Granicus Media Coverage

Austin achieves award-winning results for community engagement

Thu, 09 Feb 2012 00:00:00 GMT

Officials to share success story in Feb. 16 webinar

Austin, TX (Feb. 9, 2012) - The City of Austin's community engagement efforts, which included the launch of an online forum SpeakUpAustin and other innovative ways to garner public opinion, have earned a 2011 GovFresh second place award for excellence in government/citizen collaboration.

The City's outreach efforts included:

Seeking ideas where people congregate in the normal course of daily life.
Use of technology to allow people to provide feedback without having to be physically present at a meeting.
Special events.
SpeakUpAustin, the online forum launched in summer 2011, to gather ideas and feedback from residents on ways the City can improve its services, projects and initiatives. Topics have ranged from whether to ban plastic bags to potential changes to the City Charter.

"Our community engagement efforts are looking beyond traditional means to bring more people into the process of providing input to their government," said Doug Matthews, Chief Communications Director for the City of Austin. "SpeakUpAustin has played a key role in creating a public dialogue of ideas, suggestions and ways the City can better serve our community as we strive to be the best-managed city in the country."

The Imagine Austin comprehensive plan outreach alone generated 18,000 community responses in-person or online. GovFresh is an online news/blog site focusing on government-public collaboration and engagement especially through technology.

SpeakUpAustin has 1,100 users who have suggested approximately 425 ways the City could improve services. Each is reviewed and a status update, ranging from completed to planned and not planned, is posted in response.

This technology which allows the public to submit ideas, participate in forums, and track the results of its participation is provided by a third party, Granicus, which uses an application called CivicIdeasT. The online forum was designed with government in mind and the City of Austin played a big role in making the features convenient and user-friendly for residents.

The CivicIdeas product was made available this week to any government with the desire to collaborate with its constituents online and utilize these tools to start accelerating their community engagement strategies.

The City of Austin will be sharing its success story at Granicus' official government launch webinar Feb 16.

"The City of Austin has revolutionized their citizen engagement by creating a responsive and accessible way for the public to share individual ideas about improving their community," said Tom Spengler, CEO and co-founder of Granicus. "Beyond that, they've engaged citizens with each other to discuss, refine and improve these ideas. Now, those ideas are getting implemented. This is what real American democracy is supposed to look like."

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Press Contacts:

Samantha Park, City of Austin, Public Information Specialist, 512-974-2220,
samantha.park@austintexas.gov

Lauren Alexander, Director of Corporate Communications, Granicus, 415-357-3618x1788,
lauren@granicus.com

El Monte Council is 'On-demand'

Fri, 03 Feb 2006 00:00:00 GMT

Web service offers real-time access

EL MONTE - Beginning today, El Monte City Council meetings will be streamed free through the Internet, where Web users worldwide can log on and access Tuesday meetings - live - via the city's Web site.

"Anyone will be able to watch it, whether you're taking a vacation, or you're in another part of the building, or you're a developer in Nebraska or wherever you're at," said Matt Weintraub, administrative services officer for the city.

El Monte joins a slew of municipalities and agencies nationwide working with Granicus Inc., a San Francisco-based provider of streaming media software, to make their webcasts possible. Local city governments Baldwin Park, La Puente and Pasadena - as well as the Pasadena Unified School District - also are listed as Granicus clients.

Weintraub said his city's latest partnership comes with a $62,000 price tag, which includes $50,000 in startup costs and a $1,000 monthly maintenance fee.

The bulk of the tab will be covered by local government access funds, he said, and general funds also have been designated.

Via the system, El Monte will host live council meetings on its Web site the first and third Tuesdays of the month.

Those who miss the live version can access the week's agenda, as well as archives, to electronically link to portions of the video regarding a specific agenda item, Weintraub said.

"If you want to see what happened on council item 6a, you click on 6a and it'll jump you there," he said. "Even if you have cable access, you still would have to watch the whole \ to get to item 5a. This is like El Monte City Council 'on demand.' "

The transition into streamlined City Council meetings is expected to be smooth, Weintraub said. Some added responsibilities will be given to the City Clerk's Office, but Lorene Gutierrez, newly elected city clerk, and Chief Deputy City Clerk Helen Lopez said they don't mind.

Lopez described the added tasks as an opportunity to do her job "accordingly."

"It's more accurate when you have actual computer technology and \ have to do the old pencil-and-paper routine," Lopez said.

City meetings and community events are currently broadcast on KELM-TV, channel 3, the city's local cable access station. But not every El Monte resident is a cable subscriber, and council meetings are usually not aired until days after the meeting's adjournment, Gutierrez said.

"With this new technology, if \ don't have cable, they could go into the Web site on their computer and see their own council meeting," she said.

Weintraub said he also hopes eventually to load videos of local events and other broadcasts on the streaming video service.

About Granicus
Founded in 1999, San Francisco-based Granicus, Inc. helps government reach staff and constituents without barriers. Public agencies trust our webcasting solutions to enable vital improvements to public access, staff efficiency, and government accountability. In addition, the combination of webcasting with public meeting management technology into a single workflow decreases administrative costs and simplifies public recordkeeping tasks. Granicus serves more than 400 governing bodies in 44 states, building close connections with more than 30% of the American population.

Contact
Lauren Alexander
Corporate Communications Manager
415-357-3618 x1788

Sunnyvale Council Meetings Hit the Web

Tue, 03 Jun 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Starting this week, Sunnyvale city leaders may want to make sure their hair is combed just right and they speak a little more articulately.

That's because for the first time, the Tuesday city council meetings will be available as live Internet webcasts at webcast.insunnyvale.com. Next week, the webcast versions of the every-other-Monday planning commission meetings will launch.

The Web-based programming complements Sunnyvale's government access television broadcasts on KSUN-15, which have been on the air since the late 1990s for city residents with Comcast cable.

Sunnyvale joins a host of other cities, including San Jose, Milpitas, Cupertino and Mountain View, that webcast their meetings.

"This was a matter of budgeting priorities," said city spokesman John Pilger. "We've now decided we can do this and sustain the cost over the long haul. We're happy to do it now."

Sunnyvale, like many other cities, contracts with Granicus. It cost Sunnyvale taxpayers about $70,000 in one-time start-up fees, and will cost about $43,000 a year in ongoing annual costs.

For the public, the service is free and can be viewed from anywhere in the world. One of the benefits of the webcasting service is that the meetings can be archived. Then, instead of watching an hours-long meeting to find the topic you're interested in, Web viewers can use the "jump to" command to find a specific point in the meeting.

Pilger said the archived meetings typically will be available online the Friday morning following a Tuesday council meeting, and the Thursday morning following a Monday planning commission meeting. The archives will remain available for online viewing for three years.

Council Advances Open Government

Fri, 13 Jan 2006 00:00:00 GMT

Our Views

The Olympian

Score a victory for open government. The Olympia City Council, which already televises its meetings on local cable access channels, will begin broadcasting those same meetings through the Internet to home computers later this spring.

The advantage of streaming video is that viewers can see the council meetings at their leisure. Viewers won't be locked into the televised council schedule - live Tuesday nights with replays Friday mornings. On their computers, viewers have the added advantage of pausing the recording or skipping ahead to the part of the meeting that they are most interested in.

Credit City Councilman TJ Johnson for raising the issue of how city government could be more accountable to the public. It was at that open government forum in January 2000 where the streaming video idea surfaced. Jeff Jaksich, president of the East Bay Drive Neighborhood Association, was one of the advocates for council meetings via the Internet. "People are very busy," Jaksich said. "By making it more convenient, it enables people to get more involved."

That's why council meetings via the Internet are such a good idea - it invites greater public participation in democracy. Maybe interactive programming, where the public could ask questions of council members, is the next step.

Glendale Launches New Online Library for Council Meetings and More

Mon, 01 Feb 2010 00:00:00 GMT

Residents can now watch current and past meetings through the City's website

Glendale, AZ - Glendale residents can now watch their favorite shows from the award-winning Glendale 11 television station, as well as current and past city council meetings, online and on-demand thanks to a new video library on the city's Web site.

This new video archive aims to keep residents informed, with the convenience of watching what they want, when they want it. The library can be found at www.glendaleaz.com/video and features a variety of video content about the city of Glendale, including city council and planning & zoning meetings, regular Glendale 11 programming, and special features like festival shows and the popular "The Making of the Stadium."

Powered by Granicus, an online video streaming tool, the video library also allows users to search city council meetings for specific agenda items and then click immediately to that part of the meeting that interests them. The video archive is Glendale's latest effort to use technology to reach citizens, and it joins the city's growing family of multi-media and social media offerings. The city currently shares information, photos and videos with the public via YouTube, Facebook, Twitter and Flickr.

"In today's world, people expect convenience, and this is just one more way we can bring information about the city of Glendale and its programs and services to the public," said Julie Frisoni, Glendale Assistant Deputy City Manager. "We know that this is how people are getting their information. They want it when they want it, and this online library allows us to provide even greater access to public meetings and Glendale 11 programming."

To view the city's online video library, visit www.Glendaleaz.com/video. For more about Glendale 11 TV, visit www.Glendaleaz.com/Glendale11.

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Sonoma County Board Meetings to Begin Live Streaming on Internet

Fri, 22 Jan 2010 00:00:00 GMT

County is committed to making government as transparent as possible

Santa Rosa, CA - Beginning on January 26th, Sonoma County residents will be able to watch Board of Supervisors meetings live on the internet. Viewers with internet access will be able to watch live meetings, view the Board's agenda, and access relevant support documents such as staff reports and board resolutions. The internet streaming will include live captioning for the hearing impaired. In addition, meetings will be archived and available for replay at the viewer's convenience. This project is a continuation of the County's commitment to making government transparent and accessible to its residents.

"This will enhance the public's access to their county government," said Board Chair and 1st District Supervisor Valerie Brown. "This is a smart use of technology that moves the county closer to being paperless, and also complements our sustainability efforts."

Residents interested in using this new service may visit the Board of Supervisors website at http://supervisors.sonoma-county.org/meetings/. The meetings will be listed by date. The meeting archive will begin with the January 26th meeting, and will grow over time as future Board meetings occur.

The new online service is provided through a contract with Granicus, Inc., a San Francisco company and a leading provider of government webcasting and public meeting management solutions throughout the U.S.

The County of Sonoma comprises 26 departments and agencies that provide a full range of services to the community. It encompasses over 1600 square miles and is home to almost 500,000 residents. Sonoma County government has a history of providing excellent and responsive public service while operating under sound fiscal principles.

Located less than one hour north of San Francisco, Sonoma County combines in one location the beautiful Pacific coastline, award-winning wineries, majestic redwoods, historic towns, fine dining, and a wide variety of entertainment and cultural activities.

Contact: Jim Toomey (707) 565-2188 jtoomey@sonoma-county.org

City Meetings are Now Online

Fri, 27 Jan 2006 00:00:00 GMT

Streaming Web casts feature council, other bodies

Thisweek Newspapers

John Dahl, a Burnsville resident since 1974, actually enjoys watching City Council meetings.

"I just like to stay up on what's going on," Dahl said. "There are so many that are apathetic."

Dahl lost his live local fix a few years ago after dropping cable TV for satellite. But a new service put him back in touch.

The city now provides live Web streaming of all televised city government meetings. On-demand viewing of past meetings beginning with Jan. 17 will also be available. The video and audio feeds are at the city's Web site, www.burnsville.org.

Service started with the Jan. 17 City Council meeting. Also available online will be meetings of the Planning Commission, Parks and Natural Resource Commission and Burnsville/Eagan Telecommunications Commission.

"Council members have always been interested in the widest possible audience for their meetings," said Jim Skelly, Burnsville's communications coordinator. "Cable television came into play in 1989, and we've had good success with that. When this project came along it was a chance to kind of broaden the audience for City Council meetings and all the government meetings at a relatively reasonable cost."

The service is provided by Granicus, a San Francisco company. The city paid $9,000 for training and software and will pay Granicus $725 a month for hosting.

The money comes not from taxes but from the franchise fee paid by cable-TV subscribers. Franchise fees fund all the city's communication programs.

City officials hope to widen their TV audience to include vacationers, snowbirds, satellite users and Burnsville business people.

"Most of the businesses don't have cable television, and many of (the owners) don't live in Burnsville," Skelly said. 'We feel like that's really going to be an audience that will get in touch with the city better through this system."

A 2005 survey of Burnsville residents indicated that 79 percent have Internet access, with the majority using a cable modem or DSL connection. Visits to www.burnsville.org grew by 40 percent in each of the last two years.

"I think this year you'll see Web streaming is just one part of an overall improvement plan for Web communications for the city," Skelly said.

The streaming content is accessible via Windows Media Player, software pre-installed on nearly all computers. Even dial-up users with 56K modems should be able to get both audio and video, Skelly said.

"The picture degrades with however slow your connection is," he said.

The service allows viewers to choose only parts of a meeting through a drop-down menu of agenda items. The full printed agenda is also available online. In the future, the city plans to make entire meeting information packets available online, Skelly said.

Through tracking software the city will know often the system is used.

"We had 510 sessions on our first meeting," Skelly said. "That's beyond what anybody expected."

Dahl checked out the meeting on his computer.

"The close-ups of some of the documentation were tough to see, but I'm sure that will be solved in short order," he wrote the city in an e-mail. "That is a nit. The fact that this is now available is terrific."

Government Might Soon be a Mouse Click Away

Tue, 01 Nov 2005 00:00:00 GMT

Waukesha considers streaming live meetings on Web

WAUKESHA - Meet the future of government.

You may soon be able to kick back, eat dinner or a snack, perhaps watch a movie - all while keeping an eye on the most important debates and decisions unfolding at city hall.

A proposal is on the table to stream live video and audio broadcasts of city meetings through the Internet - and, while doing so, join other communities across the country in using the latest technology advances to make government access more open and convenient.

If eventually approved by the council at an estimated first-year cost ranging from $12,000 to $70,000, Waukesha would be among a scarcity of Wisconsin communities using such technology.

Although on the backburner for now, technology officials also have broached buying a program, called Granicus, which would allow for real-time updates of meetings, such as vote counts or actions taken, said Information Technology Director Bret Mantey.

At a projected starting cost of $53,000, Waukesha would be the first community in the Midwest to use that system, which is gaining popularity in Western and Southern states, Mantey said.

"If we spend a little we might get a lot back," said Alderman Steve Panozzo, who works fulltime as a field engineer for IBM. "It's all about moving into the future."

Panozzo added that he would understand, especially with the city's tight budget, if the council passes on the two ideas for now.

"It's around the corner," he said. "If it's not this year it could be next year or two years down the road."

Eric Ludwig, who handles the city's TV 25 cable coverage of city meetings, proposed the streaming of video and audio after getting requests from people living outside Waukesha, with interests here, asking for access to government meetings.

Mantey said the advisory committee pursued the idea as a way of making government more accessible to the public.

"That's the main, core reason we looked into it," Mantey said.

Mantey and other officials also lauded the Granicus program because it would allow for more immediate access to meeting minutes - under the program, largely written during meetings - and a more universal format to them as well.

The council likely would have three choices for how to broadcast meetings, Ludwig said. They could be streamed live, taped and posted at later dates, or a combination of both.

If approved, Mantey said, the streaming likely would include just council and plan commission meetings, with eventual coverage of other government panels as well.

Montpelier Increases Government Transparency and Community Access

Thu, 03 Jun 2010 00:00:00 GMT

Live and archived meeting videos available through the city's website

Montpelier, VT - Montpelier is pleased to announce the launch of its new streaming media technology and partnership with the leading government software-as-a-service provider, Granicus. This new partnership allows residents to watch City Council, Planning, Design Review, Development Review and various other commission meetings online, live and archived, through the city's website.

"With this new technology, the City of Montpelier continues to be a leader in providing public information, government transparency, and improved services to residents. We encourage citizens to take full advantage of all the meeting video and documents that are being offered," said Montpelier Mayor, Mary Hooper.

Residents can easily logon to the Montpelier's website (www.montpelier-vt.org) and click "Meeting Video Archive" to access both live and archived meetings. Archives are keyword-searchable, giving residents a list of videos in which that specific word or phrase was mentioned. Archived videos are also indexed by agenda item, allowing viewers to jump to that particular point in the video. All meeting videos contain relevant supporting documentation, like meeting agendas and minutes, allowing the public to stay well-informed on the decisions affecting their community.

Montpelier is the first municipality in the state of Vermont to deploy this streaming media technology. Granicus is proud to welcome Montpelier to its growing list of government clients and support the city's open government initiatives.

About Granicus
Granicus is the leading software-as-a-service provider of government transparency, public meeting efficiency, and citizen participation solutions in the U.S. Granicus hosts the world's largest government exclusive webcasting network, streaming over 23 million webcasts and serving nearly 700 clients spanning all 50 states.

Contact
Montpelier: Bill Fraser, City Manager
Granicus: Aileen Horgan, Client Marketing Specialist 415-357-3618 x1753

City Broadcast Center Set, Web Site Upgraded

Fri, 11 Jul 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Surprise has just put the final touches on its $1.2 million broadcast center in the city's new Public Safety Facility.

Residents are seeing the results online from the city's new video-driven Web site that covers a range of city issues and activities. The site can be accessed at surpriseaz.com/surprise11.

"I'm really excited," Mayor Lyn Truitt said.

"This is going to be a great communication tool for the city to let our residents know what opportunities are available."

Shows on the site include:

. Council Conversations: The program features discussions with elected officials on matters in their districts and in the city.

. Council meetings: This feature allows residents to watch City Council meetingslive or on demand via the archives. Residents also are able to search through agenda items, skipping ahead in archived meetings to the issues they care about most, be it Bell Road or pickleball courts.

. Community events: These programs allow residents to watch a variety of community activities. Examples already include the Memorial Day Parade and the 2008 graduation ceremonies for Dysart and Willow Canyon high schools.

With a newly completed TV and Internet broadcast studio in hand, Surprise is planning other program ideas to bring more residents into the city's policy-making process.

The city's new studio setting will allow City Council members to conduct interviews with area officials and also to speak directly to city residents. Mayor Lyn Truitt also has envisioned longtime residents sitting down to provide "moments in history" and describing what life in Surprise used to be like.

All these programs would then be available on the city's new Web site and its television station, Surprise Channel 11.

Before the online site was launched only cable subscribers were able to access these programs through television. While Surprise Channel 11 will continue, anyone with Internet access can now see the programming as well.

Residents visiting the Web site have the opportunity to watch Channel 11 as it appears on television or sort through the specific shows that interest them.

The Web site also provides access for people around the world, whether the viewers are residents, family members of residents or simply people curious about Surprise, city spokesman Ken Lynch said.

Truitt also said the Web site should help open local government to the residents. Surprise has been criticized in the past for not providing such openness.

"It has the potential to really allow the residents of Surprise into the decision-making process, because that's really our job," Truitt said. "We're here to represent the will of the people."

Truitt said there might be opportunities to informally poll residents about various issues through the site.

The Web site operates using an outside company called Granicus, Inc. The cost of using Granicus is about $1,800 a month. Other Valley cities using Granicus software include Glendale, Goodyear, Scottsdale, Tempe and Apache Junction.

Truitt said while other cities have similar setups, Surprise is trying to offer a Web site with more features and more options for residents.

Chandler Chandler 11 Makes Government Access Easier

Fri, 26 Aug 2011 00:00:00 GMT

Chandler, Ariz. - The City of Chandler has upgraded its online video, making it much easier for the public to access their City government.

Chandler Channel 11 (www.chandleraz.gov/video) is delivered to the public through Cox Cable Channel 11, as well as online, giving residents 24/7 access to their city government. The updated system will allow residents to quickly find current and archived programming, and view Channel 11 programming live through their computers. It also features tools to share videos to social media sites or embed portions across any blog or website.

"This improved service is just one more way that Chandler continues to be a transparent organization," said Nachie Marquez, Communications and Public Affairs Director. "Our residents can't always attend meetings in person, so this will help them keep in touch with what's happening in their community."

Chandler Channel 11 airs Chandler City Council meetings, Council Study Sessions, Planning & Zoning meetings, along with independent programming such as:

Chandler Inside and Out - With Mayor Jay Tibshraeny
The Mayor and a special guest discuss local, regional, and national issues that affect Chandler.
Chandler In Focus
A Chandler City Councilmember hosts this program that looks at community issues with a different guest each month.
Come Out & Play
The City's Community Services Department staff hosts this award-winning program promoting the recreation and leisure opportunities that abound in Chandler.
Sprinkler's Clubhouse
Sprinkler's Clubhouse is aimed at young children to teach about a variety of safety topics. It is a joint effort between the Chandler Fire and Communications and Public Affairs departments.

To view Chandler Channel 11 visit www.chandleraz.gov/video.

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Contact
Jane Poston
Public Information Officer
480-782-2231 office
480-212-6258 cell

Orange County Commissioners Meetings Online

Fri, 12 Mar 2010 00:00:00 GMT

Live and Archived Recordings of Regular Meetings Now Available Through the County's Website

Orange County, NC - Orange County Government has improved public access options for viewing Board of County Commissioners' meetings. Starting immediately, anyone with a computer and network access can view BOCC regular meetings through streaming video supported by Granicus.

Sunshine Week in North Carolina, starting March 15, introduces the availability of links on the Orange County website for both live and recordings of previous BOCC regular meetings for 2010. Archived videos are indexed to specific agenda items to simplify the search process.

Viewing options of Orange County Board of Commissioners regular meetings are available to the public in several formats. Currently the most recent BOCC meeting can be seen on Time Warner Cable digital channel 265 at noon and 7:00 p.m. each day. Archived streaming videos through Granicus are now available by selecting "Video" on the Orange County website http://www.co.orange.nc.us/.

