Ogdensburg council members mull meeting webcasts

Last summer, the city of Ogdensburg launched a new website in an effort to improve its marketing for visitors and businesses interested in relocating. Now, a pair of City Council members want the site to ease access to and participation in their meetings.

After missing recent meetings, Ogdensburg council members Jennifer Stevenson and William D. Hosmer caught up on what they missed by watching broadcasts of the sessions on public access television.

The pair said it would be better if their meetings were streamed and archived on the Web.

“I went on the website and I couldn’t even find what time the meetings were televised,” said Ms. Stevenson. “Then I had to DVR it.”

The two said the broadcasts were scheduled at inopportune times.

“Right now there is a set TV schedule, and if you can’t make that, it is a little difficult to find out what went on at those meetings.” said Mr. Hosmer.

Currently, if interested people can’t catch a broadcast of a meeting, they have to purchase a DVD recording from City Hall.

By archiving meetings on the city website, absent council members and the general public could access recordings of the meetings at their own convenience.

“It allows anyone in the city or anywhere to watch meetings on their own time,” said Mr. Hosmer. “It is easier when you find time to do something to watch in on your own schedule.”

The city’s website currently features meeting agendas and minutes, but does not provide detail about council discussions.

Ogdensburg residents might become more engaged in city affairs if the council had more of an Internet presence, said Councilman Wayne L. Ashley.

“I think everybody should have access to the council meetings,” he said. “I firmly believe we’d get more participation if there was video available on the website.”

Other council members seem open to the idea.

“I see no reason not to do it live, or at least to have it accessible on the website,” said Deputy Mayor Michael D. Morley.

Councilman R. Storm Cilley said he would support broadcasting meetings online, but only if it could be done without spending taxpayer dollars.

“The current program of televising meetings does a good job of getting the council in front of interested citizens,” he said. “Probably better than the Web would do.”