The Gary Common Council plans to spend up to $250,000 on technology improvements to make its meetings more accessible to remote viewers.
Council members authorized tapping American Rescue Plan Act Funds to pay for the improvements when they approved an amended ordinance Tuesday raising the appropriation for the project from $100,000 to $250,000.
The council has been hosting its meeting remotely since the 2020 onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Participants can join city council meetings, including committee meetings, via Zoom or watch the proceedings on Facebook Live. The effort has not been without its struggles. Council members regularly have to deal with echo issues impacting audio quality for viewers, among other things.
Officials were set to approve the appropriation at their last city council meeting until questions were raised regarding whether $100,000 would be enough.
Council President William Godwin, D-1st, said the idea is to make the meetings more accessible and more viewable with better audiovisual quality so the people who participate remotely have a better experience.
“We know we’ve gotten the feedback about how difficult it is to hear, understand and follow these meetings in this particular format,” Godwin said.
Some of the work includes new flat-screen TVs for council chambers, improved lighting and sound, and new computers for council members. Work will include completion of a council studio, which was already in progress. The largest chunk of the money will be spent on the construction of a video control booth for $133,700.
“Many of these needs preexisted COVID,” Godwin said, adding the pandemic made the deficiencies in this area obvious.
Councilman Ron Brewer, D-At large, questioned some of the costs.
“That seems like quite a bit for the control booth,” Brewer said.
Godwin said the cost is not just actual booth, but all the costs associated with the installation including painting, flooring, the grid system, electrical and labor.
“If we have overbudgeted, the dollars will be returned to the ARPA fund for general use,” Godwin said.
Work also will include finishing the council’s broadcast booth. Funds from other sources have been allocated to pay for the bulk of the work. The council will use about $14,000 of the ARPA funds to finish the project.
Some of the $250,000 appropriation also will be spent on consulting and training to ensure the right users make the most of the technology to the benefit of the city.
Carrie Napoleon is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune.
