SNOW HILL – County officials approved plans for the installation of a video and audio recording system to be used during meetings of the Worcester County Commissioners.
After a failed attempt last year, the commissioners agreed this week to spend $52,880 to purchase a high definition broadcast system to record meetings so they’ll be available for the public to view online.
“As I think the only county in the state of Maryland that doesn’t have a system…I think we’re well overdue for this,” Commissioner Joe Mitrecic said.
Last year, the commissioners approved plans to install an ePlus system to record their meetings, which take place on Tuesday mornings, and make the recordings available to the public online.
“That system was not quite perfected and did not meet our needs,” said Kelly Shannahan, the county’s assistant chief administrative officer.
After additional research, he identified a system offered by Swagit Productions, a Texas company. He said the system was used by several jurisdictions throughout the country, including the Wicomico County Board of Education.
“It’s a proven system,” he said.
Shannahan said three cameras installed in the meeting room would record the meetings. He said that within a day or two of a meeting, the video would be available to the public online. Viewers will have the option of watching the entire meeting or simply selecting the portion of the meeting agenda they’re interested in.
“We think it’s a good system,” Shannahan said.
The cost of the system and installation is $52,880. In an effort to minimize the impact the new service has on county staff, however, Shannahan recommended the commissioners approve an additional monthly management fee. For an extra $695 a month, Swagit will index each of the meetings — breaking them down based on the agenda — and will control the cameras remotely during the meetings.
Shannahan said that would amount to $8,340 a year and would cover 25 meetings. Special meetings, such as the annual budget work sessions, could be recorded at a cost of $150 a meeting.
While the proposal presented by Shannahan does not include live-streaming meetings, he said that was available at an additional cost and could be considered by the commissioners in the future.