Archived meetings will generally be available the day after the meeting.

"Implementation of the Granicus service takes Orange County to the next level in open government," said Valerie Foushee, Chair of the Orange County Board of Commissioners. "Streaming video will improve access for individuals who wish to see, hear and evaluate Board discussions and deliberations," she added.

BOCC regular meetings are usually held twice a month. A yearly calendar is available from the main Orange County webpage.

About Granicus
Granicus, Inc. is the leading provider of government solutions for improving transparency, citizen participation, and community awareness over the Web. The Granicus platform helps public agencies create, manage, and distribute live and on-demand streaming media content. Granicus hosts the world's largest government-exclusive webcasting network, streaming an average of 200,000 government webcasts on a daily basis. Granicus serves over 600 clients spanning all 50 states and into Canada.

Contact: Donna Baker, Clerk to the Board, 919-245-2130

Prior Lake-Savage Area Schools Brings School Board Meetings Online

Mon, 31 Jan 2011 00:00:00 GMT

School district provides greater accessibility to public meetings

Prior Lake, MN - Prior Lake-Savage Area Schools is pleased to announce the launch of its new webcasting technology, providing parents and area residents with convenient access to live and archived streaming of school board meetings through its website. This extension to the district's public outreach is made possible through its partnership with Granicus, the leading provider of webcasting solutions for government.

"One of our Strategic Plan directives is to continually work toward engaging stakeholders in our school district," said Superintendent Dr. Sue Ann Gruver. "Providing greater access to viewing school board meetings is just one example of how we are connecting with residents and being transparent in the major decision-making processes that take place in our school district."

Prior Lake-Savage Area Schools recently deployed Granicus' Open Platform and Government Transparency Suite to provide the public with greater accessibility to school board meetings. Residents can review board agendas and minutes posted alongside the video player for live and archived meetings. Archived meetings are indexed, allowing viewers to select agenda items that interest them instead of watching a meeting in its entirety.

Archived meetings are key-word searchable and available as MP3 (audio) and MP4 (video) downloads. Viewers can also share videos over popular social networking sites as well as copy and embed portions of a meeting, or an entire video, through the player itself.

Anyone with access to the internet can view live and archived meetings by visiting the school district's website:

Go to the school district's website: www.priorlake-savage.k12.mn.us
Go to the "Quick Guide" on the right-hand side of the home page
Select "School Board Meeting Videos"
If a meeting is in progress you can click the "in progress" link to view an event live
Click "View Meeting" to view an archived event

The school district has been broadcasting its board meetings through local cable channel 17 in Prior Lake and Savage and will continue to air meetings each Tuesday and Saturday.

About Granicus
Granicus is the leading government cloud computing provider for transparency, efficiency and citizen participation solutions in the U.S. It offers the first cloud platform and product suites designed specifically to help government agencies establish meaningful connections with citizens. Granicus hosts the world's largest government exclusive webcasting network, streaming over 27 million webcasts and serving more than 750 clients spanning all 50 states.

Contacts for Media
Prior Lake-Savage Area Schools: Kristi Mussman, Communications Coordinator 952-226-0014 Granicus: Aileen Horgan, Client Marketing Specialist 415-357-3618 x1753

Edinburg City Council Meetings Now on the Web

Fri, 22 Oct 2010 00:00:00 GMT

Edinburg, TX - Edinburg residents are now able to watch City Council and Economic Development Corporation meetings on the Internet or replay all or part of those meetings at their convenience through a link on the City's website - www.cityofedinburg.com.

This technology allows anyone with an Internet connection to view past City Council and EEDC meetings at their convenience. Residents can view the entire meeting, search keywords for topics of interest or follow links in the online agenda on the City website to navigate directly to a particular item.

Currently the City televises both City Council and EEDC meetings live with additional replays scheduled throughout the week on Edinburg's ECN Channel 12 for customers with Time Warner Cable.

Residents can now also view meetings online by going to the City's website at www.cityofedinburg.com, then clicking on the ECN12 Live icon. Live streaming video and archived videos will also be listed.

The new on-line service is powered by San Francisco-based Granicus, Inc., the premier provider of government webcasting and public meeting management solutions to over 600 government agencies spanning all 50 states across the nation.

City Council meetings to stream live on the Web

Thu, 30 Apr 2009 00:00:00 GMT

COLUMBIA - Citizens and other interested parties with high-speed Internet access will be able to watch City Council meetings live on the Internet, effective May 4, 2009.

Dubbed "City Stream," the new service will also provide archived meeting video within 24 hours of a meeting's end. The viewer may choose to watch the entire meeting or click on a link for a specific agenda item to see only the pertinent video. Supporting documents will be available at the same location on the city's Web site, according to a city press release.

Televised broadcasts of City Council meetings on the City Channel will not be affected by this new service.

"Council members have asked for this service for citizens for several years," City Manager Bill Watkins said. "But the cost of buying broadband capacity was excessive, considering the small number of users that could be accommodated at one time."

Newly inducted Second Ward Councilman Jason Thornhill said the new service was timely.

"People have been missing the broadcast on the City Channel since Mediacom changed the channel, so this will be convenient for people to find it and watch at their leisure," Thornhill said.

Granicus, the vendor chosen to stream the meetings and store archived footage, brought a product to the table with the right features at the right price and serve other government clients, according to the press release.

Public Communications Director Toni Messina said that start-up costs are less than $15,000. There will also be a monthly management fee. Both costs are supported by funding recommended by the Public Communications Resources Advisory Committee and approved by the City Council.

"We applied for funding through the committee's competitive process earlier this year and were very pleased when we got approval," Messina said.

Messina said she hopes this will help the community's vision for a more transparent government process. She hopes to find out if the Internet is helping more citizens get involved and if the service helps them communicate with local officials.

Effective Monday, a link titled "City Council Meetings" in a black bar near the top of the city's home page will take users to the viewing site.

Sumner residents can now watch sessions on the Internet

Mon, 13 Jul 2009 00:00:00 GMT

It was a stroke of luck that the first Sumner City Council meeting to be available online was one in which 150 people crammed into City Hall.

"What a (meeting) to pick," Sumner Communications Director Carmen Palmer said. "But it was perfect. The council discussed a big issue and I'm sure people (who didn't attend) wanted to watch it." In May, Rainier Communications Commission, which provides the televised council meetings for Sumner residents, began offering online archiving to cities who use their television service. Sumner jumped at the chance, Palmer said.

"It's something that I think a lot of the cities were wanting to do and we're always looking for ways to make it more convenient for people," she said. "People can see meetings any time now, instead of just the times it comes on TV. It's just a really nice option for us right now." Even better, she said, is that RCC offers the service for free because it is part of the RCC's new contract with service provider Online Video.

"The amount of storage space we (now) have is sufficient that we (can now) provide that service to all of our member jurisdictions," RCC Director Bill Oltman said. "It's part of the benefits our members get." The meetings are not streamed live, Oltman said, but are archived and can we watched at any time. Each meeting will be available for a year after it's put online.

The commission offers this service free of charge to any of their members, which includes Fife, Orting and Puyallup. Some of the cities, he said, do their own archiving.

"(Puyallup) is going to be doing it on their own I believe, but it's available," he said.

City of Puyallup executive assistant Brenda Arline confirmed that the city is working with a private archiver.

"We are in the final planning stages," Arline said of putting meetings online.

Puyallup is working with Granicus, a private company. It will cost the city no more than $60,000 for the first year they use the service and about $26,400 every year after that.

The next step for Rainier Communications Commission, Oltman said, is to work with Comcast to provide On Demand video for the meetings, which can be watching on television at any time.

"It's not finalized yet, but we are hoping to provide that to customers," he said.

To view meetings, visit www.ci.sumner.wa.us.

Reach Reporter Avani Nadkarni at 253-841-2481 ext 314 or by e-mail at avani.nadkarni@puyallupherald.com.

To see more of Puyallup Herald or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://www.puyallup-herald.com/. Copyright (c) 2009, Puyallup Herald, Wash.

Something Everyone Agrees On: More Demand = Good Thing

Fri, 21 Nov 2008 00:00:00 GMT

While not a new observation it's become more acute in recent weeks that at least on one front in the Great Broadband Debates all parties seem to be in agreement: we need more people using and relying upon broadband to a greater degree.

It's the one issue that unites network, applications, content, and public interest people, both ideologically (we've all drank the broadband Kool-Aid) as well as from a business perspective (more users = more potential customers).

In particular this has been a major point of emphasis among the big-time network operators. I've now heard telcos and cablecos alike strongly suggesting that we need to be pursuing policies that can help stimulate understanding of and demand for broadband.

Yet while it obviously behooves any online purveyor of apps or content to have a larger marketplace to sell into, I have yet to see these overlapping interests turn into a working consensus over what needs to be done to stimulate consumer demand.

Of course, I can see why some might be wary of supporting any initiative that'll result in increasing subscription rates and ultimately profits for multi-billion dollar network operators. Also, there's the issue that apps guys want to talk about network deployment and management, whereas these are topics that network operators would rather just faded away.

But I think what might be really stalling a coordinated campaign to increase demand for bandwidth is that I have yet to see a concise plan or even any specific actions that can be done to improve this situation.

We've got studies showing that part of what's holding back people who don't subscribe to broadband is cost, but even more significant is that many people still don't have computers at home. On top of this, most people without broadband don't see the value it holds; it's a nice-to-have not a must-have service.

And taking this a step further, I'd argue that we've done a poor job of educating even those who already have broadband about how they can use it to improve their lives. The Internet may be this endless sandbox, library without walls, communications nirvana, but it also tends to be a medium that can only be fully exploited by those with the know how and initiative to spend a lot of time finding and figuring out how to use apps.

From a policy point of view it comes down the simple question of: what can the government really do to spur demand for bandwidth?

One obvious answer is to continue making more of their services available online, in particular in ways that add value to the old paradigm in order to incentivize people to shift into the new.

For example, webcasting government meetings through a company like Granicus. Today many of these meetings at all levels of government can be watched on TV, but what's possible online is revolutionary: never missing a meeting, watching at your convenience, easily search through agenda items, look up related materials, and more.

But this alone won't be enough as there's a ton of training and equipping that needs to be done in order to help all Americans participate in this new age of communications.

In order to shift the paradigm in a big way we need big ideas and a coordinated campaign uniting the abilities and interests of all parts of the Internet value chain to stand together and help inspire our country to embrace what a networked life can be.

Spurring demand for broadband and therefore apps and content is an issue we can all agree on. So let's use this common ground to start finding ways to work together on crafting effective federal policy to accomplish these specific goals rather than wasting all of our time bickering over issues we don't agree on.

This isn't to say we can ignore those issues we don't see eye-to-eye on, but I'm hopeful that by working together we can find more common ground that can lead to a more productive dialog and ultimately lead to more effective legislation.

City Meetings Now Available on the Web

Fri, 10 Feb 2006 00:00:00 GMT

Eagan is first in state to offer Internet broadcasts of all city meetings

Sure, you're interested in city government, but you just can't seem to drag yourself down to City Hall to attend a council meeting. Or maybe you missed a meeting on cable and you really want to know if your neighbor got that permit for a chicken coop.

Fear not - catching up on city meetings is now as easy as clicking a button on your computer.

Eagan unveiled its new tool, called Webcast Central, at Tuesday's City Council meeting. Webcast Central allows residents to view any and all live meetings, from those of the Parks and Planning commissions to the City Council, on the city's Web site.

The Webcasts can be viewed from anywhere in the world.

"That means we're going to have to behave ourselves because our families might be watching," Carlson said.

According to the city, four out of ten Eagan residents do not subscribe to cable television and cannot watch televised meetings or video messages from the city. The city hopes that Webcast Central will allow more residents to have access to their local government.

"We know that an informed citizenry will maintain Eagan's position as one of the preeminent cities in Minnesota," said Eagan Communications Director Tom Garrison.

Residents can now view meetings as they're happening with just a 20 second delay, and they can also view meetings for up to a year after they were originally broadcast.

Meetings are available on the city's Web site as soon as the next day. The meeting's agenda appears along side the video, complete with links to more information on any given item.

In addition to a search option for key words, there is also a "jump to" feature that allows users to choose the item they want to watch and the video will jump to that point.

The site also features a promotional video of the city, and will allow officials to instantly broadcast emergency messages over the Internet.

Belle Plaine City Council Meetings Online

Thu, 14 Jan 2010 00:00:00 GMT

Citizens Can Watch Meetings Live and On-Demand through the City's Website

January 14, 2010

Belle Plaine, MN - The City of Belle Plaine will officially launch new webcasting technology at the January 19, 2010 City Council meeting. This technology provides citizens the opportunity to watch local City Council meetings live and also on-demand after the meeting. Users can instantly replay captured video of all or part of a meeting through the City's web site, www.belleplainemn.com and clicking on the link on the homepage.

The City of Belle Plaine has made open government a priority by supporting initiatives that enhance communication with our citizens. We are excited about this new web site feature as a further example of our ongoing efforts to provide easy access to the City Council process.

Currently, the local MediaCom Cable Channel No. 8 cablecasts each regular City Council meeting at scheduled times. The video recording of the council meetings are also available at the City's website listed above.

With the new technology, citizens will now have access to archived meetings of the City Council and will be able to use key word searches through archived agendas to locate items of interest. They will also be able to click on an agenda item and be automatically linked to the portion of the meeting they are most interested in watching. In addition, citizens will have access to the same background reference documents that the City Council considered in making its decisions. These same reference documents are also available prior to the Council meeting on the City website.

It is hoped that this new program will reach out to a greater number of residents and members of the community. This is one of the enhancements that the City has been looking forward to since the launch of our City website.

Archived meetings will generally be available for on-demand viewing the next day. Meetings will be archived and available for viewing for one year from the date of the meeting. The new on-demand service is powered by San Francisco-based Granicus, Inc.

Please contact David Murphy, City Administrator at 952-873-5553 for questions or comments.

San Juan council meetings to be shown online

Wed, 07 Dec 2011 00:00:00 GMT

Audio and video recordings will be available on the city website under a new contract with a webcasting service.

San Juan Capistrano, California - San Juan Capistrano will show recordings of its City Council meetings online after the council voted unanimously Tuesday night to contract with San Francisco-based Granicus Inc. to perform the service.

The contract will cost 18,246 upfront and $12,924 annually. The deal was approved for a term of 18 months.

The council struck down a proposal to include a $10,000 allocation for two new 50-inch televisions to be installed in the council chambers at City Hall.

Currently, the city's website has only text agendas and minutes of meetings. The database is not searchable, and links to PDFs are listed chronologically.

With the new webcasting service, council meetings will be recorded and made available on the website in audio or video. Recording each meeting costs about $129. Agendas can be integrated with any kind of media, and all materials will be collected in a database accessible through a keyword search. Granicus also offers other features the city may opt into, including RSS feeds and live broadcasts.

Granicus supplies similar services to about 250 other municipalities in California, including Dana Point, Mission Viejo and Rancho Santa Margarita.

"It's a need, not a want," said San Juan Capistrano Councilman Sam Allevato. "We are probably at the lower end of delivery of these types of reports to the public."

Councilman Derek Reeve said he is pleased that one of his campaign promises about making government more accessible is going to be fulfilled.

"We have so many people coming to ask for CDs and audio," Reeve said. "And that's something they'll no longer have to do."

Source:
By Frank Shyong, fshyong@ocregister.com
The Orange County Register

Council Meetings Coming Online

Thu, 15 Dec 2005 00:00:00 GMT

CLEARWATER - Until now, political junkies have had three choices: attend City Council meetings, watch the meetings on the city's C-View 15 cable channel or get the tape from the library a few days later.

But now a fourth option, streaming video, is available on your home computer.

"There are a lot of problems inherent with making streaming video available to the public," Doug Matthews, the city's communications director, told the City Council at its work session Monday afternoon. But those problems have been overcome, he added.

"I'm glad (the technology) has finally caught up with us," said Councilman John Doran, who has advocated streaming video for the past three years. Pinellas County has had streaming video for the past year or two, but very few Florida cities have it.

"We are one of the first in the state of Florida," Matthews said. But many California cities have streaming video provided by Granicus, a San Francisco software firm that Clearwater also will use.

"Some of the other streaming media solutions we reviewed were three times more expensive than Granicus, and didn't even offer the indexed video feature we wanted," wrote Gloria A. Kappe, mayor of Cerritos, Calif., a city half the size of Clearwater that gets 2,000 requests a month for its streaming videos. "Based on the time saved on information management alone, the Granicus solution will pay for itself in a very short time."

"By having our meetings archived and searchable on the Internet, staff and citizens can retrieve the meeting records on their own, helping to reduce the workload on the clerk's office by up to 25 percent," added Johnny Johnston, CEO of Ventura County, Calif.

Streaming video will be available 24/7. And it will be closed-captioned to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act.

"We can do full text searches on the closed captioning," Matthews said. "It's a very powerful tool."

The video also can be tied to the supporting documentation.

Meetings will be automatically published to the Web and indexed.

"All the indexing you see happens as the meeting happens," Matthews said. "There's very little staff time for indexing."

Meetings will be indexed by agenda item, and the records also can be searched by keyword.

Current plans call for videos to be available online for six months. After that, they can be burned onto a tape for indefinite storage. But those plans may change.

"It's just a management issue," said Dan Mayer, the city's director of information technology.

The monthly service charge paid to Granicus will be divided among the budgets of the various city departments. There will be no extra charge for future upgrades.

"This sounds like a pretty incredible tool," Councilwoman Carlen Petersen said.

The streaming video can be accessed from the city's Web site, www.MyClearwater.com, but it may take some time to catch on. Mayer said that when Pinellas County first instituted streaming video of its meetings, the biggest users were the county commissioners.

Council Plans to Go Online

Sun, 23 Apr 2006 00:00:00 GMT

Program to stream and archive meetings over the Web may soon be available to public.

CITY HALL -- Glendale's city meetings may soon be making an appearance on a computer screen near you.

The council will decide Tuesday whether to authorize funding for live video streaming and archiving of all City Council, Housing Authority and Redevelopment Agency meetings on the Internet, City Clerk Ardy Kassakhian said.

The city already posts most city meeting agendas and reports digitally on the Web, and residents can watch meetings on the city's government access channel, GTV6. But the contract before the council Tuesday -- with Internet broadcasting and archiving firm Granicus Inc. -- would allow anyone in the world with Internet access to watch GTV6 broadcasts whenever they want.

In addition, the archiving feature would allow people to easily access video of any portion of a meeting they would like to review, at the click of a mouse button, Kassakhian said.

"Our goal is to have the meetings broken up and archived so you can click on a particular agenda item and that that portion will immediately be called up and played," Kassakhian said. "That way you don't have to fast forward or go through four or five hours of a meeting if all you want is the public comment from a particular portion of the meeting, for example."

City officials have had access to live video streams of city meetings since late last year as part of a pilot program to test online broadcasting on the city's Intranet, Kassakhian said. While the city's network was able to generally handle the traffic, it could not handle the traffic generated when too many people tried to access a particular meeting.

Granicus has proposed to host all video broadcasts and archiving on its own system, eliminating the impact on the city's network, Kassakhian said.

The contract would cost the city about $40,000 the first year, with an ongoing annual fee of around $14,400, depending on how many people access the system and how much server space is used for archiving. The city would also have to spend about $5,000 more a year to hire hourly workers to upload and maintain the archive material.

The cost is reasonable, when weighed against the benefits of increased public access to government material, Mayor Dave Weaver said.

"It is not as much as I expected," he said. "Any way we can reach the public better is definitely worth it, as long as it is within budgetary constraints."

While other cities like Pasadena already broadcast and archive their meetings online, Glendale has been careful in choosing the most appropriate, cost-effective system to meet its needs, Kassakhian said.

"We had the ability to provide this before, but the question was two-fold: how cost effective would it be, and how could we be certain that the technology available would not be outdated after a few months or years," he said.

"But as the technology has become more affordable and established we felt it was the right time. We are not blindly rushing into the technology here. We are simply walking cautiously toward it and embracing it."

If approved by the council, Internet users will be able to access city broadcasts online for free by May 9. Archives of past meetings would become accessible starting June 22.

Glendale resident Dave Moreno welcomed the possibility of accessing city meetings on the Web.

"This is exactly what the Internet was designed and envisioned for, communicating essential information to a public that is hungry for information on what their City Council is doing," he said. "Other cities have streaming video in place. It is time for Glendale to catch up."

Your City's Political Process, On Demand

Wed, 14 Jun 2006 00:00:00 GMT

Edina residents who were unable to make that last City Council meeting will soon be able to watch it over the Internet - at any day or any time.

This summer, the city of Edina will begin video streaming its public meetings over the Web. This new tool will allow residents who are not subscribers of cable television to also watch video of city meetings.

At present, EDINA 16 - a government access channel offered to subscribers of Time Warner Cable - is one of the few places where citizens can watch city meetings that they are unable to attend. Residents can also borrow DVDs of meetings from Edina City Hall or the Edina Library.

Soon, there will be one more option.

Whatever is currently available on cable, will also be made available via the Internet, said Edina Communications & Marketing Director Jennifer Bennerotte.

Although the meetings will not be aired live, footage will be accessible immediately following the meetings - as opposed to waiting until 10 a.m. on Thursdays to see the Edina City Council meetings, for example.

City Council and Planning Commission meetings are the only meetings aired on cable at present.

"It is just an added benefit," Bennerotte said. "It's one more way for people to stay in touch with the City Council."

