Portage County commissioners heard a proposal from a Florida tech firm for livestreaming and recording their meetings.
Florida-based BIS Digital specializes in providing integrated video and audio streaming systems. Their solution would be able to provide not only livestreaming but video conferencing via Zoom.
With their system, anyone would be able to make a presentation to the commissioners in the meeting room while simultaneously displaying that presentation to the public watching remotely.
During the Covid pandemic, those meetings were initially livestreamed by the commissioners themselves via YouTube, but in February they voted to stop doing so, blaming poor audio quality.
Over 100 residents contacted the commissioners to protest the decision. The Portager purchased a cell phone, microphone and tripod, and volunteers have been livestreaming the meetings on its Facebook page for four months.
But commissioners have promised to purchase equipment and wire the meeting room with proper WiFi, a project they have said could cost tens of thousands of dollars.
Commissioners asked sales representatives from BIS Digital to provide costs for additional equipment that will be needed, and they expect to consider that information next week.
Wendy DiAlesandro is a former Record Publishing Co. reporter and contributing writer for The Portager.