Castlegar City Council has voted to award the contract for a new audio and webcasting system to DHC Communications. It would allow council meetings to be viewed online and also improve the microphones currently used. Councillor Cheryl McLeod feels the over $45,000 cost is worth it.
“We ran on transparency, I did; accountability, all those things. I think you want to be able to look at a council meeting and see how we all voted, our facial expressions, the respect that we show each other, all those things, and the way we make our decisions and that’s only possible if it’s live streamed so that anybody has an ability to watch.”
Councillors Sue Heaton-Sherstobitoff and Florio Vassilikakis wanted to see public consultation on whether the community thought it was worth the expense and questioned how many would actually use the online service.
“People told us loud and clear, they don’t want to pay for things that are not required,” says Councillor Heaton-Sherstobitoff. “So things like that, another councillor and I thought it would be best to approach it, to bring it to the public.”
Mayor Bruno Tassone was in favour of the purchase, saying it’s about providing full transparency to the public. Councillor Dan Rye felt that it’s time Castlegar Council get into the 21st Century.
The cost is worth roughly half a percentage point in taxation and has been factored into the 2019 budget.