The firm Granicus, which will be Edina's video-streaming provider, also offers service for the cities of Burnsville, Eagan and St. Paul - in addition to 120 government agencies across the country.

Minneapolis and St. Louis Park are also cities that offer video streaming, but not with Granicus. "As technology increases, so does our residents' expectations," Bennerotte said.

Granicus' service will cost the city about $13,400 in its first year. The only other company that submitted a bid to Edina came in around $13,600.

Features Granicus will provide include closed captioning and "key word" searches for both agendas and meetings. For example, users will be able to pick exactly the agenda item that they want to see and instantly jump to that item in the meeting.

"The video will start at the beginning of the meeting, unless you choose another link," Bennerotte explained. "It's very user-friendly."

As well as improving public access, city staff members said they hope the video streaming will make creating meeting minutes more efficient. With the City Council's minutes often times reaching 20 to 30 pages, there is hope that the video streaming might be able to reduce that length, said Edina City Clerk Debra Mangen.

"We're hoping that they will be shorter," she said. "Because the video streaming will be out there."

In addition to cable television and the DVDs, the video streaming is "another piece of record," Mangen added.

The city will archive the videos on the Web for one to two years. After that, people will have to rely on the DVDs for old footage of city meetings.

Both Burnsville and Eagan report that their video sites get about 400 hits per meeting. Bennerotte expects Edina will get at least that - if not more, considering the city's politically active populace, she said.

Video streaming works best on high-speed Internet connections. If residents have dial-up, they may have delays, states a city staff report.

The city's new communications tool should be available next month or in early August.

VASD Meetings Are Now on the Web

Sun, 13 Dec 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Verona, WI - If you like following Verona Area school board news - but don't like sitting through hours-long Monday night meetings - a new option online might be of interest.

Last Tuesday, videos of recent school board meetings were available at the Verona Area School District Web site, www.verona.k12.wi.us, for the first time.

The district plans to post the videos within a day or two after each school board meeting. That's faster than waiting a week or more for meetings to be broadcast on Charter Cable channels 95 and 991, as has been the case for years.

And the best part is that the online meetings are indexed: Viewers can click on a particular item from a meeting's agenda and go straight to that discussion, rather than wading through the entire meeting.

"I think that's really an innovative design," said Betty Wottreng, district director of technology. "If you have one topic you are interested in, the end user can get there very quickly."

The district hired Granicus, Inc., a San Francisco-based company, to implement the new system. It cost VASD about $11,000 for software, hardware, setup and training, and the district will spend $519 for monthly fees, Wottreng said. For now, there are no plans to stream the meetings live on the Internet.

Granicus works with municipalities and school districts across the country, including the City of Fitchburg, which began posting videos of meetings online two years ago and started streaming this year.

But Granicus staff said Verona is the first school district in Wisconsin they've worked with, Wottreng said.

The videos are stored on Granicus' servers. While several years of minutes and agendas are available online, district officials haven't determined how long the videos of meeting will be archived.

Council Meetings a Click Away

Tue, 09 Feb 2010 00:00:00 GMT

Manteca Extends Access by Live Streaming

They definitely won't ever be popular on YouTube.

There's not a lot of action as it is mostly talking heads.

Even so the "stars" of the live stream are hoping Manteca residents will "click on" so they can follow municipal business at twice monthly council meetings.

The official debut of the webcasting of Manteca City Council meetings starts Tuesday, Feb, 16, at 7 p.m.

It'll give residents three options to see their City Council in action. They can drop by the council chambers at 1001 W. Center St., watch on Comcast Cable Channel 97, or sit down at their computer.

City Manager Steve Pinkerton noted it was part of an ongoing effort to make the public's business more accessible to Manteca residents as well as by anyone anywhere in the world with web access. He noted only about 40 percent of the homes in Manteca access Comcast Cable TV.

A live test run actually took place last meeting. A tech set up a tie in that fed the Comcast coverage directly to the Internet in real time. It went off without a hitch.

While the images aren't exactly compelling, the audio was crisp and easy to understand.

The webcasting of the meeting will be archived on the city's website and broken down by subject.

You can see what last week's meeting looked like by going to www.ci.manteca.ca.us , click on "mayor and council" under departments and then click on "council meeting video". It is here you can view the meetings live when they take place or access the archives that are also available by agenda item.

There is also a split screen that will allow residents to click on PDF files detailing agenda item backgrounds and staff reports to follow along.

The Internet access via the city's site would also have the ability to have the agenda background files downloaded in advance.

Last year, the council shifted to Tuesdays from Mondays for their twice monthly meetings to give the council - as well as the public - more time to examine agenda items. The staff, as part of the move has been getting the agenda out by mid-day the Thursday prior to the meeting and sometimes as early as Wednesday afternoon. Prior to the shift instituted on Pinkerton's watch, agenda packets would be distributed on Friday.

The city has also stepped up its communication of city business and activities by the institution of a week in review report with details of what municipal departments have done in the previous week. Pinkerton also has a blog that he updates almost daily. He'll reference city activities plus provide links and information on other cities and reports involving the ongoing crisis in government funding.

It follows up on the city's launch of on-line reporting of neighborhood concerns and complaints in 2008.

Manteca Bulletin
By Dennis Wyatt
Managing Editor
dwyatt@mantecabulletin.com
209-249-3532

Emeryville City Hall Goes Digital with Granicus Inc.

Fri, 20 Jun 2008 00:00:00 GMT

A $100,000 digital video system to be installed by Emeryville's Advanced Systems Group LLC in the city's council chamber will help city staff members speed up their work and give community members access to clearer meeting footage online.

San Francisco's Granicus Inc. will receive about $27,000 to set up a digital video server, software, and a laptop for "bookmarking" the meeting video by agenda item, a feature that could be a boon to city staff during routine research, said Karen Hemphill, Emeryville's city clerk, assistant to the city manager and public information officer.

Those employees often hear about city directives second hand, via reports from their department heads who have attended. Now they'll be able to review video of the meetings quickly and easily, Hemphill said.

Advanced Systems, a privately held audio and video systems installer and reseller, is the largest seller of Apple Inc. professional video systems in Northern California, said Garrick Huey, a broadcast sales manager at the company.

It installs and maintains video editing and management systems for advertising agencies, video processing firms and local broadcasters such as KGO, as well as municipalities such as Piedmont and colleges such as CSU-Sacramento.

The company's annual revenue is rapidly approaching $10 million said Huey, though he wouldn't provide an exact figure.

Emeryville's current video system was nearing the end of its useful life, Hemphill said. It uses old security cameras to record meetings and requires city staff members to change a DVD every time it wants to show a new meeting or feature on Emeryville's local government access cable television station, Channel 27. The new system, which the city expects to complete in August, will be managed by Grancicus for about $1,000 a month.

mfitzhugh@bizjournals.com | 925-598-1425

County launches online streaming of government meetings

Tue, 07 Dec 2010 00:00:00 GMT

Lihu'e, HI - County officials announced that starting tomorrow, Dec. 8, the county will begin online streaming of County Council meetings, Planning and Police commission meetings, and Mayor Bernard Carvalho's weekly show, "Together We Can."

Kaua'i joins the City and County of Honolulu and the State Legislature in utilizing webcast technology to provide live and archived access to government meetings and programs.

"We are very pleased to offer our community another opportunity to connect with county government," said the mayor. "It's all part of our efforts towards transparency."

"The Council has always encouraged the implementation of online streaming to benefit the residents of Kaua'i and has supported the administration in their efforts and schedules to commence this project," said Council Chair Jay Furfaro. "Today is a landmark day for the county as our residents will now have improved access to viewing government meetings on their own schedule."

The council is also working to phase in expanded document availability on the county website and will be developing this expansion after receiving the recommendation of the administration at its upcoming furlough review.

Anyone with a relatively new computer and internet access will be able to view the meetings via live streaming on the county's website, www.kauai.gov, or access the archived meetings at any time. The mayor's show will be viewable after it is captioned within a day or two following a taping.

For those with a PC, the minimum system requirements are the second edition of Windows 98 with at least a 233-MHz processor Pentium II and 64 MB of RAM.

For Macintosh users, a G3 or a newer model with Mac OS X installed is required.

Although the county has been broadcasting public meetings on Hoike public television, channel 53, for years, online streaming will enable residents to watch these meetings in the comfort of their homes or offices at their convenience. The meetings will still be available for viewing on channel 53 for residents who do not have internet access or prefer to watch the meetings on TV.

Archived meetings will be indexed by agenda item to facilitate access to specific segments of a meeting instead of requiring the viewer to watch a meeting in its entirety.

The meetings will also be keyword searchable, allowing residents to easily find a meeting based on their specific interest. To access the webcast meetings, go to the county's website, www.kauai.gov and click on the Webcast Meetings link located in the middle of the home page or go to www.kauai.gov/webcastmeetings.

For more information regarding system requirements, please contact the mayor's office at 241-4900.

Anyone with questions about meeting content should contact the respective government entity.

The online streaming is made possible through the county's partnership with Granicus, a leading government software-as-a-service provider.

Granicus hosts the world's largest government exclusive webcasting network, streaming more than 26 million webcasts and serving over 750 clients spanning all 50 states.

Contact
WALLACE REZENTES JR., DIRECTOR
Tel (808) 241-4200
Fax (808) 241-6529

Redesigned County Web Site Wins Plaudits

Thu, 29 May 2008 00:00:00 GMT

From "fabulous" to "professional" to "elegant," e-mailed comments from community members and county employees about the recent redesign of the Prince William Web site have been mostly positive, said one public information specialist.

"For the most part, feedback from outside users and internally, county employees, has been good. They like the change and think it's easier to find things," said Nikki Brown, county spokesperson. "The biggest complaint about the old Web site was it was hard to navigate ... and now you can pretty much get to any-thing within two, three clicks at the most."

The county launched its new site, http://www.pwcgov.org, on May 7. Last updated in November 2003, this most recent overhaul came in response to survey comments from 761 participants. Primarily, respondents found it difficult, confusing and time-consuming to use the site search and navigation features, according to background documents presented to the Board of Supervisors weeks ago.

The Web site redesign began in late 2007 and was completed by staff with the county's communications and information technology departments, and did not call for the use of taxpayer dollars to hire contractors, Brown said.

"The scope of the project included redesign and publishing of more than 2,500 pages," the county reported.

Still to come is a video streamlining feature that will allow interested parties to watch Board of County Supervisors meetings as they unfold, live.

"That starts next month," Brown said. "The first board meeting that will be available [via online streamlined video] is June 17."

The video streaming will cost $22,750 as an initial outlay to Granicus, a live streaming and archiving business used by "hundreds of local and state governments," including the cities of Alexandria and Fairfax and the counties of Arlington, Chesterfield and Loudoun, according to background documents for the supervisors. Another $1,184 will be paid to Granicus monthly from cable capital grant funds for archiving and maintenance.

In the meantime, public comments are welcomed, Brown said.

"We want people to let us know what they think," she said. "We are not done with the Web site. We will continue to update it."

Staff writer Cheryl Chumley can be reached at 703-670-1907.

Edinburg launches webcasting for council meetings

Tue, 16 Nov 2010 00:00:00 GMT

Edinburg, TX - A webcasting technology recently launched by the city of Edinburg is part of its overall efforts toward open government, city officials said.

The technology launched in October allows anyone with an Internet connection to watch City Council and Edinburg Economic Development Corporation meetings online. Residents can also view archived meetings on demand that allow them to skip to specific items on the agenda.

The online service, offered by San Francisco-based Granicus Inc. - a company that provides webcasting services to local governments - follows the city's decision to begin posting its complete city council agenda packets online, Edinburg City Manager Ramiro Garza said. And it comes as the city looks to accept payments online, allowing residents to conduct any city business from the comfort of their homes.

"There's always been a movement here to bring our government to our community," Garza said. "This latest effort is one of our last steps to make sure that we have as much information available to the public instantaneously."

Granicus' technology - available through a link on the city's website - also allows residents to watch the city's cable channel, ECN 12.

Although the city is in the early stages of using the technology, the most recent city council and economic development corporation meetings are available. Director of Public Information Irma Garza said the city intends to archive meetings back to October 2008 with the technology that allows viewers to search keywords for topics of interest or navigate directly to a particular item on the council's agenda.

Edinburg paid a one-time fee of $10,742 to launch the service and will pay a monthly $901 subscription fee. McAllen and South Padre Island also use the service.

Posting the full agenda packet online - which the city began this year - allows taxpayers to see information available to the mayor and council members when they make their decisions, Irma Garza said. With the webcasting technology, residents will be able to see them discuss and take action on an item, even if they can't attend the meeting.

"What we're about is keeping the community informed," Irma Garza said. "This is just another tool for them to see what's happening with their tax dollars, how the mayor and city council members are deciding things and how the city staff and administration are putting their work to use."

Source
The Monitor
Jared Janes

Link to original article: http://www.themonitor.com/articles/city-44548-meetings-edinburg.html

Redwood City Launches New Streaming Media Technology

Fri, 21 May 2010 00:00:00 GMT

Redwood City, CA - Redwood City has been streaming its City Council online since late 2007. Now, at the City Council meeting of May 24, Redwood City will officially launch its new streaming media technology, providing the community with enhanced features like archived video search and document linking of its City Council and Planning Commission meetings.

This technology, provided by Granicus, allows community members to search all archived meetings, facilitating faster recovery of the desired meeting videos. Archived meetings are indexed by agenda item, so viewers can jump in the video directly to items of particular interest. All meetings contain supporting documentation posted alongside the video player, such as agendas and minutes, making it easier for community members to follow the City Council's actions and stay well-informed about the issues that affect Redwood City.

"This new technology will really foster a deeper knowledge of the activity of the City Council and Planning Commission," said Jeff Ira, Mayor of Redwood City. "The enhanced features offer greater transparency and ease of use for the community. This is a perfect example of how we are being innovative and providing a better service at a lower cost," added Mayor Ira. In fact, this new product will generate expenditure savings to the City Clerk's department which coordinates the City Council meetings. The community can access the online streaming and archived meetings files at www.redwoodcity.org, clicking on the "I want to" menu and selecting, "See Council Meetings and Agendas." (direct link: http://www.redwoodcity.org/government/council/meetings.html)

The provider of this technology is Granicus, the leading software-as-a-service provider of government transparency, public meeting efficiency, and citizen participation solutions in the U.S.

Visit Redwood City's award-winning website at www.redwoodcity.org for information about the City and its services, the community, recreation programs, education, and local business. Subscribe to Redwood City's electronic newsletter or other City documents at www.redwoodcity.org/egov.

Lake Elsinore: Videos of Council Meetings to be Put Online

Sat, 12 Jul 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Residents will be able to watch full discussion of specific agenda items

LAKE ELSINORE ---- Lake Elsinore City Council meetings will be broadcast, or "streamed," on the city's new Web site, a months-in-the-works reboot that will be launched later this year.

Streaming meetings online allows anyone with Internet access to watch an entire meeting or punch up the discussion that precedes a controversial vote. And because the information is saved and archived, users can watch the footage live or whenever convenient. The site also will give users the chance to perform keyword searches of the archives for a council decision or discussion.

A onetime purchase price of $10,428 for the streaming software, which includes on-site training, was approved by the council last month.

The revamped Web site is expected to be online by August, said city spokesman Mark Dennis.

San Francisco-based Granicus, a privately owned firm founded in 1999, will provide the streaming technology. The city also will pay $911 per month for hosting services, which means Granicus will be responsible for storing and preserving the large video files.

Before recommending Granicus, a company that has focused exclusively on government applications, Dennis polled fellow information officers via an e-mail blast.

"I asked, 'What have you got? What do you use?' Up and down the coast, Granicus was the preferred vendor," he said.

Dennis said the City Council wanted to offer streaming video because residents who have satellite TV can't watch meetings, which are broadcast by the city's cable providers. Also, having the meetings available for residents at the click of a mouse helps to ease the workload for city administrators, who make audio or video copies of meetings when requested by the public.

The online service also boosts the council's stated goal of transparency in government, Dennis said, because any comment made during a meeting is saved for posterity.

"It's to keep our people informed," said Lake Elsinore Mayor Daryl Hickman, who said the archives can be used by folks with questions about previous meetings.

The audio and video feed that will be streamed online is the same feed that residents with cable will see, said Lauren Alexander, a Granicus spokeswoman.

But, unlike the cable broadcast, Granicus software allows a user to access the backup material for an agenda item while the council's discussion is broadcast.

For instance, if the council is discussing a proposed housing development, someone with property in the area could look at the maps included in the agenda's backup material while listening to the council as it discusses the project's pros and cons.

Granicus has 410 clients nationwide, including 156 in California, Alexander said.

She said the widespread adoption in California points to the state's support of open-access laws and its support for innovation with new technology.

Contact staff writer Aaron Claverie at (951) 676-4315, Ext. 2624, or aclaverie@californian.com.

Pushing Governments to Do More on Transparency

Wed, 15 Jul 2009 00:00:00 GMT

The government services firm Granicus has published a white paper outlining standards for government transparency in the new online world. While their standards are not the be all, end all, they do provide a useful benchmark on which to judge what some of the more innovative local governments are doing nation-wide.

Real Time. Freedom of information laws have required that government meetings be open to the public for decades now. But in the internet age governments can go much further. Rather than simply holding an open meeting and making the minutes available for those who can't make it at the specified time, governments can stream all of their public meetings, live. Cities like Berkeley, California, are already doing this, not only for the City Council, but also for smaller bodies like the zoning authority. Here in Virginia, the city of Alexandria has also been a leader in live-streaming, webcasting meetings for all of their public bodies.
On Demand.As big a step forward as real-time streaming is, it isn't enough. After a meeting has happened citizens should be able to lookup any board meeting that has been recorded whenever they want. Montgomery County, Maryland, for example, has an On Demand program that allows citizens to access recording of meetings on YouTube or download podcasts from iTunes, or get them directly from the county's cable TV channel. In Virginia, Fairfax County has also been on top of On Demand access to public meetings. For every meeting of the board of supervisors they promptly put up a page that summarizes the meeting, with links to videos of the full session, presentations to the public, presentations by board meetings and public hearings held by the board on that date.
Integrated Public Records. Fairfax excels in another area as well. It seamlessly integrates public records from the meeting into one single page. In addition to the video of the meeting, the county provides residents easy access to the official summary of the meeting, the agenda and materials handed out as well as news releases relating to the meeting. Sacramento, California is another jurisdiction doing the same thing. However, whereas Fairfax requires users to find the summary page for the meeting they want, Sacramento has an easy to find page with agendas, summaries and video for all of their recent meetings.
ADA Compliance and Closed Captioning. Unfortunately, in their rush to design attractive, functional websites, far too many people ignore those in the community with disabilities. Every locality in the country is required to adhere to the standards for websites laid out in the Americans with Disabilities Act. Some of this is simple, such as including adjustable font size, text only versions of websites and screen reader compatibility. But there is room for improvement. If governments are providing video, they need to provide closed captioning or some other form of simultaneous transcription, to allow disabled citizens equal access.
Searchable. Just about every county government website has a search function at this point. The question is how far they go and how easy is it for citizens to find what they are looking for. Some places, like Fresno, California, place search front and center on their website. Also important is making sure everything is indexed in the search function. Too many localities leave out .pdf documents and Microsoft Word files.
Downloading and / or Syndication. Public meetings are public. Governments can't censor people who attend them from writing about them, recording them or more generally doing whatever they want with the information provided there. The same should be true for online videos of public meetings. Citizens need to be able to download video files to use as they see fit. Governments should also make it easier to follow the updates of public documents by providing RSS syndication of online videos and other public documents. Places like Alexandria are already doing this, allowing citizens to subscribe to live feeds of video updates and audio podcasts. Other localities provide RSS feeds of press releases and other public documents, allowing citizens to stay up to date with little effort.
Sharing. Social networking is not a fad. Governments need to realize that new platforms like Facebook and Twitter are here to stay and adapt to them. Localities like Montgomery County, with its On Demand center, engage citizens where they already are, Facebook and Twitter, instead of forcing them to come to one central place.
Formats and Data Standards. For text documents .pdf files have become the accepted standard, but there are no similarly accepted standards for web video yet. Some governments use Windows Media Player to stream content, other use RealPlayer and yet others use Flash formats. Until there are widely accepted formats for streaming video, local governments should strive to provide content in the widest range of possible formats, to allow access to the greatest number of citizens.
Free. There is next to no cost associated with putting public documents online for the public access. Governments should resist the urge to hide some data behind pay-walls or to use third-party vendors who charge users fees to access data.

Many governments around the country are going above and beyond the minimum baseline that citizens can expect from them. They are delivering live streaming of public meetings, on demand libraries of past meetings and integrating public records into their presentations. They are syndicating council documents and making it easy to share government websites on social networks. The challenge now, is to get more jurisdictions into this category.

Skagit County Wins Prestigious Digital Governance Award

Fri, 18 Jul 2008 00:00:00 GMT

SKAGIT COUNTY - Skagit County Government has won the national Digital Governance Award for Silverlight Excellence. Skagit County distinguished itself in this category by being an early adopter of the Microsoft Silverlight plug-in. This extends its webcasting content across all internet browsers and computers - dramatically increasing its reach. The county also demonstrated excellence in their webcasting capability - producing creative content and maximizing their Granicus tools to foster increased public awareness and involvement. The award will be presented at the Digital Governance Awards Banquet at the 2008 Granicus� User Conference to be held August 6-8, 2008 in San Francisco.

Skagit County, through Skagit 21, the county's government access television channel, now offers broadcasts online at www.skagitcounty.net as well as on COMCAST Cable. Agenda items and other video productions are archived and available to view on demand. "This is a significant development for government access television. It allows an incredible amount of transparency for government, allowing the public access on demand to view government actions," said Skagit County Communications Director Dan Berentson.

