Thursday, March 26, 2020
NorCo Council Should Consider Zoom For Its April 2 Meeting
West Easton Borough Council President Matt Dees, one of few elected officials who maintains a blog, is leaning heavily towards trying the online platform Zoom for the next borough council meeting on April 13. By that time, Governor Tom Wolf's "stay at home" order will have expired. But Northampton County's next Council meeting is scheduled on April 2, while Wolf's order is still in effect. That meeting can still take place if it takes place on Zoom. Moreover, the public can even participate, something that's impossible during a meeting broadcast on Youtube.
My first experience with Zoom came during an online class earlier this week. I was invited to speak to a journalism class, apparently as an example of what can go wrong. The class instructor is almost as dumb as I, yet was able to pull it off quite easily.
Dees checked with the PSAB (Pennsylvania Ass'n of Boroughs) and was advised that, while meetings at a public building are always preferable, an electronic meeting that permits the public to participate complies with the state Sunshine Act. It is recommended that the meeting be recorded as well.
Zoom does both.
West Easton is going to experiment with Zoom first, but NorCo lacks that luxury.
Council President Ron Heckman is considering this option for the next meeting. The link to the meeting could be posted on the county website and at the meeting room for anyone who decides to come.
The cost is free for a meeting that lasts 40 minutes. A Council meeting would probably be best at $15 per month. The recording is an mp4, which can then be uploaded to Youtube.
Update (11:05 am): Matt Dees reports that the state legislature is moving swiftly to expressly authorize online public meetings. The House has passed a bill. The Senate must follow suit and the Governor must sign on.
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5 comments:
Doesn't the county have an IT dept. Should be a snap.
All essential LVPC meetings are now going to be held on line by zoom.
Our church - filled with old people - has jumped in. Brainless and $15 a month, 149.99 a year. Consider what the reimbursements for mileage cost counties and municipalities. Zoom works on everything,
Anybody can create a Zoom account.
Family is four states has been having virtual cocktail hours via Zoom. The least tech savvy among us took 10 seconds to connect. I'll take on the job for a handle of Stoli and have you running in minutes. Inside tip: county officials know this from their personal/home/church experiences and really don't want easy connectivity that results in more people watching meetings.
Why waste money on this. Put a camera in Mclueless’s office and have him give the 9-0 vote. He tells them how to vote on items prior to the meetings anyway.
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