Libertyville meetings get audio coverage

Just as the Libertyville village board was about to get rolling with its regular meeting Tuesday, Mayor Terry Weppler had a reminder for the audience.

“We do tape our meetings now and they're available on the Internet, he said.

About an hour later, he asked a businessman who was about to explain his position on a project to speak up as the comments would be made available online.

The session was the third to be posted for posterity at www.libertyville.com/board since the practice unceremoniously began Sept 14.

Granted, there had been some push from residents Jim Moran and Luke Stowe, who this past July began a petition drive asking that the proceedings be made available via audio or video.

The decision to turn up the microphone volume and put the digital tape online appears to be a nod to more openness in village government.

Along those lines, the board Tuesday also agreed to put the paid bills online so any citizen can see “exactly where every penny of village money is being spent, Trustee Rich Moras said.

Moras, who has chaired the board's finance committee during the village's rockiest economic stretch in many years, said the online bill posting came as a result of detailed discussions of what financial information might be useful for residents.

Paid bills will be listed alphabetically by vendor once approved by the village board. Moras said he will welcome any questions.

“That's the way it should be, he said Wednesday. “We should be an open book.

As for the audio taping, the board's special projects committee on Tuesday agreed it wants to know how many listeners there are.

“Let's try to get a better idea of what the demand is, said Trustee Todd Gaines, committee chairman. “How many people know it's even there?

The committee in summer 2009 discussed but deferred the possibility of televising board meetings as being too expensive and inappropriate during a time of staff layoffs and furlough days.

At the time, options ranged from $10,000 to videotape the meetings for later broadcast or up to $80,000 for equipment and staff to broadcast live.

On Tuesday, Assistant Village Manager Kelly Amidei said it would cost about $5,000 to tape the meetings.

Audio taping was virtually without expense because the system was installed years ago but never used. The size of the audience could be a factor in whether the village takes the next step to televising board meetings.

“I'd like people to have the ability if they want it. If they don't want it, they shouldn't be wasting any money, Weppler said.

Residents Moran and Stowe contend the expense would be far lower. They are considering going to a future meeting with a laptop and video camera “to show how easy and inexpensive it can be, to show the proceedings online.

“We're not going to produce an Emmy award winning broadcast but it won't be that bad either, Moran said.

He added about 100 people have signed an electronic petition at libertyville.tv urging the village to investigate “realistic options to make the proceedings available via video or audio. The idea is to improve government transparency, according to Moran.

“We want to demonstrate that there is indeed interest in the community, he said.