The highly competitive Digital Governance Awards seek to honor Granicus clients who display measurable outcomes with technological solutions that:

Improve efficiency in government and public services.
Enhance public communication.
Improve community engagement.
Facilitate government transparency.

A record number of applications were submitted. The competition was close.
The winning jurisdictions demonstrated the most compelling use of Granicus technology. And they accomplished measurable and impressive results.

For further information, contact:
Dan Berentson
Communications Director
360-419-3461

Council Meetings To Go On Internet

Wed, 02 Aug 2006 00:00:00 GMT

Video streaming of Novato City Council and Planning Commission meetings is expected to begin in early October. Novatans with internet access will be able to watch the meetings live by visiting the City of Novato Web site, www.ci.novato.ca.us. Video of meetings will also be archived the following day for access by the public whenever desired.

Last week the city council approved a $44,473 contract with Granicus, Inc. of San Francisco to get the technologically advanced system up and running and manage it for the first year, said City of Novato Management Analyst Thomas Adams. Councilmember Judy Arnold spearheaded the video streaming effort in the council. "I had heard from a number of people who do not have cable, so they aren't able to see council meetings," she said. "With video streaming even more people will be able to participate in the public process," Arnold said. The council voted unanimously on July 26 to go ahead with the project.

The city is one of the few municipalities in the area to televise meetings, but video streaming has become more common. Marin Council supervisors' meetings are available on the internet, for example. Pablo Gonzalez, marketing director for Granicus, said the contract with Novato provides for a split-screen, simultaneous video display of the meeting and agenda and staff report on the item being discussed. Granicus is a nationwide firm with 140 clients among municipalities, government agencies and utilities, Gonzalez said. Walnut Creek just began video streaming meetings and San Jose has been utilizing Granicus for some time, Gonzalez said. Gonzalez said closed captioning is an option the city could add later if it desires. If the installation goes as scheduled, the first Novato City Council meeting to be available on the internet would be the meeting of Tuesday, Oct. 10.

While Novato city government has long applauded itself for the openness afforded by televising meetings, critics have charged that councilmembers and others sometimes play to the camera rather than get down to business. Just how much video streaming will affect this situation remains to be seen.

Port of Tacoma Broadcast Viewing Data Released

Wed, 14 May 2008 00:00:00 GMT

As the Port of Tacoma was considering televising and Web streaming its meetings last year, a few commissioners questioned whether there'd be much of an audience.

Well, the first numbers are in.

About 200 people have watched the port meetings live via the Web since the agency began streaming them in mid-March.

Web video of the March 20 and April 17 meetings was requested another 840 and 200 times, respectively.

The TV numbers are a bit lower.

Seventeen people watched the April 17 meeting on demand, according to the Click! Network, and 251 people have tuned into port programs, including the Port Report, a port history video and a Tall Ships recap.

The Port Commission in December approved a $170,000 contract with San Francisco-based Granicus to provide the Web streaming equipment and training and help coordinate the televising of the commission meetings.

Hilda Stevens, Granicus' regional sales manager, said she considers the number of people watching the port live online pretty good, especially if you consider the likelihood of fitting all those people in a meeting room.

She said the number of viewers typically grows in the first months of Web streaming as word gets out that the content is available.

Rod Koon, port spokesman, said he's encouraged that people are watching commission meetings and other content produced by the port.

"The main thing is that this stuff is available and readily accessible for people who want to see it," Koon said Tuesday.

You can find Port Commission meetings online at www.portoftacoma.com.

San Franscisco Is Tops in Streaming Video

Wed, 04 Mar 2009 00:00:00 GMT

The City and County of San Francisco is claiming the distinction of posting more meetings online than any other government channel-some 2,371 archived meetings as of Feb. 20.

The city is using the services of a home-grown company, Granicus, whose software and services help agencies set up online repositories of government Webcasts and digital documents-cross-linked and keyword-searchable. Granicus proclaimed San Francisco the top streamer.

"I am committed to making San Francisco the most transparent government in the country," said San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom. "In order to nurture an informed electorate it is critical that government make content easily accessible through video, interactive media, and other relevant programming."

San Francisco also ranked first among government agencies for live views in 2008, with 313,491 viewers. SFGTV, an early adopter of Webcasting meetings in 2004, streamed more than 2,000 public meeting to constituents in 2008.

"I am very impressed with the work that the City and County of San Francisco has done to increase government transparency", said Tom Spengler, CEO of Granicus. "It has been one of the true pioneers of open government over the past five years, and we look forward to working with its staff to put even more public meetings and hearings online."

The City of Los Angeles came in second in archived meetings, followed by the Arizona state legislature.

Founded in 1999, Granicus serves nearly 500 governing bodies in 44 states.

SFGTV, operated by the City's Department of Technology, programs two San Francisco cable television channels featuring governmental meetings and events as well as original programming and information on city events, services and issues.

MORE INFO
Granicus www.granicus.com

Brooklyn Center City Council to be Broadcast Live Online

Thu, 28 Aug 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Starting Monday, Sept. 8, live Brooklyn Center City Council meetings will be only a click of the mouse away.

The city plans to begin broadcasting council meetings live via the Internet with that night's meeting at 7 p.m.

An archive of previous meetings will also be available online for one year - starting with the Sept. 8 meeting.

City Council meetings will still be broadcast on Brooklyn Center's local cable channel as well.

According to a presentation provided to the council during an Aug. 25 work session, city staff members have been working with the Northwest Suburbs Cable Communications Commission (NWSCC) and its member cities to acquire a contract with Granicus, Inc. - a provider of webcasting solutions for local government agencies.

That partnership is allowing the webstreaming concept to move forward.

Visitors will click on a link on the Brooklyn Center city website at www.cityofbrooklyncenter.org to access a live City Council meeting or archived meeting. That will take users to the NWSCC website, which is where council meetings will be accessed. Windows Media Player will be required to view the meetings over an Internet connection and meetings will be searchable by agenda item.

"It is really straightforward and really easy," Brooklyn Center IT Director Patty Hartwig said. "It is changing how we deliver our services to the community."

Brooklyn Center and Crystal are the first cities in the Northwest Suburbs Cable Communications Commission to implement the technology. Brooklyn Park, Golden Valley, Maple Grove, New Hope, Osseo, Plymouth and Robbinsdale hope to be webstreaming their council meetings by the end of the year.

According to Hartwig, Brooklyn Center has been researching the concept for several years and found that partnering with the member cities in the Northwest Suburbs Cable Communications Commission would be more cost effective - saving 25 to 30 percent - than going it alone. By working with NWSCC, no general city fund dollars being are being used for the project.

According to a memo to the council from city staff, it is anticipated the city will be able to reduce costs of responding to incoming requests for City Council meeting information. The new service is also expected to provide website visitors a "quick turnaround time for information and 24/7 access," according to the memo.

"Webcasting is an alternative method to disseminate information to residents, property owners and business operators who cannot attend the meeting," the memo stated. "Through web technology, we are finding cost effective methods to get critical information to the public and improve customer service in a time of fiscal constraint."

During the council work session Aug. 25, Mayor Tim Willson questioned whether archiving meetings beyond a year would be an option.

Hartwig said that's possible, but the method was still under discussion.

This story was posted here on Aug. 26. It will also appear in the Sept. 4 print edition of the Brooklyn Center Sun-Post.

During the council work session Aug. 25, Mayor Tim Willson questioned whether archiving meetings beyond a year would be an option.

Hartwig said that's possible, but the method was still under discussion.

This story was posted here on Aug. 26. It will also appear in the Sept. 4 print edition of the Brooklyn Center Sun-Post.

Eagan Starts Webcasting Meetings

Wed, 15 Feb 2006 00:00:00 GMT

Whether you are in Pittsburgh and want to check out the Planning Commission's meeting or in Cairo and want to check in on the City Council, Eagan has the answer.

"This is truly online video on demand," said Tom Garrison, Eagan communications director. "That's what we are delivering to the people of Eagan. It's an exciting evening."

Garrison's comments came as Eagan gave its new Webcasting system its first live tryout Feb. 7 with the Eagan City Council's meeting.

As the meeting was being broadcast live via cable television, the city also was offering the option to stream the meeting live over the Internet through its Web site, www.cityofeagan.com

The council approved webcasting in December 2004 as part of its 2005 budget for communications.

The issue came up because of the number of Eagan residents who don't subscribe to cable television. That includes both those who don't subscribe to any television services and those who receive satellite TV.

"It's a priority that came from the community and something the City Council supported," City Administrator Tom Hedges said. "Four out of 10 residents don't subscribe to cable television and don't have the opportunity to view city meetings."

City survey results show that the more residents know about the work of the council and city government, the higher their satisfaction with city services, Hedges said.

Eagan signed a contract with Granicus, the nation's largest provider of streaming video and webcasts of local government meetings, in December 2005. The two-year contract will cost the city $725 a month with an additional setup cost of $9,000.

The webcasts are available through the "Webcast Central" feature at the city's Web site. They can also be accessed by selecting "Watch Meetings" under the "News & Events" and "Council & Mayor" sections of the site.

While the meeting video is playing, the agenda for the meeting also appears on the right side of the screen. By clicking on an agenda item the viewer may access more information about the issue.

Council members were excited about the possibilities the new system offers.

"Technology is just absolutely great as far as the so many things you can do," Mayor Pat Geagan said. "There have been times when I wanted to view something from the past and it's so difficult. This is just wonderful."

Councilmember Peggy Carlson said the webcasts are able to be viewed anywhere in the world and not just in Eagan.

"Does that mean we have to behave ourselves now?" she said with a laugh. "Our families across the country can view us now."

The webcasts aren't limited to council meetings either. Eagan is offering live streaming of all its commission meetings as well.

While Internet users have the ability to watch the meetings live, they also have the option to watch the meetings at a later date. Starting the day after the meeting takes place, the webcast is made available with chapters allowing viewers to skip to particular parts of a meeting.

"It's a tremendous time savings for people who want to watch what they want to watch when they want it," Garrison said.

The meetings will remain archived on the city's Web site for a year, although there is the option to make them available longer for an additional cost to the city, Garrison said.

But the importance of the webcasting system to the city doesn't stop there.

The system also allows the city to put other video features on the Web, allowing it to put up messages from city officials or promote aspects of the city like its Fitness Center.

And, the system would also come in handy during emergency situations, Garrison said.

"We could bring the police chief down to webcast a message in those situations to the community," Garrison said. "It's amazingly flexible."

For PC: You must be running Windows 98 or later operating system with at least a 233MHz processor Pentium II and 64MB of RAM.
Macintosh: You must have at least a G3 processor with Mac OS X installed.
In addition, you should have at least Windows Media Player 9 and a recent version of your preferred browser.
To view video, you should have a broadband connection. Dial-up users may receive an audio-only stream.

Website of the Week: Chesterfield County, VA

Sun, 08 Aug 2010 00:00:00 GMT

You may not have heard of Chesterfield County but it's the fourth-most-populous administrative district in the Commonwealth of Virginia (after Fairfax and Prince William Counties and the City of Virginia Beach). But a lot can be learned about the county--and there are a lot of ways for citizens to participate in its governance--at its website, www.chesterfield.gov. And it was recently acknowledged as the top "digital county" in the nation (among counties with 250,000 to 500,000 residents) by the Center for Digital Government.

The honor comes following a July 2009 redesign designed to put the citizen at the center of the web experience, according to County Applications Director Ted Maxwell. The county relied on a citizen advisory board combined along with representation from most county departments. It uses a content management system (CMS) that leveraging the Microsoft Asp.Net and SQL Server development platform, and the use of XML and WCF web services for data sharing and data consumption with other local municipalities. One example: shared traffic reports with surrounding localities.

The National Association of Government Webmasters has also recognized the site with its highest honor, the Pinnacle "Members Choice" Award.

Maxwell attributes some of the success to the involvement of citizens, who have served on the steering committees of the projects including the website redesign and the Citizen GIS mapping application, which provides online access to map layers and aerial photography displaying geographic details and parcel information.

"Leveraging the talents of the citizens on the projects has produced higher quality systems, and made staff more efficient by limiting rework," Maxwell said.

Another example: Chesterfield County TV. Board and Commission meetings are streamed online, with an indexing feature that lets citizens to view only those portions they choose. The county has expanded its use of Granicus software to include capture of remote meetings that take place outside of the county complex and at department meetings.

The results: Website visits increased from just 854 in April 2009 to 77,324 in April 2010.

"This dramatic increase serves as the greatest testimony to the fact that our citizens are now using the county website as the 'go-to' place for county information and services," Maxwell said.

That's a lot of web hits, and www.chesterfield.gov is the Government Video Website of the Week!

Source:
Government Video
Link to original article: http://www.governmentvideo.com/article/97404

City of Naperville Now on Twitter and Facebook

Fri, 20 Feb 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Several New Online Offerings Let Residents Stay Connected With Their Government

The City of Naperville would like to inform residents and interested parties that there are several new ways they can now receive the latest news from the city, including Twitter, Facebook and RSS feeds.

"The city is constantly seeking new ways to connect with and inform our residents," Community Relations Manager Nadja Lalvani said. "We want to reach the broadest audience possible and that means embracing new technology such as social media platforms and Web 2.0. We encourage all residents who use these online services to sign up to receive the latest city news."

If you are a Twitter user and prefer to receive updates about the city in the form of a "Tweet," visit the city's profile page at http://twitter.com/NapervilleIL and click the "Follow" button. You'll receive updates about when the city issues the latest news and event notifications.

If you are Facebook user, become a fan of the "City of Naperville, Illinois." You'll find links to the latest news releases, photos of the Naperville area and more. You can access this page by visiting www.naperville.il.us/facebook.html.

Recently, the city also began offering Real Simple Syndication, or RSS, feeds for its city news, public safety news, City Council agendas and City Council minutes. Simply put, RSS allows visitors to dynamically retrieve content from a Web site they are interested in without even visiting that site. Users can employ a third-party service known as an RSS feed reader or RSS news aggregator to compile new and updated content from RSS-enabled Web sites and display it all in one place for easy viewing. For more information on RSS feeds, or to sign up for the city's RSS feed offerings, visit www.naperville.il.us/rssfeeds.aspx.

In addition, the city reminds residents that it offers a free, voluntary e-mail service to anyone interested in learning more about city services, activities and events. This service keeps residents informed of road closures, construction alerts and much more. You can decide what type of information you want to receive and can choose to unsubscribe at any time using a link within the e-mails. Sign up at www.naperville.il.us/enews.aspx.

In January, the city also began streaming City Council meeting video online at www.naperville.il.us/granicus.html. Users can view the meeting video live or on-demand and have immediate access to agenda materials that correspond to their agenda item of interest.

"All of these communication methods help with enhancing transparency in government while demonstrating our commitment to the environment," Lalvani said. "Using current technology not only saves taxpayer dollars but also conserves precious environmental resources."

County Hopes Web Option a Net Gain

Sat, 30 Dec 2006 00:00:00 GMT

DAILY NEWS STAFF

Important decisions are made at governmental meetings, but sometimes it's tedious sitting through zoning debates or public comment periods.

So many people just don't go - thereby missing out on votes that personally affect them. In response, Onslow County plans to use the Internet to make regular meetings of the Board of Commissioners easier to access.

A new software system approved unanimously by the Board of Commissioners Wednesday will allow the county to post an interactive meeting agenda on the county's Web site. Residents can click on a particular item - say a vote for a new jail - and pull up streaming video of that segment of the meeting.

"From our standpoint, it's just another way to make the meetings available to the public in another format," said Frank Clifton, the county manager. "It's just another step in technology, in trying to make the business of government more available to the people. That's important, especially at the local level."

The technology will take a bit of time to get up and running. Clifton said residents can expect it about three to six months from now. But once it is, videos will be posted to the Net only a few days after a meeting.

The software for this technological feat is supplied by Granicus of San Francisco. The county will pay the company $26,000 up front and then a monthly fee of $1,100 for the first year.

It's a price the commissioners are willing to pay if it helps better connect the residents with the government.

Commissioner Martin Aragona Jr. said the move is the next step in the board's effort to make information more readily available. He pointed to the return of televised meetings on public-access cable stations and the audio recording of closed meetings as previous steps in the same effort by this board.

"This is going to feed off of that," he said. "I just think it's great that citizens will have that access and be able to just go online and hear what the commissioners said about any particular subject.

"I think it's a big asset to our citizens and shows the commitment this board of commissioners has in making the county government open and more accessible to them."

Aragona said the technology will not be used for closed sessions at this time, but said he hopes it could be in the future.

"Hopefully, one day - if we build the county government complex - we could have a television-capable facility to record us in closed session. Right now, we just don't have the facilities to do that."

According to the Granicus Web site, North Carolina cities Wilmington and Winston-Salem use the technology.

"It's a win-win situation for the price and I hope the public will perceive this as another step in favor of open government," said board chairman Delma Collins. "Its not cutting edge technology by any means, but I don't want to take away from what it will do. Compared to our former capabilities, it really does put us on the tip of the iceberg here in eastern North Carolina.

"We're pioneering with this."

Clifton said with the Internet's popularity, it's important to try to use it to reach out to the community.

"The entire public doesn't have the Web, but there is a growing number that do," Clifton said. "Mainstream newspapers and cable reach a certain segment, and the Web is just as significant. You just strive to make it easier."

McAllen Takes Next Step Onto Internet

Mon, 23 Oct 2006 00:00:00 GMT

McALLEN - Area residents who don't have access to the McAllen Cable Network will soon be able to watch McAllen City Commission meetings over the Internet.

Currently, about one out of every three households in the city doesn't have cable and therefore can't watch MCN, according to Roy Cantu, the city's public information director.

Starting next month, however, those without cable will be able to watch video recordings of the public meetings via the city's Web site, provided they have a fast enough Internet connection.

"Any time you get more information out, that's got to be a plus," said Nedra Kinerk, a frequent attendee at the city's public meetings. "Some people don't have access to cable; some people don't have access to computers, and so I would guess this would give us wider visibility."

The system, from San Francisco-based company Granicus Inc., cost the city $12,900 to install, equip and train employees. The city also will pay the company an $850 monthly fee to manage the service, including storing the video recordings.

The public will be able to watch only those portions of the meetings that interest them without having to search through several hours of video.

The interactive public record is planned to display up to one year's worth of archived meetings with corresponding agendas and supporting documents that are searchable and cross-linked to the video recordings of the public meeting. By clicking on a particular agenda item, the user should be able to directly jump to that portion of the meeting video.

Though the Web-based access to public meetings will be limited at first to City Commission meetings, city officials expect to expand it later to include McAllen Public Utility Board meetings and possibly others. As with the City Commission meetings shown on MCN, the Web video will not include the parts of the meetings reserved for public comment, Cantu said.

The new system won't just be limited to on-demand access to archived video.

The city also hopes to offer 24/7 streaming of its MCN programming, including City Commission and PUB meetings, with only a slight time delay.

Live broadcasting of video over the Web is notoriously trickier than broadcasting recorded video, however, and working out all the kinks may take some time.

The city will conduct an in-house test of the live streaming Nov. 13 during the City Commission's regular meeting.

Even if the test proves that part of the service isn't ready for prime time, the city expects to make the recorded version of the meeting available online beginning Nov. 16. The three-day delay will give staff in the City Secretary's Office time to review the electronic indexing of the video that they will have done while the actual meeting was in progress.

One potential drawback to the overall system is that it won't be possible for users to download the recorded video to their computers, for example if they want to maintain their own archives. The limitation also means users won't be able to transfer the video to a portable device such as a video iPod if they want to take it with them to watch later.

"It's another tool we have to make folks know what's going on and let them have the ability to keep up with the decisions that are made here," said deputy city manager Brent Branham. "I think it's going to have a great benefit to us in spreading information during a disaster or a crisis, particularly those folks that can't be right at their TV."

Eagle County Offers Web Streaming of Local Meetings

Fri, 12 Dec 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Residents, second homeowners and other stakeholders are now able to view local government meetings at their convenience thanks to web streaming provided by ecoTV-18, Eagle County's government access channel. In partnership with Public Access Channel 5, regular meetings and other content from the towns of Vail, Avon and Minturn as well as the Eagle County School District, Eagle River Water & Sanitation District and Vail Recreation District are now available online at www.ecotv18.com. Eagle County Commissioner meetings have been available for online viewing since August 2007.

Cable channel 18 and www.ecotv18.com are funded solely through cable franchise fees, which may not be used for any other purpose. The channel was the recent recipient of two national awards, a Savvy Award and an Award of Excellence, from the City-County Communications and Marketing Association. The awards were in recognition of the county's news magazine show, "Inside Eagle County."

Meetings are typically posted within one hour of ending and are archived for up to six months. For more information, contact Eagle County Video Production Manager Scott Fifield at 328-8603 or scott.fifield@eaglecounty.us.

City of San Carlos Videos Available on Google Video Search

Tue, 28 Jun 2005 00:00:00 GMT

Brian Moura

The City of San Carlos announced yesterday that a number of its video presentations are now available for viewing via the new Google Video Search Beta program. The videos have been made available on Google through the work of Granicus, a San Francisco based firm that San Carlos has hired to make the information on the city's TV Channel -- the San Carlos Channel -- available on the Web both live and on demand.

In the past, San Carlos residents could watch the San Carlos Channel live by tuning in Cable Channel 27 on Comcast Cable. They could also watch this material -- both live and on demand -- via the city's Web Site using the San Carlos Channel and Video Archives feature.

