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Video Records Replace Detailed Council Minutes

Monday, Feb 1 2010 - After being satisfied that online video of Council meetings is reliable and convenient for citizens to access, the San Juan County Council has directed its clerk to start keeping official “action” minutes rather than detailed minutes of Council discussions.

The new format for the minutes will include more concise information about votes and official actions of the Council, making video recordings the primary source for detailed information about the Council’s discussions, public hearings and deliberations.

The online service, provided through AV Capture All, headquartered in Olympia, Washington; makes several months’ worth of recorded Council meetings available via the County website (http://sanjuanco.com/Council/video.aspx).

The Council’s meeting room was equipped with video equipment when the Legislative building was remodeled in 2007 and meetings were made available online, initially on a trial basis with the current vendor, in 2009.

The meeting video is displayed onscreen alongside a copy of the meeting’s agenda. Online users can jump directly to an item of interest simply by clicking on its title on the agenda.

San Juan County will also be one of AV Capture All’s first clients to offer live on-line “video streaming” coverage of the meetings, so interested persons can view the proceedings live via the Internet. No date has been announced for the beginning of the live video service, but it is expected to be within the next few months.

Video copies of council meetings on DVD will continue to be available through the Council Clerk’s office for a nominal fee.

The Clerk will also continue to maintain the online Council agenda which includes downloadable copies of staff reports, proposed ordinances and other documents related to items on the Council’s agenda. That agenda is available on the County’s website .

The Council’s decision to move to action meeting minutes was based both on the availability of the new technology and in recognition of increased demands on its reduced staff in the wake of budget-driven cutbacks.

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