Regional District of Nanaimo could be going live
It’s possible that in the near future, residents of the Regional District of Nanaimo will be able to watch all the board meeting action from the comfort of their own homes.
That’s because the RDN board is currently investigating the possibility of offering live webcasts of their regular board meetings.
The proposal was first floated at the Oct. 2 board meeting when directors called upon staff to investigate the costs to use web streaming technology to record and broadcast board meetings in 2013.
In a report to the board, information services manager Mike Moody noted the current trend amongst local governments is to use technology to make board and council meetings more accessible.
The cost for such a system varies, with a minimal web streaming program with a single, low resolution camera and fixed view estimated at between $5,000 and $10,000. Operation costs would run between $10,000- $15,000 annually. A full-feature system, with five or six cameras, microphones, media system controller and audio/video encoder would cost between $25,000 and $30,000, with operational costs between $12,000 and $17,000 annually.
A third option, Moody noted, would be to have Shaw Cable broadcast the meetings and serve as a host for the recording archives — a services tabbed at $10,000.
Moody noted some cost savings might be available if the RDN piggybacked the system’s installation with planned upgrades to their board room audio visual systems.
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