Today, these options have expanded with the addition of Google Video Search. To use the Google system, Web viewers will need to visit the Google Web site and download the free VLC Video Viewer. Once that has been done, they can use Google Video Search to look up and play videos from the City of San Carlos.

Assistant City Manager Brian Moura credited Javier Muniz, Chief Technology Officer and Tom Spengler, Chief Executive Officer at Granicus for their work in bringing the City of San Carlos video material to the Google Video Search program. San Carlos was interested in having its videos made available through additional options, such as Google, and the Granicus staff provided the technology and the work to make that happen.

News Staff

Arcata Goes High-Tech

Tue, 18 Apr 2006 00:00:00 GMT

ARCATA -- With a nod to new technology, City Council and Planning Commission meetings are going live over the Internet starting Wednesday.

The city partnered with Granicus Inc. of San Francisco to begin streaming the meetings and archiving them on the Internet. To view a webcast, go to the city's website at www.arcatacityhall.org and click on "Meetings -- Live and Archived."

Meetings will continue to be broadcast on Cox Cable HCTV Channel 12.

During webcasts, the meeting agenda will be posted and the item currently under discussion will be listed directly below the screen.

Webcasts will be archived for one year and include special features such as the ability to go to specific portions of a meeting by selecting an agenda item. There will also be key word search options.

To access meetings from the city's website, computers will need Windows 2000 or XP with 128 mb ram minimum, Windows Media Player 9 or newer, 1.2 MHz processor, sound card, and a highspeed Internet connection.

Computers below these specifications or using dialup connections may still be able to connect, but could experience choppy or no video.

City of Eureka to Video Stream Public Meetings Online

Wed, 19 Oct 2011 00:00:00 GMT

The City of Eureka establishes open government leadership with access to live and archived meetings on its website including the number of Board and Commissions meetings that will now be streamed live.

Eureka, CA - Live streaming began on October 4, 2011 and residents can watch Eureka City Council meetings live and on demand through the City of Eureka's website at www.ci.eureka.ca.gov. Streaming meetings allows everyone to participate in government from the convenience of their own home.

"The City Council and I are committed to encouraging citizen participation at all levels of government and video streaming of public meetings is one more tool to help meet our goal", commented Mayor Frank Jager.

The City of Eureka recently deployed Granicus' Government Transparency Suite, providing citizens with a powerful new way to engage citizens in public meetings and government events online. Now, online audiences can quickly follow the latest decisions and actions in government through a comprehensive archive library of public meeting videos and government records that are all cross-linked and keyword searchable.

While watching the videos, viewers can access relevant supporting materials like staff reports which are displayed alongside the video. Additionally, they are able to jump to particular items of interest with index points. Another exciting feature is being able to quickly share the videos to social media sites or by copying and embedding portions of a meeting or an entire video across any blog or public website. And, for those viewers who wish to watch or listen to the videos from their mobile device can do so using MP3 and MP4 downloadable formats.

"When a community like the City of Eureka takes an initiative like this toward open government, they're matching government responsiveness to today's technological demands: online, mobile, instant and convenient," says Tom Spengler, Granicus CEO. "Congratulations on taking the next step towards making government information conveniently accessible as well as meaningful."

The City of Eureka joins the circle of other Humboldt communities, such as the City of Arcata and County of Humboldt in using Granicus to establish open government leadership.

About Granicus
Granicus, Inc. is the award-winning cloud platform provider for government transparency, efficiency, and citizen participation. It offers the first cloud platform and product suites designed specifically to help government agencies establish meaningful connections with citizens while reducing operational costs. Granicus solutions have provided legislative management and automated open government to towns, cities, counties and other governmental bodies for over 25 years. Follow Granicus on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, and on the Connecting Government Blog

Contact
City of Eureka: Pam Powell, City Clerk 441-4175, ppowell@ci.eureka.ca.gov or
Granicus: Tobias Cichon, 415.357.3618 x 1061, tobias@granicus.com

Commissioners Meetings to be Shown on Web

Sun, 02 Apr 2006 00:00:00 GMT

STAFF REPORTS

NEWS RELEASE - Beginning with Monday's Onslow County Board of Commissioners meeting, all regularly scheduled meetings of the board can be viewed live via the county's Web site.

People can watch live meetings and view archives of past meetings 24 hours a day. The archived meetings will be searchable using keywords to make it easy to quickly research and view specific topics.

There will also be a "jump to" agenda and meeting minutes allowing users to select a specific agenda item and go directly to that point in the video.

Onslow County is the first county in North Carolina to partner with Granicus Inc., based in San Francisco, which provides web streaming video services to local governments.

"The ability to view board meetings via the Internet enhances open government and provides connectivity to all county residents," said Onslow County Manager Frank Clifton.

Windows Media Player Version 9 or better and high speed Internet is required to view the streaming video. The Website address is www.co.onslow.nc.us.

Park District of Highland Park Launches Webcasting Technology

Fri, 18 Dec 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Residents can now watch board meetings over the internet, on-demand

Highland Park, IL- Park District of Highland Park residents are now able to watch local Board meetings on the Internet. Users can also instantly replay all or part of the meetings at their convenience through a link on the District's website (www.pdhp.org and click on the tab titled "Park Board & Staff", then click on "Meetings"). RSS feed is also available for users. If a user signs up for RSS feed they will be alerted when board meeting, agendas, or minutes are published on the website.

The Park District officially launched the new webcasting technology for the November Board Meeting allowing residents to view meetings 24/7. This new webcasting option is taking the place of Comcast channel 17 and is allowing more people to view the Board meetings at their convenience.

"The Park District of Highland Park is excited to share this new technology with residents. Webcasting will make it easier for the public to stay current on District issues from the comfort of their homes. Those who do not have the Internet can borrow a DVD copy of the current meeting from the Highland Park Public Library or contact the Park District for a copy," stated Park Board President Lorry Werhane, Jr.

Park Board meetings will be available online within 24 hours after the scheduled meeting. To view the dates and times of upcoming Board meetings please visit www.pdhp.org or call 847.831.3810.

The new online service is powered by San Francisco-based Granicus, Inc., the premier provider of government webcasting and public meeting management solutions to over 600 government agencies spanning all 50 states across the nation.

The Granicus solution includes streaming software to capture, manage, store and distribute online video recordings. In addition, the video player window includes the meeting agenda with direct links to access specific agenda item discussions within the archived meeting. Meetings will be archived and available for viewing for one year.

For more information about please contact Kelly Huegel at 847.579.3136.

About the Park District of Highland Park
The Park District of Highland Park, founded in 1909, operates and manages over 600 acres of land in 44 park areas, and offers approximately 2,800 recreation and seasonal programs. Facilities include an indoor ice arena, indoor tennis and racquetball complex, two recreation centers, a nature center, an 18-hole golf course, driving range, adventure golf, aquapark, beaches, boat launch ramp and yacht club on Lake Michigan.

Web Access to City Meetings

Thu, 15 Apr 2010 00:00:00 GMT

Montpelier, VT - We are delighted to announce that, beginning with the March 24th Council meeting, the city moved into a new era of public access to meetings. While we are still mastering the learning curve and working out some kinks, city meetings are now being webcast live. That means they can be watched from anyplace with a high speed internet connection.

More importantly, though, the meeting videos are being archived on the web and can be watched after the fact. Even better is that the user can simply click on a specific agenda item and only watch the discussion pertaining to that issue. Want to know what happened to the one item you were interested in? Go to www.montpelier-vt.org and click on meeting video archive. Then find (by date) the meeting you are interested in. Once you click on that meeting, the agenda items will appear. Find the item of interest and watch the council and public discussion.

Along with this new broadcasting ability, we are posting all meeting documents as well. If you are watching a discussion about a proposed ordinance, for instance, a simple click will allow you to read the same proposal that's on the City Council member's desks. In addition to the agendas and supporting documents, we are continuing to post the City Manager's weekly memo to the Council which provides updates on various issues. That memo usually has supporting documents and correspondence accompanying it. All of that is available on line now. In essence, virtually every document which your elected City Council Members receive is available to the general public at nearly the same time.

The City worked with a company called Granicus who pioneered this technology and provides similar public access service around the country for communities large and small. We are very proud to be the first Vermont municipality to provide this advanced level of public access to the government process.

Complementing the web technology has been an upgrade to the camera system in the City Council Chambers. Replacing the old single camera which was operated manually, are three wall mounted high resolution cameras which are operated by a digital control board. The picture quality is improved and viewers no longer have to look at the back of a person's head who is speaking to the Council or whichever Board is in session. This system allows for multiple camera angles, split screens and other modern means of letting the viewer follow the proceedings easier. The new cameras, of course, also improve the visuals of web replays of the meetings. They don't, however, help much with the meeting content, that's still up to the participants!!!

Source:
Montpelier Bridge

Author:
William Fraser, City Manager for Montpelier, VT

Harrisonburg Partners with Granicus to Stream Public Meetings Online

Mon, 11 Jul 2011 00:00:00 GMT

City strengthens government transparency with access to live and archived meetings on its website

Harrisonburg, VA - Beginning on July 12. 2011, residents can watch city council meetings live and on demand through the city's website at www.HarrisonburgVA.gov. Streaming meetings allows residents who are unable to attend live or watch through the public access channel to view meetings when convenient.

"Increasingly over the years, streaming video of council meetings has been something that our community has requested," said Mayor Richard Baugh. "This addition to our capabilities will help us reach more of our citizens on their schedules and with the ability to focus on the issues that matter to them. It will help us continue our efforts to increase transparency and civic engagement."

Harrisonburg recently deployed Granicus' Open Platform and Government Transparency Suite, providing citizens with searchable archives of public meetings and events. Viewers will have access to supporting materials (displayed alongside the video) and the ability to jump to particular items of interest through the documents and an indexed drop-down box below the video.

Archived meetings are available as MP3 (audio) and MP4 (video) downloads. Viewers can also share videos over popular social networking sites as well as copy and embed portions of a meeting, or an entire video, through the player itself.

A number of Virginia communities are already using Granicus to share video with their communities, including Charlottesville, Lynchburg and Blacksburg.

About Granicus
Granicus is the leading government cloud computing provider for transparency, efficiency, legislative management and citizen participation solutions in the U.S. It offers the first cloud platform and product suites designed specifically to help government agencies establish meaningful connections with citizens. Granicus hosts the world's largest government-exclusive webcasting network, streaming over 30 million webcasts and serving more than 900 clients spanning all 50 states.

Contact
Harrisonburg: Miriam Dickler, miriamd@harrisonburgva.gov 540-432-7701
Granicus: Aileen Horgan, aileenh@granicus.com 415-357-3618 x1753

On-Demand Webcasts Debuted in March

Sun, 13 Aug 2006 00:00:00 GMT

Missed the latest City Council meeting? Look no further than the World Wide Web . The 'Net has been cast on Beverly Hills so the City is able to offer On-Demand Webcasts of archived television programs to the public.

City Council meetings, as well as an array of other educational and entertaining city programs are available for viewing 24 hours a day to broaden the audience. The new, on-demand system, which began a few months ago, offers online access to award-winning City productions such as "It's a Wonderful City" and the monthly news magazine, "Beverly Hills in Focus."

City Council meetings will be broadcast live with additional replays on BHN-10 and webcast on the City's Web site. Following a live meeting, both formal and informal meetings will be archived and indexed by topic, so that
viewers can view them on the Web site at any time and are able to skip to the agenda item of interest.

"Since launching the service in March of 2006, nearly 4,000 streaming requests for video programs have been delivered. As the program archives continue to grow and people become more familiar with the service, we expect the number of streams to increase accordingly," said Mark Geddes, multimedia/cable TV manager for the city of Beverly Hills.

Geddes also mentioned that the service also includes a powerful keyword video search to target topics people want most.

The new system features four major offerings: Live BHN-10 channel feed, City Council meeting archives, City Commission meeting archives and BHN-10 program archives. Eventually, two years of archived programming will be available online. For a complete list of on-demand programming, go to video on demand under the Cable TV section at BeverlyHills.org. Additional information can be obtained by calling (310) 285-1178.

"The City continues to leverage existing communication tools and develop innovative approaches to share important information with the community," Geddes said.

Sparks Launches New Live and Archived Streaming of Government Meetings

Wed, 06 Oct 2010 00:00:00 GMT

City partners with Granicus to enhance the viewing experience

Sparks, NV -The City of Sparks recently went live its new streaming media technology, providing residents with live and archived access to City Council and Planning Commission meetings through its website. This streaming architecture is possible through the city's partnership with the leading government software-as-a-service provider, Granicus.

"Through our partnership with Granicus, we're able to provide our residents with a higher quality stream and eliminate our bandwidth constraints. Plus, residents now have the ability to jump to particular agenda items instead of watching the entire meeting," says Adam Mayberry, Community Relations Manager for the City of Sparks.

While Sparks has been offering live streaming of meetings through its cable channel, video quality was poor and staff spent countless hours maintaining the system. In an effort to strengthen citizen outreach and reduce staff constraints, Sparks deployed Granicus' Open Platform, offering residents live and archived streaming of meetings and events. Archive meetings are indexed by agenda item, helping viewers quickly find the information they're looking for without having to watch a meeting in its entirety.

Access Government Meetings:

Go to the city's website: http://www.ci.sparks.nv.us/
On the homepage blue footer, click on "SCTV215 Live!"
a. "SCTV 215 Live" links to all live programming
b. "SCTV 215 Live Meetings!" links to upcoming, live, and archived meetings
c. "SCTV 215 On Demand" links to archived meetings and events

About Granicus
Granicus is the leading software-as-a-service provider of government transparency, public meeting efficiency, and citizen participation solutions in the U.S. Granicus hosts the world's largest government exclusive webcasting network, streaming more than 26 million webcasts and serving over 750 clients spanning all 50 states.

Contact
Sparks: Adam Mayberry, Community Relations Manager 775-353-7894
Granicus: Aileen Horgan, Client Marketing Specialist 415-357-3618 x1753

Highlands County Commission Meetings Go Live On Web

Tue, 25 Nov 2008 00:00:00 GMT

SEBRING - Open government in Highlands County has become more open.

Every county commission meeting now can be viewed not only on cable television, but also streaming live on the Highlands County Clerk of Court's Web site, www.hcclerk.org.

Citizens can view a meeting or any portion of it at any time, as the video and audio records now preserve every minute of every meeting.

Probably the most convenient aspect of the new system is that people will be able to go to a particular item on the agenda and get a complete audio/video record of it, and call up the documents related to that issue.

Barbara Stewart, chairman of the county commission, applauded the clerk's office for upgrading its computer system to expand public access to the decisions and deliberations of the commissioners.

"This is the public's business being conducted, and the better access the public has to it the better off the whole community is," Stewart said.

The clerk's software was upgraded at a cost of $32,000 to launch the new system, said Debra Williams, director of recording for the clerk's office, who oversaw this project over the past year.

"The clerk's motto is, 'Taking the courthouse to the public,' and in that context, that's why we continually try to improve our services to the board and to the public whenever we can," said Bob Jamison, senior director of business services in the clerk's office.

On average, the clerk's office fields between five to 10 public information requests for minutes and/or audio recordings of county commission agenda items every week.

With every issue now recorded on video as well audio, people will be getting much more detailed information and can access it themselves through the Internet with a few mouse clicks, said Antonia Rivera, a deputy clerk.

Hard copy written minutes and audio recordings of county commission will remain available but, Rivera said, getting them online will be quicker and more convenient for many people.

Going online with the live coverage and archived recordings of county commission meetings was delayed for several months because the first firm hired to supply the software didn't live up to expectations, Jamison said.

"We then went to the next (lowest bidding) vendor, Granicus, and they have clearly delivered on their promises," Jamison said.

Meeting minutes have always been paraphrased, but they will be more concise now, Jamison said. The minutes will list each agenda item and the action taken by the commissioners, and all discussion will be available through the video archives, he said.

"There are a lot of advantages to this," Jamison said. "It's making us more efficient and the public is getting a better product."

Three backup copies of the video recordings are being kept, and recording digitally will ensure that the sound and video quality stays top rate, said Tommy Haralson, who works in information technology for the clerk's office.

If the county commission moves a meeting outside of the county government center, as it did for two days early this year for a goal setting seminar, the clerk's office will be able to record those sessions also, Haralson said.

"On a remote location, it wouldn't be streamed live, but we would upload it onto our site and have it available as soon as the meeting is over," he said. The new system, he said, offers "a complete and thorough package to the public."

On working toward making the county's business more accessible to the public, Haralson said, "this is one example of where technology has caught up and it's helping us to do that better."

Solano County Administration Going Paperless

Thu, 26 May 2011 00:00:00 GMT

Solano County, CA - Encouraged by the latest new technology, Solano County's administration is streamlining work and saving money by going paperless.

Tuesday, the Solano County Board of Supervisors approved spending $83,015 to provide a countywide paperless agenda workflow management system with Granicus.

Supervisor Barbara Kondylis said the change is monumental.

She explained that after buying an iPad last year for the "fun of it," she stumbled across the county's website using the new toy.

"It was an accident, really, but I discovered it could be a solution for a lot of things," she said and added that she hasn't had an agenda packet on paper since August. "I don't have to carry the Brown Act with me or zoning codes, I have it here at my fingertips."

Kondylis noted that at one time, on average, 76 pages of paper were used every day by each county employee.

County Administrator Birgitta Corsello said that a couple of reams of paper are used weekly to print agenda packets.

The county has partnered with Granicus for the past six years in providing video streaming, minutes and online services -- a major component in implementing a seamless process from initiating an agenda submittal to archiving for the historical record.

Currently, in most county departments, the preparation, approval and submittal of agenda items is largely paper intensive. Most often, according to staff, the items are often hand carried or routed through a department for review and approval, then to the department head for signature, and typically hand carried to the clerk of the board.

An electronic agenda system would eliminate the back and forth, allow staff to post things simultaneously and could be operated on an iPad.

Supervisors will consider including the cost for purchasing iPads for the board, county administrator's staff and county counsel in the 2011-12 budget. The cost estimate, according to a staff report, is $800 per iPad.

Tuesday, Supervisor Jim Spering asked that research should be done to see how to make iPads available for public use to view the agenda.

Link to Original Article

Township Council to Post Meetings on the Internet

Sat, 03 Feb 2007 00:00:00 GMT

Posted by the Asbury Park Press

Web site of Granicus has contract

BRICK - Soon local residents, and anyone else with an interest in Brick government, will be able to keep tabs on the goings-on at township meetings from almost anywhere.

Like many other towns in New Jersey, Brick already televises its Township Council's public meetings. But Brick is taking it one step further. Later this month, the council is planning to start posting videos of its meetings on the Internet.

"I think it really makes the town government more accessible, and it's particularly useful for people who may not be able to get transportation or people who are unable to leave their homes for one reason or another," said town resident Mike Moran.

Stacy Lubrecht, another resident who, like Moran, is a frequent attendee at town meetings, also welcomed the move.

"I think it's something that should have been done a long time ago, since the technology was there," Lubrecht said.

The videos will be posted on the Web site of Granicus, the company Brick has contracted to handle the online videos. They also will be indexed, allowing residents to easily get to which part of the meeting - such as discussion on a specific ordinance - interests them, according to town officials.

Business Administrator Scott M. Pezarras said the service will cost $10,000 a year. The company also charges a roughly $10,000 initial setup fee, he said.

Council President Stephen C. Acropolis said eventually the meetings may even be shown live via the Internet, though not initially.

"This is just another step in the council's wanting to open up government in Brick Township," Acropolis said.

But in the future, Moran would like the idea of posting meeting videos on the Internet to be taken even further. Modern technology could allow people to participate in the public comments portion of meetings from home, he said.

"What I want to eventually propose is that we have a segment where those at home can key in something so that we know they have something to say," Moran said.

City of Midland will Start Streaming Meetings Online

Tue, 02 Aug 2005 00:00:00 GMT

Midland soon will join the growing number of cities that are streaming video of meetings online because of concerns about the possible loss of cable funding.

The streaming video technology will allow users to watch meetings live or from an archive without having to download large files on their computers.

Assistant City Manager Jack Duso said people can jump to specific agenda items or search for topics of interest.

"Once the meeting is archived, then you can access the meeting anywhere in the world, any time of the day," Duso said.

City Council, Planning Commission and other meetings are televised on the city's cable system. Money for these operations might be lost if cable companies succeed in changing federal laws requiring them to provide funding, City Manager Karl Tomion said.

"One thing we need to do is be looking at other technologies because this could happen quite quickly," he said.

The online system, which Tomion called user friendly, will be reviewed after one year.

The City Council approved spending $21,350 from the Cable Communication Fund for startup costs. Granicus Inc., the San Francisco-based provider of the service, will receive $17,950 for software, hardware, training and a $700 monthly fee for unlimited bandwidth for one year.

The additional $3,400 will be spent on a server from a separate source.

Duso said when the system becomes operational will depend on when all of the equipment is received, but he hopes it is in the next couple of months.

Granicus Sales Director Charles Blanchet said the nearly six-year-old company is growing, with eight to 10 cities adding their service each month.

"Midland is our 60th city," he said.

He said Midland still is on the cutting edge in getting the technology, but it is becoming more mainstream to place meetings online.

Aspen Government TV Short on Funds

Wed, 19 Nov 2008 00:00:00 GMT

ASPEN - After five years of covering public meetings, CGTV is seeking a raise as high as 50 percent from the governmental entities it broadcasts, but it's been a tough sell so far.

On Monday night, the town of Snowmass Village, one of the station's three funding sources, said it couldn't afford the proposed $11,734 increase proposed by CGTV, a Channel 11 spin-off of Aspen-based GrassRoots Television.

