Hills is nearly $138,000. That covers staff and a variety of contractual, commodity and equipment costs, including assisting residents with producing their own programs for cable Channel 4.

A cable line was installed at the Libertyville village hall when it was remodeled years ago, but whether it would be adequate for broadcast is one question staff will have to answer before the committee meeting, likely in June.

"With our budget crunch, it would be tough to spend a lot of money," Weppler acknowledged.

Greater openness and responsiveness to citizens' interest was one of Weppler's goals during the recent campaign, the first contested Libertyville mayoral election in 20 years.