Since 2004, the Aspen and Pitkin County governments have each paid $24,000 to run programming on the station. Snowmass Village's contribution has risen from $10,000 in 2004 to $13,333 in 2004-07, to $24,000 in 2008.

CGTV is seeking $35,734 from Snowmass Village and Pitkin County for 2009. Aspen pays slightly more because CGTV broadcasts its City Council work sessions.

"It's too bad that Snowmass found itself in that situation," said Pat Bingham, Pitkin County's liaison to CGTV, on Tuesday, in response to Snowmass's denial.

So far, said Bingham, Pitkin County has appropriated the additional requested money. But the county's budget has not yet been approved.

Getting more money from the city of Aspen also has been a challenge for CGTV. The station's executive director, John Masters, said the City Council was confused by, and uncomfortable with, the presentation of the funding request. GrassRoots has since rewritten the request with Aspen finance director Don Taylor and expects to present it again soon, he said. Taylor couldn't be reached for comment Tuesday
afternoon.

Masters attributed the need for more funding partly to inflation, but largely to a desire on the part of the station to have Aspen, Pitkin County and Snowmass pay the full cost of the operation. For nearly five years, CGTV has run it at a loss, said Masters. Money raised by the Aspen nonprofit GrassRoots TV has made up the difference.

Masters said that although GrassRoots was willing to make up the difference in order to get CGTV off the ground, it cannot continue to do so.

"We can't lose money serving the governments," he said.

Eventually, he said, money spent on providing government programming affects the nonprofit's ability to provide community programming. Masters also argued that those donating to GrassRoots Television don't necessarily expect their money to subsidize the government station.

Meanwhile, Snowmass Town Council members pointed out that entities such as the Aspen School Board don't pay to run programming on CGTV. Councilman John Wilkinson suggested that GrassRoots ought to charge every governmental entity.

Bingham said that the decision not to charge the school district was made by the representatives from Aspen, Snowmass Village and Pitkin County in an attempt to bring new programming onto the station. She acknowledged that it might be time to ask the school board for money.

"It could be that we're going to have to come up with some kind of fee because we're being charged more," Bingham said.

She also suggested it might be useful to look to other entities that might want to broadcast their meetings, noting that the hospital district, fire district or public safety council might be options.

Bingham also suggested that because of the rising cost of broadcasting on CGTV, it might be time for Pitkin County, Aspen and Snowmass Village to look into other options, noting that the governmental entities have a responsibility to the taxpayers to seek the least expensive option.

"Maybe this is a great opportunity for us to start looking at other providers who might be out there," she said.

On Monday, the Snowmass Town Council also noted that its Granicus program, which offers web streaming and on-demand video, is very popular with its constituents. Granicus costs the council $13,200, according to the Snowmass Village finance department.

Masters said GrassRoots should soon be able to offer on-demand video of government and community programming in addition to television programming. A recent grant from an anonymous donor has allowed the nonprofit to upgrade digital equipment as well as make changes to its facility. Masters expected the equipment to be installed by the second week of December.

In the meantime, both Masters and Bingham said they will have to figure out what to do about the presumed budget shortfall for this year.

"We're working on that," Masters said.

In 2004, GrassRoots created CGTV to separate its government programming from its community-access programming, which is still shown on GrassRoots Television. For roughly four years, the channel has provided Aspen, Pitkin County and Snowmass Village a place to air government programming.

GrassRoots manages the station, and representatives from the three towns, working together, determine the station programming. Programming currently includes government meetings, government talk shows, and a bulletin board of community announcements.Type your content here...

Webcasts Allow Citizens Live and On-Demand Access to City Council and Planning Commission Meetings

Tue, 19 Jan 2010 00:00:00 GMT

The City of St Helena, CA strengthens government transparency

St. Helena, CA - The City of St. Helena is pleased to announce that the City of St. Helena has contracted with Granicus, Inc. to provide residents with access to City Council and Planning Commission Meetings. Anyone with a computer or laptop and internet access can view City Council and Planning Commission meetings live through a link on the City's website. Viewers can also access archived webcasts of previous meetings at their convenience. These archived webcasts are indexed, allowing users to quickly jump to a particular agenda item, and provide easy access to all agenda related documents. This service began with the September 2009 meetings.

Granicus Inc. is a San Francisco based company specializing in webcasting and public meeting management for local government. The Granicus product will contribute to an open government policy and make it much more convenient for the general public to see, hear, locate and review specific meeting information. This system will enhance citizen awareness and engage citizen involvement in local government for the betterment of St. Helena.

To access a City Council or Planning Commission meeting on the internet:

Visit www.ci.st-helena.ca.us
Click on Video on Demand on the left margin.
Click on Agenda of the desired meeting to view agenda and staff reports.
Click on a live meeting that is currently in progress or an archived meeting by clicking on Video for the desired meeting.

City Council meetings are held on the second and fourth Tuesdays of each month and Planning Commission Meetings are held on the first and third Tuesday of each month beginning at 7:00 p.m. Meetings are available live and will be archived within a few hours after the meeting is adjourned.

2009 Granicus User Conference

Tue, 30 Jun 2009 00:00:00 GMT

2009 Granicus User Conference

The annual event will be held July 22-24, 2009 at the Parc 55 Hotel in downtown San Francisco. This is a great opportunity to learn about best practice techniques and ways to sharpen your Granicus skills. We are excited to offer 22 different classes to choose from! Courses were designed specifically for all levels of experience with Granicus and positions within your jurisdiction.

Learn more about the User Conference

Granicus Announces it's First Annual Virtual User Conference

The Virtual User Conference is designed to allow you to attend classes and keynote presentations remotely. You can get access to all content provided in San Francisco from any location. This is a great opportunity for you to develop your skills and learn best practices techniques at a lower cost and on a more flexible schedule. Following the event, you will also have access to all courses offered at the 2009 Granicus User Conference.

Learn more about the Virtual User Conference

City Meetings To Go Live on the Internet Starting Next Week

Wed, 16 Feb 2005 00:00:00 GMT

Argus Courier, Petaluma, CA

City Hall will begin broadcasting public meetings live on the Internet this month, beginning next week with the City Council.

The Feb. 23 special meeting on the garbage contract can be viewed online at the city's Web site.

Last week's council meeting is now available to view online as part of a "video minutes" format on the city's Web site. Each agenda item, from the roll call to adjournment, can be viewed separately.

Footage of Planning Commission and Site Plan and Architectural Review Comm-ittee (SPARC) meetings will also be available online. Viewers can watch the proceedings of all three over the Internet live, just as they can do now on Petaluma Community Access (PCA) television. The same video feed will be used for both the cable and online broadcasts.

The new technology means non-Petaluma residents who don't have PCA on their televisions or residents who are out of town will be able to view the meetings, and eventually research city decisions.

"Once they get a number of [meetings] up there, you'll be able to search for topics they were talking about at past meetings by keyword -- kind of like Google," said Pablo Gonzalez of Granicus, a San Francisco software firm that designs computer programs for public agencies. About 30 cities in California use the system, he said.

"It's giving citizens 24/7 access to these meetings," he said.

Viewers need to view the proceedings through the program Windows Media Player, "which is installed on almost every computer that's out there," Gonzalez said. "Anyone without the player can download it for free from numerous Web sites," he said.

Putting the meetings online will benefit Petalumans who are traveling but want to stay informed and will save time for the city clerk's office, which now reproduces tapes of meetings for public viewing.

The city's Web site is www.cityofpetaluma.net. The footage can be viewed on the minutes section of the city clerk's page, by selecting "City Clerk" under the "Depart-ments" menu on the right side.

Once on the clerk's page, scroll down to the "Minutes of City Council meetings" link at the end and click. There will be "Live and Video Archive" links for the City Council, Planning Commission and SPARC, and the video footage is posted by date.

(Contact Corey Young at cyoung@arguscourier.com)

Web Broadcast for Council

Wed, 07 Feb 2007 00:00:00 GMT

Streaming video goes live Feb. 13

Move over, YouTube, the Novato City Council is going live online next Tuesday night.

In a move to make public meetings more accessible to the public, the city will air Council meetings as they happen starting Feb. 13.

Planning Commission meetings are next: they could go live as early as March.

"We are very excited to offer the City Council meetings live via the Internet," said Mayor Jeanne MacLeamy. "This is the first step to improve the city's website and better serve the public."

The public is underserved in this case; approximately one-fifth of Novato households do not receive the correct cable signal to watch Council meetings live.

As an added bonus the meetings will be archived with a menu that allows jumping from item to item as easily as flipping through chapters in a book. The service is provided through Granicus, Inc., a San Francisco firm specializing in live and on-demand media content, enables about 220 municipalities to broadcast meetings live over the Internet.

"Our company is firmly committed to improving public access and transparency," said Granicus spokesperson Lauren Alexander. "What's really great about this particular account is it's the first city in Marin County. "The Marin County Board of Supervisors already streams its meetings live, with archiving capability.

For Novato, this is just the beginning.

The Jan. 29 Council meeting is already online through a link at the City's Web site, www.ci.novato.ca.us. "We were using that meeting as training," said City Clerk Shirley Gremmels.

Thom Adams, a Management Analyst with the City of Novato, was on hand at the last meeting, learning how to bookmark agenda items using a laptop computer. Setting up for video streaming and archiving took some coordination. "Novato Public AccessTelevision's signal is taken, processed through our encoder, and sent to San Francisco," he said. "Then, when you're getting it live, it's coming back from them over the Internet."

Granicus provided the technology platform and training for the service under a $44,473 contract signed last summer. The contract covers set up and training, and a $1,450 monthly management fee. The monthly fee is based on the city's size. The Novato Advance tried out the video system, which uses Windows Media Viewer as the video vehicle. The right of a split screen shows the agenda, with PDF documents carrying details of agenda items.

A pull-down menu allows users to jump to separate agenda items.

Novato has also purchased software called Minutesmaker, which will take some pressure off Gremmels. For years the City Clerk has taken minutes in shorthand, then had to type them up for public record. With Minutesmaker she will type minutes in live.

"It can go up on the Web site in a few hours," Alexander said. "We're facilitating what would take two weeks otherwise."

Oklahoma's House of Representatives Signs with New Video Provider

Tue, 27 Jul 2010 00:00:00 GMT

The state House of Representatives could have a bigger viewing audience next year.

The House has signed a contract with a different company to allow more people to view live-streaming video of floor action and to make it easier for website visitors to get information about measures being discussed.

The House offered live-streaming video of floor action for the first time last session.

However, because of limited bandwidth, only 100 viewers at any one time could watch the proceedings, said Jennifer Monies, spokeswoman for House Speaker Chris Benge, R-Tulsa.

Video of each day's session is available for viewing within hours after adjournment. House staff had wanted to use Granicus to set up its video and audio software package, but the company's bid came in too high, she said.

The House sought to model its video operations after the state of Tennessee, which uses Granicus. Tennessee was honored in 2009 by the National Conference of State Legislatures for its website's transparency.

The House last year instead signed a one-year contract with another company, Mediasite, she said.

"We went with them just to see how it all works," Monies said.

Lowest bid

Mediasite was unable to offer some services that the House wanted to use with its online video streaming, Monies said.

This year's bid by Granicus, which took effect July 21, came in about $600 a month less than Mediasite's contract, Monies said.

Mediasite's annual contract was for $43,200; the one-year contract with Granicus is for $36,000.

Granicus plans to develop software so the House floor calendar of measures to be discussed and the bill being discussed will be seen next to the video of floor action, Monies said.

It also would have a link to the latest version of the bill so viewers to the website can read it. Plans are to develop a keyword search on any word spoken in the video.

The House does not have to install additional cameras or other hardware, she said. The House last year installed four small robotic cameras in the House chamber.

Floor action may be seen by going to www.lsb.state.ok.us, and clicking on live or archived video.

Original Article: http://newsok.com/article/3479788#ixzz0uzbY6POP

School Board Heads to Web: County District meetings to be Broadcast on the Internet

Mon, 09 Aug 2010 00:00:00 GMT

Cache County School Board meetings will now be broadcast live online

Logan, UT - The Cache County School District has launched a page on its website that allows access to a live broadcast of meetings, a video archive and agendas with links to supporting documents.

The system will be available for the school board's work session Thursday evening, but at that point, Dale Hansen, district business administrator, said the district may still be working bugs out of the system.

"We're anxious to give this a shot and see how this works," he said.

Hansen attended a training session with other district officials last week to learn about the site, and he said that so far, the program looks good.

Board meetings can be viewed live, Hansen said, and the day after the meeting, a video of the meeting will be posted online. The video will be divided by agenda items so people can go directly to the segment they would like to see, he said.

These features can be accessed through the district website, www.ccsdut.org. Under the district menu, click on Board of Education. From there, click on "School Board Meetings" on the menu on the left side of the screen. Hansen said the link will eventually be moved for easier navigation.

Hansen said the district made this move because the Legislature passed a regulation that said all board meetings must have audio recordings. In the past, the board has made recordings and saved them on CDs, but Hansen said it was "very cumbersome" to find past files.

The new online features are also offered because of transparency - it gives people better viewing options and easier access to board records, he said.

This online system is offered through Granicus, a national company Hansen said will maintain and back up records.

"It really solves a lot of issues as far as retention," he said.

Because of this online system, Hansen said packets of papers that board members receive for every meeting will be eliminated.

Hansen said the district is considering a live broadcast of inservices.

The program cost the district between $6,000 and $7,000, he said.

Source:
HJNews.com - The Herald Journal
Arie Kirk
Link to original article

Webcasts Allow Citizens Live and On-Demand Access to Various Town Meetings

Mon, 01 Mar 2010 00:00:00 GMT

Citizens Can Watch Council Meetings the Town's Website

Windsor, CA - The Town of Windsor is pleased to announce that beginning Wednesday, March 3, 2010, anyone with a computer or laptop and internet access can view Town Council meetings live through a link on the Town's website. Viewers will also be able to access archived webcasts of previous meetings at their convenience. These archived webcasts are indexed, allowing users to quickly jump to a particular agenda item, and provide easy access to all agenda-related documents.

The new webcasting system is facilitated by Granicus, Inc., a San Francisco based company specializing in webcasting and public meeting management for local government. "By webstreaming Town Council meetings and saving them to the Internet, we have opened up a whole new way for citizens to access their local government meetings," said Matt Mullan, Town Manager. "Granicus webstreaming will contribute to an open government policy and make it much more convenient for the general public to see, hear, locate and review specific meeting information. With a click of a mouse and modest investment we have taken a step forward in enhancing citizen awareness and involvement in the future of Windsor."

To access a Town Council meeting on the Internet:

Visit www.townofwindsor.com
Click on Watch Meetings Live in the Feature Link menu under Town Council on the home page (lefthand side)
Choose a live meeting that is currently in progress or an archived meeting by clicking on Video

Town Council meetings are generally held on the first and third Wednesdays of each month, beginning at 6:00 p.m. Meetings will be available live and will be archived the next morning after the meeting is adjourned.

In the near future, the Town will also have Planning and Parks and Recreation Commission meetings available for viewing. Planning Commission meetings are generally held the second and fourth Tuesdays at 5:30 p.m. and Parks and Recreation Commission meetings are held the second Wednesday of the month. Watch for future meeting dates. These meetings will also be available under Watch Meetings Live.

Should you have any further questions about the webcasting of Town meetings, please contact Maria De La O, Town Clerk at (707) 838-5315 or Diane Johnson, Town Manager's Office at (707) 838-5308.

Topsail Beach to air public meetings online

Tue, 31 Aug 2010 00:00:00 GMT

Topsail Beach, NC - Topsail Beach property owners who do not live in the town full time can now watch their local elected officials in action online. The town recently started airing its commissioner meetings, giving anyone with access to the Internet an opportunity to catch them live or view them later.

"A majority of property owners don't actually live on the island," said Town Manager Tim Holloman. The town has nearly 600 year-round residents, while about 8,000 reside there during the peak season, he said. "A big part of this is to help out those people who can't come to the meetings," he said.

Town Commissioner Grier Fleischhauer was one of those property owners until he moved from Midlothian, Va., to the island full time in 2004. The driving force behind the idea of airing meetings online, Fleischhauer said he remembers wanting more information about what was going on in the town. "There was just a lack of communication," he said. "They'd maybe send out a newsletter once a year. That's not a very effective means of communication in my opinion, and it's costly."

The town has for years been posting online its meeting minutes, which include discussion among commissioners and how each commissioner votes on an issue. But Fleischhauer said reading through the documents doesn't give people a sense of what happened at a meeting.

Topsail Beach is the only town in Pender County that airs its meetings live online.

Three meetings have been filmed and archived, including their most recent one Aug. 11. Viewers who tune in to past meetings can watch them in their entirety or jump straight to the subject they're interested in by clicking on a specific agenda item.

Fleischhauer said town employees are in the process of training on the software provided by Granicus, a company that hosts the world's largest government webcasting network, according to its Web site. The cost of Topsail's service wasn't immediately available.

"It's possible we'll be airing the town's planning board meetings as early as September," he said. Internet users can access the meetings at www.topsailbeach.org. Click on "Live Stream Meetings" in the left column.

Source
Star News
Trista Talton
Citydesk@StarNewsOnline.com

Dewey-Humboldt Increases Citizen Participation in the Democratic Process

Tue, 09 Feb 2010 00:00:00 GMT

Town engages new voices and provides a convenient means to weigh-in on the public debate

Dewey-Humboldt, AZ - On March 1, 2010 the Town of Dewey Humboldt will launch a new tool that will create enhanced citizen participation and encourage involvement from a broader audience. Prior to a meeting, citizens will be able to review upcoming meeting materials and provide comments on particular agenda items. Dewey-Humboldt launches this new technology, e-Comment, in conjunction with their streaming of Council, and Planning and Zoning meetings to further increase citizen engagement.

Prior to a meeting, citizens can log onto the Town's website (www.dhaz.gov) to find an upcoming meeting and click on the e-Comment link next to the posted Agenda. Citizens can complete an on-line form and formally weigh-in on particular items with a more informed opinion. This tool provides a convenient alternative to in-person testimony while allowing the public voice to be heard.

"While we always appreciate written letters to Council, the E-Comment feature is fast and easy," says Mayor Len Marinaccio, "It gives us time to consider new ideas before we've gone too far in other directions. We take comments during meetings but good ideas are best served with plenty of time for due consideration."

e-Comment will also benefit administrative staff, allowing them to collect, track, and manage responses prior to a meeting, giving Council members a "snapshot" of how the public feels on particular items.

"I hope that this feature opens a marketplace of ideas for the future of our country town, and that we will all learn more about each other along the way." William L. Emerson, Town Manager

This new service, along with the Town's streaming media solution, is provided by Granicus, a San Francisco-based company specializing in government transparency and citizen participation technology.

About Granicus
Granicus, Inc. is the leading provider of government solutions for improving transparency, citizen participation, and community awareness over the Web. Granicus hosts the world's largest government-exclusive webcasting network, streaming an average of 200,000 government webcasts on a daily basis. Granicus serves over 600 clients spanning all 50 states and into Canada.

Contact
Dewey-Humboldt: Judy Morgan, Town Clerk 928-632-7362
Granicus: Aileen Horgan, Client Marketing Specialist 415-357-3618 x1753.

###

Watch City Meetings Live on the Web

Thu, 04 Mar 2010 00:00:00 GMT

Citizens Can Watch Meetings Live and On-Demand through the City's Website

Germantown, TN - Live streaming video of Germantown Board of Mayor and Aldermen, Planning Commission and Design Review Commission meetings will be available online beginning Monday, March 8. The City will officially launch webcasting technology that will allow residents to view live meetings beginning with the 6 p.m. Monday Board of Mayor and Aldermen meeting.

"The live streaming of our meetings via the Internet brings a whole new dimension to the City's commitment to make the board's decision-making process more accessible to the citizens we serve," said Mayor Sharon Goldsworthy. "Not only does it expand coverage of important board and commission meetings to residents who don't have Comcast Channel 17 - - where meetings are now broadcast live - - the new system creates video archives of those meetings for future reference. We've not had that capacity before."

Archived meetings will generally be available for viewing by 10 p.m. the same evening depending on the length of the meeting. Videos will be accompanied by corresponding agendas. Residents can view entire meetings, search keywords for topics of interest or follow agenda links directly to a particular item without having to view an entire meeting. Residents can view meetings on the City's website at Germantown-tn.gov, from the "I Want To" drop down menu by choosing "Watch Videos". Taping of the meetings will be conducted by GHS-TV students and live streaming on the web will be provided by Granicus, Inc.

About Granicus
Granicus, Inc. is the leading provider of government solutions for improving transparency, citizen participation and community awareness over the web. The Granicus platform helps public agencies create, manage and distribute live and on-demand streaming media content. Granicus hosts the world's largest government exclusive webcasting network, streaming an average of 200,000 government webcasts on a daily basis. Granicus serves over 600 clients spanning all 50 states and into Canada.

College Park City Council Meetings to be Streamed Online

Mon, 16 Aug 2010 00:00:00 GMT

Regular sessions will be available for streaming in October

College Park residents will soon be able to view city council meetings without leaving their computers. According to College Park City Clerk Janeen Miller, regular meetings of the city council will be streamed on the Internet starting in October. The city has entered into an agreement with the San Francisco-based company Granicus to perform the task.

"We are now in the deployment stage," Miller said.

Initially, only the city council meetings themselves - held on the second and fourth Tuesdays of the month - will be available for streaming. The council work sessions - held on the first and third Tuesdays of the month - will come later. Because council members sit elsewhere in the council chamber during worksessions, additional cameras need to be added before they can be streamed, Miller said. Plans to make the necessary adjustments to the audio-video equipment are expected to take place soon, she said, and that ideally, the work sessions will be streamed by January.

According to the city's director of finance, Steven Groh, the cost to the city for streaming regular council meetings for this year will be $4900; a whole year will be $6468.

The streamed sessions will be archived, and interested citizens can go to the City of College Park website to view them anytime.

"Constituents want better access to city council meetings. They want to see them on the Internet and they want to have the ability to play them back later," said Miller. "It's all about more openness," she said.

City Council member Chris Nagle is a major proponent for the streaming of council meetings as well as for the upgrade of the audio-video equipment in the council chamber. She said that she advocated the projects because they will lead to better communication with the public.

"I've received complaints that residents who attended meetings couldn't hear what was going on," she said."The upgrade of the audio-video system will help to alleviate that problem." Nagle added that she had watched the web streaming offered by other city governments in Maryland such as Greenbelt and Takoma Park and was impressed with the concept.

Other cities in Maryland that Granicus is providing streaming services for include Bowie, Brunswick, Frederick, Greenbelt, Rockville, Takoma Park and Thurmont.

The streaming of regular council meetings as well as an archive of previous streamed meetings will be available through the city's website at www.collegeparkmd.gov.

Contact:
College Park Patch: http://collegepark.patch.com/articles/college-park-city-council-meetings-to-be-streamed-online
Robert Janis

Web Access To Public Meetings May Become Popular

Fri, 19 Jan 2007 00:00:00 GMT

E-Government

When New York Gov. Eliot Spitzer mandated the broadcasting of all state public meetings over the Internet earlier this month, he raised the profile of a public service that many local government agencies also are beginning to offer.

Spitzer's move marks the first top-down approach to open government via the Web, said Tom Spengler, the CEO of the streaming-media service provider Granicus, which works with state and local governments.

Spitzer's executive order said the decision is necessary for the people to remain informed and retain control over their public servants, and because the majority of New Yorkers are unable to attend public meetings. "The governor is just really trying to set a precedent," Spengler said.

Granicus currently broadcasts and archives the proceedings of the Arizona Legislature and the California Public Utilities Commission. California started streaming with Granicus three years ago, Spengler noted.

"There's certainly been a trend" in the United States of putting public meetings online.

He said his company met with the governor's office in New York last year, during the tenure of Republican Gov. George Pataki.

Spengler believes "the broad reach of broadband" now is a major contributor to the acceptance of opening public meetings to the Web.

"The limiting factor hasn't been cost as much as the availability of broadband," especially in the remote rural areas that could hugely benefit from attending meetings online, he said. "I would not be surprised to see other states adopt similar policies [to New York's]."

New York has not decided whether to stream audio and video with in-house technology or contract out the work. The executive order states that every agency and public authority must submit a plan for airing meetings over the Internet by March 1.

Brad Maione, a spokesman for the governor, said New York has some capabilities in-house that it may use but the details are unclear. The state will wait to review the agencies' plans before seeking a commercial provider for technology support.

"We have an office of technology that will assist the other agencies in putting this together," he said. The state's Chief Information Officer Council also will provide guidance.

In Spitzer's inaugural address, he cited tech issues among his priorities and called for a universal broadband initiative.

"YouTube is a good example of more and more people going online for video," Spengler said of the video-sharing site that gained popularity last year. "The individual in society now has a lot of power because they have this communications channel."

New City Hall near public prime time

Thu, 30 Dec 2010 00:00:00 GMT

Andover, KS - Andover's new city hall in Central Park is about ready for public prime-time. Moves of city records and files are being made this week.

Business offices at the new facility are scheduled to open Monday, Jan. 3. Calls to the present city hall on Andover Road will be answered when the phone system is transferred and signage at both locations will alert citizens of the community to the new location.

Some finish work is still going on at the city hall in the park. The Andover City Council will hold its first meeting of 2011 at the current city hall on Jan. 11. After installation of audio-visual equipment in the park, the meetings will be in the new council room there.

Tuesday night, the council approved an agreement with Granicus to broadcast meetings of the governing body and its planning commission on the internet. Council members were delighted to provide this service to the public in conjunction with the Cox cablevision telecast of meetings. A public open house will be announced later.

Link to original article: http://www.augustagazette.com/features/x1458581879/New-City-Hall-near-public-prime-time

Website of the Week: Granicus Powers Sacramento

Mon, 21 Jun 2010 00:00:00 GMT

URL: http://www.governmentvideo.com/article/96154
Article: Download (PDF)

June 21, 2010 - Sacramento has taken the lead in access to meetings and citizen involvement providing a wealth of public resources in an easy-to-navigate format. If you're looking for a great example of how a major city brings its government closer to its residents, check out the website of California's capitol city, Sacramento.

Using software from Granicus, Sacramento has taken the lead in access to meetings and citizen involvement providing a wealth of public resources in an easy-to-navigate format, highlighted by some great-quality video using Microsoft Silverlight.

Citizens can check out archived meetings, provide feedback and link from the video to relevant government documents. The result: More participation in the policy process, even among people who can't always make it to council and committee meetings right when they take place.

And with Granicus' ever-growing portfolio of services, cities can start small-for as little as $300 a month-and add features as appropriate. It's in place in some 700 government entities.

In Sacramaento, the the City Clerk's office recently retooled its pages to make them easier to navigate.

"A significant part of this success is that Granicus worked with us to integrate our Granicus facing pages to mirror the look and feel of the clerk's pages, Nancy Klock-Johnson, citywide records manager, told Government Video. "This allows our Granicus users to get to the video content they are looking for quickly in a familiar environment."

One recent addition: links to the city's social media pages.

"As with any website, ours is living and breathing, changing to meet the needs of customers as quickly as possible," Klock-Johnson said in an e-mail. "I think that because we have set aside pages for each of our officials to post content as they see fit, it allows them to connect with their constituency and provide them information that is important to them.

"Specifically the Mayor's web pages are more interactive than ever, giving the public easy ways to conduct business with the Mayor's staff. For example, a member of the public wanting a tour of City Hall or ceremonial documents can complete the Web applications, which are clear and easy to follow. The implementation of Granicus' eComment has given the City another option to offer to the public as a means to communicate with their elected officials.

"We understand that we are dealing with a very different constituency than even 10 years ago. Our customers want to communicate with us, when they want to and how they want to. We still welcome a handwritten letter, and are happy to take phone calls, but we also want to make ourselves as accessible to as many customers as possible. To do that we have to be available on as many platforms as possible. This is why the city clerk is on Twitter. (www.twitter.com/saccityclerk)"

Now Granicus has released Granicus Open Platform, a new software-as-a-service (SaaS) platform. The platform provides government agencies the tools to manage and broadcast rich-media online and engage citizens in the democratic process in new ways.

It's also moving more of the work into the "cloud," saving that finite municipal bandwidth.

"Cloud computing initiatives in government are increasing in popularity," said Tom Spengler, Granicus CEO and co-founder. "Our open platform makes the cloud accessible and useful for any government. Agencies can share and manage information with greater openness and effectiveness across multiple systems and communication channels."

With the new tools, internal users (like city employees) can have the files they need located internally (not off the cloud). Citizens, on the other hand, should be getting information more off the cloud, as opposed to the city network. Granicus provides the ability to store content both places, and intelligently routing documents through the appropriate server, saving bandwidth. With the system, cities can keep just a single live stream over its outside Web connection (just 300-350 Kbps), schedule big data transfers for low-use times of day, and more.

?Additionally, Granicus has released five new application suites which can be added to the platform at any time: The Government Transparency Suit, the Citizen Participation Suite, the ?Meeting Efficiency Suite, the Legislative Management Suite and the Training Management Suite.?

?Governments want citizen participation, but want it to be productive (as opposed to the handful of gadflies bringing their pet issues to every city council meeting across the country, trying the patience of the council members). So the City Participation suite takes citizen comment and puts it into clear workflow for timely action and response. A clerk's office, with a couple of of clicks, can manage comments and give the council coherent summaries and reports on the comments on specific agenda items, for example.

Another recent, simple upgrade in Sacramento: the creation of open e-mail accounts for questions of the clerk, including or accords requests. Maybe most importantly, the city moved the addresses to a prominent area, the clerk's Welcome Page, which has essentially extended it operating hours to 24/7, according to Klock-Johnson.

"People can leave messages at anytime that is convenient for them," she wrote. "We do have an automated response that we will respond in 48 hours; however, most questions during business hours are answered in four hours or less. Inquiries received during the evening and on weekends are generally answered the next day. (Yes even on the weekends! This is because management staff can check these messages on their blackberries and when the question is simple we try to respond to get our customers the information they need as soon as possible!)"

So for its ongoing efforts and the use of Granicus technology to chasing the way local government works, the City of Sacramento's website is the Government Video Website of the Week!!

California Department of Technology Services Archives Meetings in Video and MP3 Formats

Mon, 17 Apr 2006 00:00:00 GMT

"Since we are the Technology Services Board, I think it's entirely appropriate that we use some of the newer technology that provides both efficiencies and effectiveness"

-- P.K.Agarwal

On March 29, as part of a pilot project, the California Department of Technology Services recorded its board meeting on a new Granicus technology system. Because the state is practicing what it preaches with regard to open government, the entire meeting is in an indexed video archive, with the accompanying agenda, so the public can jump to any agenda item and see and hear what happened. In addition, the meeting is also available in mp3 audio format.

Director of DTS P.K. Agarwal introduced the new feature during the meeting, saying that "since we are the Technology Services Board, I think it's entirely appropriate that we use some of the newer technology that provides both efficiencies and effectiveness." The Granicus, system, said Agarwal, has some useful features. "Instead of having a videostream like a VCR ... will be more like a DVD so you can see specific chapters."

State CIO Clark Kelso said it's a better approach to keeping "dull dry minutes." Kelso then went on to discuss progress on the state's IT Strategic Plan, under the six goals of the plan, saying the governor had just announced the new California Business Portal and a California Tax Site. The one hour 27 minute meeting is all available online, with documents, in video, transcript and podcast RSS feeds.

Silverlight Makes Good For Government Webcasting

Fri, 16 May 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Even though much of the focus on Silverlight has been on its impact in the media and entertainment world, Granicus has been utlizing its cross-platform compatibility and interactive features to provide enhanced public service content

Much has been speculated about the success-or lack thereof-of Microsoft's Silverlight, but beyond the hype and criticism there are real companies doing real things with the technology in order to have a real impact on the rich media experiences they're able to deliver.

A prime example of this is Granicus, a company that helps enable local governments to webcast their public meetings online both live and on demand. They've already launched their first twenty deployments of their Silverlight-enhanced platform and have plans to roll out across their customer base by the end of the year.

The decision to go with Silverlight versus Flash was actually pretty straightforward for Granicus because of its historical reliance on Windows Media. "For us as a company, it's fantastic because we can take this huge set of Windows Media assets and push them out through Silverlight without having to go and reestablish our technology or transcode our content," says Tom Spengler, CEO and cofounder of Granicus.

While deployment is limited to date, Granicus is already getting a lot of positive feedback for its Silverlight-enabled platform, especially for its ability to overcome the compatibility issues they encounter when relying purely on Windows Media. "If our customers are really trying to affect government transparency, then Silverlight's ability to work cross platform is really important," says Spengler. "They can't say to their constituents, 'Hey, if you have a certain browser you can't see this government meeting'."

And Spengler shares that their customers are loving the higher quality video Granicus is delivering through Silverlight.

Gloucester now streaming meetings on-demand online

Thu, 10 Nov 2011 00:00:00 GMT

The county's schools and government cable channels will be seen as well

Gloucester County is now in the streaming media business.

Gloucester County, VA - The county now shows public meetings online at http://www.gloucesterva.info/streamingportal in an effort to be make government more transparent to citizens. The county's community education and information technology departments have been working on enhancing the county's cable channels' presence on the web, said George Bains, the county's director of information technology.

The new features include streaming of both cable channels 47, county schools, and 48, county government, and on-demand viewing of meetings and special programs.

"This is new for the schools and an enhancement for the county," Bains said. "We're real excited about it."

The on-demand meetings include the Board of Supervisors, School Board and Planning Commission meetings as well as high school athletic contests, concerts and theater productions.

The initiative came out of the county's Cable Communications Program and was funded with money from Gloucester's franchise contract with Cox Cable Communications, said county spokesperson Christi Lewis. No funds were taken out of the county's general fund, she added.

The start-up cost was $24,805.50, which included required equipment, initial set-up, server storage and on-going services, Lewis said.

This cost was taken out of the Cable Communications Program budget, which is funded through the franchise fees and educational/government contribution provided to the county from Cox Communications, she said.

The Cable Communications Program Committee recommended this service be started approximately a year ago.

Funds were made available through the Capital Improvement Program process on July 1 and the committee moved forward with service planning and implementation, finalizing the services in mid-October.

"We waited a few weeks to work out any glitches before making it public Nov. 1," Lewis said.

County and school staff have been trained to upload the agendas, index and publish the meetings to the web, Bains said.

The new features will allow viewing the two channels live over the Internet, and also offers the option to watch the meetings on demand, and by viewing the agenda of that meeting, to go right to a certain part of the meeting.

The feature was introduced at the Nov. 1 Board of Supervisors meeting.

The county partnered with Granicus, a San Francisco-based company that distributes live and on-demand streaming media content to support and enhance public meeting communications, internal training and public education programs for government.

The company provides services to more than 700 clients nationwide, including the cities of Hampton, Newport News, Suffolk and Chesapeake and Isle of Wight County.

Source
By By Eric Gillard, egillard@dailypress.com
Dailypress.com

From Town Hall, It's Council Meetings Live By Webcast

Thu, 20 Nov 2008 00:00:00 GMT

CUMBERLAND - With earlier hiccups in the system chased away, Cumberland residents may now access the Internet from home to watch the Town Council meetings live from Town Hall on the first and third Wednesdays of the month.

Better yet, they may go back later and choose to hear just sections of the meeting by clicking on specific agenda items.

See the Planning Director John Aubin describe the new piece of open space he's hoping to purchase with state funds. Or the mayor describe plans for expanding the sewer system. Listen to the council deliberate a peddler's license for a spot on Diamond Hill Road.

It's instant and easy, or, as the computer techies say, seamless and transparent.

And soon, says the town's technology consultant Dan Lemois, meetings of the School Committee, Planning Board and Zoning Board of Review will be accessible, too.

The process, called webcasting, and offered by the Granicus Inc. of San Francisco, is opening up the workings of town and city governments across the nation.

Granicus, founded in 1999, describes its business as providing public meeting management technology.

It currently provides government webcasting for more than 450 government agencies in 43 states.

The process works so efficiently that the governor of New York mandated all state meetings must be available online.

"It's going perfectly," Lemois, told The Breeze this week. He suggests that 90 percent of computers can now access online videotape of the council meetings.

The number of residents taking advantage of the process hasn't been many so far, he said, but he's expecting the deliberations of the seven councilors to gain popularity as residents learn to use the system.

"There's nothing like this video," he suggests. "It puts everyone out there, word for word and how they said it."

While the written minutes may be accurate, he said, the tape reveals the tone of the comments, "If they are condescending or joking, you can see it," says Lemois. "It's a phenomenal tool for voters."

In Cumberland, the options for citizens to follow Town Council business are several.

You might watch the meeting live every other Wednesday.

Or, simply review the agenda and go back later and hear a specific topic. Replays by agenda items are available the following day.

Or use the search engine that's part of the town's ClerkBase software to review past actions on issues of interest, then go to the video of those meetings click on the topic, and listen.

Town Clerk Sandra Giovanelli, who attends each meeting, inserts breaks between each topic as the meeting progresses to allow citizens to later access only the awarding of truck bids or financial reports, for instance.

Consultant Lemois of Pawtucket, who is the brother of Councilor Bruce Lemois, began working on the webcasting project with Giovanelli last spring but needed the summer to perfect it, he said, because it could only be tested on meeting nights when the camera operator was actually recording the meeting.

The school board's involvement in this same process - streaming their meetings live and later making them available to citizens - was mentioned last week by School Committee member Lisa Beaulieu after new member Brian Kelly and citizen Richard Otto both questioned the $700 per meeting currently being spent on a court stenographer.

The stenographer was hired last spring.

With a projected annual bill of more $16,000 for the service, Kelly suggested the money might be put to better use.

According to Deputy Town Clerk Augusta Johnson, the town spent $16,922 to initiate the Granicus service and pays another $1,005 a month for the complete service.

Under the plan Lemois is working out, he said, the school board would split that monthly cost with the town.

The Town Council also pays $180 a meeting for someone to record the meeting, while the schools currently have a student performing that service.

Pueblo Launches Live and Archived Streaming of City Council Meetings

Fri, 09 Apr 2010 00:00:00 GMT

City increases citizen awareness and strengthens government transparency

Pueblo, CO - Pueblo residents now have the ability to watch Pueblo 17 and City Council meetings live and on-demand at the City's website (www.pueblo.us).

"Transparency is not just a buss word to the City of Pueblo. It's important that our citizens have full access to their City Government, and by offering it live and on-demand from our website, we can reach more people than ever before," says Loris Pinz, Director of Information Technology.

Viewers can easily watch both live and archived webcasts as well as view meeting agendas and minutes. Archived webcasts are indexed, allowing viewers to quickly jump to a particular item instead of viewing the meeting in its entirety.

The City has partnered with Granicus, Inc. to bring these services to our community. The Granicus system directly supports Pueblo's goals to increase government transparency and strengthen citizen awareness and participation in the democratic process.

About Granicus
Granicus, Inc. is the leading software-as-a-service provider of government transparency, public meeting efficiency, and citizen participation solutions in the U.S. Granicus hosts the world's largest government exclusive webcasting network, streaming over 22 million webcasts and serving over 600 clients spanning all 50 states.

Contact
Pueblo: Debra Hill, Public Information Officer 719-553-2615
Granicus: Aileen Horgan, Client Marketing Specialist 415-357-3618 x1753

Video of Redding City Council Meetings Available Online

Wed, 17 Sep 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Archives go back to Aug. 19

Redding has gone live with its video coverage of City Council meetings.

The videos (posted at http://www.ci.redding.ca.us/cclerk/granicus.htm) allow users to click on an agenda item and see coverage of that discussion.

The online videos are meant to supplement the broadcast of council meetings on Channel 11, Redding's community access television, according to a city press statement. The online version uses the same video feed.

The council in June approved spending $44,000 for video on demand, tapping Granicus, a San Francisco-based firm.

Granicus serves more than 400 cities, counties, school districts and other agencies in 44 states, including the city of Sacramento and the University of California Board of Regents, according to the firm's Web site.

Webcast Connects Residents and MB Council

Thu, 03 Mar 2005 00:00:00 GMT

The city began streaming its meetings live over the Internet this week.

Daily Breeze, Torrance, CA, USA

For the first time ever, residents could watch this week's City Council meeting in Manhattan Beach on the city's Web site thanks to video streaming technology.

The council in September voted to try out the streaming service provided by Granicus Inc. for one year at a cost of $2,500. Council members then asked city staff members to implement the streaming feature before making any planned changes to the city's Web site.

The meetings can be viewed live, with a 20-second buffered delay, said Leilani Flores Emnace, the city's information systems manager.

Users must have software such as Microsoft Windows Media Player or Real Player and a broadband connection to view the broadcasts, she said.

"Those who have only dial-up will be able to hear the audio and read the text, but won't be able to see the video," Emnace said.

Meeting agendas complete with accompanying staff reports can also be viewed alongside the video. Although the streaming is done using Adelphia's cameras, the service is not provided by the cable company, she explained.

"The images get picked up for the streaming before it gets to Adelphia," Emnace said.

Planning Commission meetings also will be broadcast live over the Internet, she said.

To access the streaming video, viewers may log on using the link from the city's home page, www.citymb.info and clicking on "Manhattan Beach Streaming Video," which can be found under "What's New" in the left column.

Emnace said 163 people watched the live video Tuesday night through the city's Web site.

"That's a pretty big number given that there was no publicity for the launch at all," she said. "People must have seen it on the agenda over the weekend. I'm pleased with the response and hope it will be much larger for the next meeting."

City Manager Geoff Dolan called the new feature an asset to the City Clerk's Office, especially when it starts archiving the meeting videos a year from now.

"All meetings will be on disks," he said. "It's easy storage and a ready reference for staff and residents when they want to see what exactly was discussed on an item of interest."

Several council members laughed as Councilman Steve Napolitano quipped: "You've got to watch what you say then."

Digital Governance Award Winners Announced

Thu, 17 Jul 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Granicus Inc. announced the winners of its Digital Governance Awards today. The awards honor public agencies that:

Improve efficiency in government and public services.
Enhance public communication.
Improve community engagement.
Facilitate government transparency

"We are extremely honored to award our clients for displaying innovation, creativity, and leadership using technology to accomplish better results at lower costs," says Tom Spengler, Granicus CEO.

Presenting the winners in their respective categories:

Leadership in Digital Access

Winner: Frederick County, Md.
Second Place: City of Indianapolis
Honorable Mentions:
City of Edina, Minn.
Long Beach Fire Department, Calif.

Excellence in Disseminating Government Information

Winner: Town of Blacksburg, Va.
Second Place: City of Delray Beach, Fla.
Honorable Mentions:
City of Alexandria, Va.
City of Glendora, Calif.
Santa Barbara County, Calif.

Excellence in Government Efficiency

Winner: City of Lee's Summit, Mo.
Second Place: City of Hesperia, Calif.

Excellence in Constituent Engagement

Winner: Onslow County, N.C.
Second Place: City of Arcata, Calif.
Honorable Mentions:
City of Chesapeake, Va.
City of St. Paul, Minn.

Silverlight Excellence Award

Winner: Skagit County, Wash.
Second Place: South Washington County Telecommunications Commission, Minn.
Honorable Mention: Village of Hastings On Hudson, N.Y.

Mayor to use TV, internet, You Tube in creative "State of the City"

Fri, 23 Jan 2009 00:00:00 GMT

SURPRISE, AZ (January 21, 2009) Surprise Mayor Lyn Truitt will take residents on a video tour as part of a live TV and internet broadcast when he delivers the first Surprise "State of the City" address from city TV studios on Thursday, January 29, at 7 p.m. The broadcast will also be streamed on the city's web site, www.surpriseaz.com. The live stream will be hosted by the city's webcasting provider, Granicus, Inc.

The broadcast will feature pre-produced video pieces in which Truitt visits the new Surprise City Hall, the Tennis and Racquet Complex, White Tank Mountain Regional Park, and new business ventures in the city, among other places.

Truitt intends the unique live TV and internet format to reach a broader audience than usually can attend a standard state of the city speech. He also intends to use the video sections to give viewers a more visually interesting program. The approach is in line with a citywide movement to use technology in innovative ways to improve communications with residents and create more openness in city government. After the broadcast, the presentation will be posted on the city's YouTube site and as a video file on www.surpriseaz.com.

In addition to talking about creative collaborations such as the Surprise Communiversity partnership with Rio Salado College and achievements such as the opening of several new businesses representing hundreds of jobs, Truitt will also discuss the city's response to economic challenges such as a reduced city budget and a rise in foreclosures in Surprise, and how the city is achieving results in the need for more efficient transportation.

Surprise and Sun City West residents who have basic cable can view the State of the City speech on Surprise 11. Anyone with internet access can see the speech live on www.surpriseaz.com.

Garfield County government switches to paperless

Mon, 05 Dec 2011 00:00:00 GMT

BOCC meetings now streamed online, too

Glenwood Springs, Colorado - Garfield County government documents, including agenda items for county commissioner meetings, are now available on-demand in paperless PDF format on the county's website.

In addition, county commissioner meetings are now being streamed live online as they happen.

And video and audio files from the BOCC meetings will now be archived at www.garfield-county.com, as will audio files of county planning commission and board of adjustment meetings.

"We chose this avenue to deliver access to our meetings for the public around the clock and from any location that has internet," Garfield County Commissioner Mike Samson said in a press release issued before Monday's meeting, when the new "live and on-demand" website features were unveiled.

"We feel greater community access to our meetings will better serve our citizens, offer increased transparency and facilitate citizen involvement," Samson said.

The system uses the Granicus Open Platform and Government Transparency Suite.

Online visitors can also view a comprehensive archive library of public meeting videos and government records, which are cross-linked and searchable by key word.

Supporting materials for public meetings, including staff reports and relevant memos and legal documents, are also deliverable via the Internet. Video and audio files can also be accessed using mobile devices in MP3 and MP4 downloadable formats.

"We like the archiving feature of this system, which will offer recordings available to the public during and after meetings," Garfield County Commission Chairman John Martin said in the press release.

"Over time, we will build archives that will help our community be better educated on the topics of interest that come before this board," he said.

Added Commissioner Tom Jankovsky, "By using this meeting delivery system, we can provide a service to the community that is necessary and productive, utilizing a financially viable method of delivery throughout our nearly 3,000-square-mile county."

Other Colorado government organizations using the Granicus system include the Colorado Senate and House of Representatives, the cities of Denver and Grand Junction, and Broomfield County.

Source:
By John Stroud, jstroud@postindependent.com
Post Independent

Council Meetings Could Play Live on 'Net

Tue, 21 Sep 2004 00:00:00 GMT

Payson Town Council meetings and other town events will be available live on the Internet, if the council approves the purchase of streaming software and authorizes a service agreement with the company that developed the system, Granicus Streaming Media Solutions, at its regular meeting at 6 p.m. Thursday at town hall.

"Today Payson, tomorrow the world," Town Manager Fred Carpenter said. "What's going to happen is you're going to be able to watch council meetings, 'TOP Talk,' and anything we produce over the Internet when this is all done. Say you're researching a story and you wanted to see something that happened at a meeting six months ago, you'll be able to go there, pull it up, and watch that meeting again. This is pretty high-tech stuff."

Council meetings are currently broadcast on Channel 4, the local public access channel, but are unavailable for satellite users and other non-cable subscribers.

Channel 4 will continue to broadcast council meetings and other town events. In fact, the Channel 4 feed will probably be used for the Internet telecast.

The streaming service also will allow people to access and print meeting agendas, view previous council meetings, and access video archives by agenda item.

The service will be incorporated into the town's website.

Oklahoma House will save money with new video contract

Mon, 26 Jul 2010 00:00:00 GMT

If you've ever watched the live feed of the Oklahoma House when it's in session, you will notice a change next year - a change for the better. The House has entered into a contract with a company called Granicus which will provide the bandwidth and hosting.

OFRG talked with Jennifer Monies, Press Secretary for House Speaker Chris Benge, to get more details about the contract. She said Granicus was the desired company last year, but its proposal was cost-prohibitive, so a different vendor was chosen on a one-year contract to see how everything worked out. While it worked fine, there were limitations on the number of viewers at one time and bandwidth. She says the Granicus contract will allow unlimited viewers at once.

It will also provide more functionality. Monies says Granicus will be able to provide the House Calendar alongside the video with links to the bills being discussed. This will be a big help to people unfamiliar with how to find bill language. And if the Oklahoma House video page is anything like its counterpart in Tennessee which uses the same vendor, the archives will be searchable by keyword. This will be an amazing upgrade over the current system.

And the cost? It turns out the House will be saving $600/month with Granicus compared to the previous contract. A better product for less money that brings more transparency. Sounds like a great deal!

Original Article: http://ofrg.org/archives/2321

Blacksburg Wins National Digital Governance Award

Tue, 12 Aug 2008 00:00:00 GMT

The Town of Blacksburg has been honored with the national Digital Governance Award for Excellence in Disseminating Government Information. Blacksburg distinguished itself in this category using webcasting technology as a critical, cost-efficient vehicle for distributing public information. Chip Herman, WTOB Station Manager, accepted the award at the 2008 Granicus User Conference held on August 6-8 in San Francisco.

The 2008 Digital Governance Awards program is presented by Granicus, Inc., and sponsored by Microsoft. It celebrates government agencies for using digital technology in innovative ways to deliver organizational value by creating competitive advantage, reducing operating costs, optimizing legislative processes, or improving government-to-citizen relationships.

"We're very honored to receive this prestigious award," said Station Manager Chip Herman. "We've worked hard to develop a webcasting solution that would in turn serve as a valuable communication tool for the citizens of Blacksburg. To be recognized on a national level yet again gives us a great sense of accomplishment and validation that our services are making a difference."

WTOB signed on with Granicus in 2006 and has used this technology to archive and stream live Town Council and Planning Commission meetings. The service has since been expanded to offer the full array of station programming online as well. Programs include the Energy Recreation Show, Blacksburg Museum Lectures and Special Programs, Blacksburg High School Football, and more.

The highly competitive Digital Governance Awards seek to honor Granicus clients who display measurable outcomes with technological solutions that:

Improve legislative efficiency and public service delivery
Enhance public communicationImprove community engagement
Facilitate government transparency

Isle of Wight Supervisors Meetings Online

Thu, 30 Jun 2011 00:00:00 GMT

Isle of Wight County, VA - If you ever miss an Isle of Wight Board of Supervisors' meeting for some reason, don't worry; you can now see it online 24 hours after it happened.

The county now offers residents a chance to see meetings in their entirety online via the county's website, co.isle-of-wight.va.us.

The county has partnered with Granicus, a San Francisco-based company that distributes live and on-demand streaming media content to support and enhance public meeting communications, internal training and public education programs for government.

The company provides services to more than 700 clients nationwide, including the cities of Hampton, Newport News, Suffolk and Chesapeake.

In November, supervisors unanimously approved a contract with the firm.

The annual cost of this initiative is around $13,000.

The meetings are still broadcast on the county's Public Education and Government cable channel with Charter Communications.

Source
Daily Press
egillard@dailypress.com
atwilliams@dailypress.com

Collier County Offers Video Streaming of Channel 11/16

Wed, 18 May 2005 00:00:00 GMT

"This new upgrade allows those people interested in local government issues, who do not have cable or reside outside of the local cable network, to stay in touch with Collier County issues," said Director Barry Axelrod, Information Technology Department.

Established in response to the numerous requests received from constituents, District 5 Commissioner Jim Coletta is pleased with the latest upgrade.

"It wasn't long ago that many residents in my district did not have access to basic cable," said Commissioner Coletta. "With this significant improvement, people around the globe will be able to see our television channel 24 hours a day, seven days a week."

The county's TV channel is carried locally on Channel 11, Comcast, and Channel 16, Time Warner. The county granted the streaming service contract to a San Francisco-based company, Granicus, a leading provider of Internet broadcasting solutions for live and archived streaming of public meetings to the Web.

For more information, call Barry Axelrod at 774-8794.

Rancho Council to Offer Live Web Streams of Meetings

Fri, 19 Jan 2007 00:00:00 GMT

RANCHO CUCAMONGA - City Council followers, who find themselves chained every other Wednesday to cable television or the council chambers, will soon be freed. This fall, the city will offer live streaming of the twice monthly meetings online, so fans can watch on their computers at home or away.

Rancho Cucamonga Live and Indexed Video eGovernment will provide a search option alongside archived video, letting users jump to specific agenda items. The search option will work when users type in a keyword and the video will go directly to that portion of the meeting.

The council meetings will be archived online for at least a year.

John Lyons, a faithful council meeting attendee, said the service will be helpful, particularly when he is on a trip, but it will not keep him from going to the meetings.

"We still have to exercise our right to speak, or we'd lose it," said Lyons, who keeps a library of the meetings on video and audio cassettes.

Manuel Pilonieta, the city's Information Systems manager, is testing the system and expects it to be available in the next two months.

It is possible that other public meetings may also go online, he said.

The council meetings will still be available on local cable, and residents can request a videotape of the meetings through the city clerk's office. San Francisco-based Granicus Inc., which is providing the online service to the city, streams public meetings for 200 cities in the United States.

Granicus representative Alvaro Marroquin said the service will make it easier for city employees to research council business.

"But the ultimate goal is for the public to view the meetings 24/7 and 365 days a year," Marroquin said.

LA Council Members Fund Webcast, Table Schools Angle

Wed, 02 Jul 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Los Altos City Council meetings should be available to watch on the city's Web site by the end of summer, both streaming live during meetings and stored in online archives.

The council last week voted 4-1 - with Megan Satterlee dissenting - to allocate nearly $42,000 to set up webcasting for city council meetings and fund the first year of service. The city contracted with Granicus Inc. for $28,000 worth of hardware, software and training to establish the service and earmarked $14,430 to pay for the first year's maintenance, according to the staff report.

City Clerk Susan Kitchens reported that 148 governmental agencies in California already have contracts with Granicus for webcasting. The company provides webcast setups specifically tailored for local government.

Other committee and commission meetings could be added to the service for $2,100 per year, according to Kitchens. The Tuesday night council meetings will be streamed online at the same time they air live on KMVT Channel 26. The meetings will remain accessible through the city's Web site for the foreseeable future. The recordings include "jump points," or bookmarks, that allow viewers to skip through the recording to agenda items of interest or to search an index of bookmarks for specific subjects.

Satterlee balked at adding a fixed expense to the city budget, circumventing the city's budget calendar to add the Web streaming now rather than in the fall, during the regular review process.

Mayor Val Carpenter cited the recent failure to televise council meetings as a part of the urgency to begin webcasting this summer.

"This is a wonderful convenience for our citizens to check up on us," Councilman Ron Packard said.

Only cable television subscribers can currently watch city council meetings from their homes. The meetings are broadcast live and replayed the following evening on KMVT. Kitchens described the city's current broadcasting system as poor in quality and subject to embarrassing hitches, noting that attempts to televise the recent civic center master planning session with the council failed.

The system is scheduled to be installed in the council chambers at 1 N. San Antonio Road and in operation by August or September.

Councilman David Casas attended the Mountain View-Los Altos Union High School District board meeting June 23 to discuss televising the board's meetings. He had raised the topic last month at a joint meeting with the city council, raising some ire from board members who questioned his sudden entry into the board's affairs.

"My passion for transparency is really what is driving my actions," Casas said.

The meetings would cost approximately $25,000 per year to broadcast on KMVT, and Casas noted that funds might come from a source such as a city council allocation.

While some members of the school board said they were in favor of broadcasting if the district didn't incur any additional expense, others expressed qualms about the notion.

"I've had conversations with parents who were not in favor of it," Trustee Julia Rosenberg said. "Before we make decisions we need to think long and hard about it. We need to make sure we have opinions from all our stakeholders."

No decision on televising meetings was made at the meeting. The board meets again in August.

"In the end, I believe that they've concluded that taping is probably not for them," Casas reported back to the council. "I think it's probably unlikely that they're going to have taping at the board meetings."

Traci Newell contributed to this report.

Contact Eliza Ridgeway at elizar@latc.com.

City commission to air meetings over the Internet

Wed, 31 Jan 2007 00:00:00 GMT

DELRAY BEACH - City commission meetings are going a little more public - but not public enough for some.

At their Jan. 16 meeting, commissioners agreed to a $44,500 initiative to broadcast and archive their meetings on the city's Web site, www.MyDelrayBeach.com. The city's Emergency Radio Station also will be aired online.

But that's not good enough for Progressive Residents of Delray, a group that's been lobbying the city for more than a year to televise commission meetings.

"A large number of people don't know how to use a computer and some don't even have a computer," said Bunny Elrod, president of the group, which has about 300 members, according to its Web site. "Does that mean they are not entitled to know what's going on in their city?"

The group has been passing out fliers that say: "More residents own televisions than own a computer - why not broadcast on television?"

City Manager David Harden said the city can't please everyone. "No matter how you put it, someone is going to disagree," he said. "I mean, what about the people who don't have cable television?"

Harden said TV broadcasts are too expensive and would require that the city hire more people. "It would cost about a quarter million dollars a year to do it," he said.

But PROD, which was formed in 1984 as an advocacy group for Delray residents, doesn't buy that argument.

"The fact that it's too expensive doesn't wash with me," said Elrod. "I'd like to be able to see it happening just as my neighboring cities are able to."

Currently, eight of Palm Beach County's 37 municipalities televise their commission or council meetings via cable channels, according to Beth Engle-Love, public affairs director for the county. The county also televises its meetings.

Neighboring Boca Raton has been broadcasting its meetings on a cable access channel for 15 years. The city has two full-time video producers on staff to do the job. It cost Boca about $195,000 last year to keep the operation going, said City Clerk Sharma Carranante.

Boynton Beach decided last year to start televising its meetings. The city is working on getting the station up and running. The start-up costs are going to be about $200,000, said Wayne Segal, the city's spokesman.

And that doesn't include the cost of "retro-fitting" the commission chambers for TV production. The chambers' glass ceiling creates light and sound problems, Segal said. The cost of that work hasn't been determined.

PROD thinks that broadcasting commission meetings on TV makes for a more open government. Delray puts minutes of its meetings online and visitors to www.MyDelrayBeach.com can read minutes from as far back as 1927, ordinances and resolutions from the 1920s, and all the background material for commission meetings since 1980. Neither Boca nor Boynton has an online archive that's extensive as Delray's.

The city is finalizing its contract with Granicus Inc., a San Francisco Webcasting company that works solely with local governments nationwide. Online broadcasts should start about four weeks after that. The meetings will stay in the city's online archives for about a year and will be available for viewing anytime at city hall, Harden said.

Chris Rynders, director of Granicus' Southeast region, also said that archived meetings will be indexed so that listeners can go straight to the agenda items they are interested in, rather than having to sit through entire meetings, which can last a few hours.

Granicus, which has 20 clients in Florida and 230 in the country, has a few other plans for the city, including putting training content online for city staff.

"Since we made the decision to do it, we decided to use the best technology at the lowest cost," said city manager Harden.

But Elrod said that doesn't mean much to senior citizens with no tech savvy or working mothers trying to feed their children at 6 p.m. on a Tuesday night when the commission meets.

"The assumption I have to make is that these people are considered second-rate citizens," Elrod said. "Look, if no one else had it, it would be a revolutionary idea, but it's not revolutionary.

"It's the only way to make the meetings available to everybody."

New streaming video technology comes to Thurmont

Wed, 04 Mar 2009 00:00:00 GMT

THURMONT -- Residents now have access to town meetings directly at their fingertips.

Since Feb. 9, the town's website, in conjunction with Granicus Inc., has been streaming town meetings.

Videos are available for live viewing of up-to-the-minute commissioner decisions and stay archived on the web, so residents can view the last Planning and Zoning meeting.

"I think the service is working better than my initial expectations," town resident John Kinnaird said. He helped launch the program and volunteers to keep the Thurmont website running smoothly.

Town Chief Administrative Officer Bill Blakeslee said the streaming tactics are much easier than he expected. "It's a real piece of work," he said.

"All the residents' comments made to me have been positive," Kinnaird said.

Blakeslee agreed, saying he has heard a lot of feedback, leading him to believe a lot of people are looking at the new feature.

Despite the streaming video's popularity, Kinnaird said he has heard from locals who still catch the Board of Commissioners meetings when they are rebroadcast on the town's TV channel.

Blakeslee said the town's older residents are still watching Channel 99's broadcasts, enjoying their Thursday morning newspaper and town meeting showing. And when there's no good TV on Thursday evenings, they can catch the 10 p.m. broadcast.

Windows Media Player is required to view all videos, and can be downloaded free from the Thurmont website. The streaming technique is compatible with Firefox, Safari and Internet Explorer applications. Only Internet Explorer has the option of clicking directly on specific sections; on the Apple-based browsers, scanning the video bar is not available.

"Most (residents) like the ability to view the meetings at any time and also the option to view particular segments of the video," Kinnaird said.

Since the videos' inception, video hits have been as high as almost 200 on Feb. 17, and range generally from between 50 to 100 public viewers, according to Granicus Inc.

"I think the BOC intends to record as many meetings as possible, including other commissions," Kinnaird said. Currently, only the BOC and P and Z meetings are recorded and published on Granicus.

Blakeslee said the town is waiting to see how the current videos work out before branching out into other groups.

"We want to walk before we can run," Blakeslee said.

Chandler Puts Council Meetings Live Online

Sun, 02 Jul 2006 00:00:00 GMT

Chandler issues have gone global, giving vacationing watchdogs the availability to keep tabs on the sometimes unpredictable City Council from practically anywhere. Chandler recently joined its East Valley neighbors in streaming video of the city's public programing over the World Wide Web. That includes council and Planning and Zoning Commission meetings, public service announcements, shows about the city's history and talks with the mayor.

"The video streaming provides the opportunity for people all over the world to tune into the city of Chandler," said city spokeswoman Nachie Marquez.

The city actually began streaming its public access cable channel online June 5, but made no formal announcements while staff members watched for bugs in the system. Things seem to be running fine, officials said, and Web surfers are slowly finding the site.

So far, the site's peak usage was around the council's June 22 meeting. That week, 68 users visited the site for an average of five minutes, Web editor Kim Kaan said.

Ultimately, the site will offer archived council meetings with indexed links to items as they are listed on the meeting agenda.

Chandler's move follows Gilbert, which began streaming public meetings in February.

Unlike Chandler, Gilbert is using an outside contractor to handle the Web streaming. This allowed the town to move forward without shelling out thousands of dollars on necessary equipment, said Shawn Woolley, Gilbert's information services and technology director.

"The main idea was just to give residents another way to view and participate," Woolley said.

Tempe began video streaming almost four years ago. The next step for that city will be video on demand, which allows users to download specific shows to their computer.

Scottsdale and Mesa also stream their meetings online.

Town Will Add Web Access

Wed, 18 Jan 2006 00:00:00 GMT

The Arizona Republic

Gilbert residents soon will have access to streaming video broadcasts of public meetings, online registration for popular Parks and Recreation Department programs and new wireless feedback to the town.

It's about better access, officials say, for a town that continues to welcome new faces from different places almost daily.

Leading the new technology pack will be streaming video of Gilbert Town Council meetings, which people worldwide can watch live or through a video archive on the town's Web site.

"What's really exciting is, it gives people who aren't in Gilbert the opportunity . . . to still take part (in the town)," said Shawn Woolley, Gilbert's technology services director.

Video will start streaming with the Town Council meeting in late February, Woolley said.

Planning and Zoning Commission meetings and other town programming will be available for download.

Town spokesman Greg Svelund said there have been no discussions regarding putting other commission meetings online.

Gilbert is poised to make a technological leap with other ventures.

Residents now can register online for Parks and Recreation Department programs, a change brought forth by crushing demand that has flooded Gilbert phone lines in recent years.

By far the most popular courses are those for preschoolers, said Tammy Cunningham, the Parks and Recreation office manager, who has been heading the online initiative.

For instance, in July the town's 12 phone lines were deluged with 33,177 calls in one day to register for fall classes. On Nov. 15, the winter session attracted 29,486 calls.

"This is going to be so much easier for people to log on and register vs. just keep hitting redial, redial, redial," Cunningham said.

Parks and Recreation plans to have a soft opening this week for the department's ball programs.

Lyric Payne of Higley, mother of two young children, said she once devoted a half-day, on and off, calling the town to register. She welcomes the online option.

"Anything I can avoid, like mailing or calling, I do online," said Payne, 30.

At Saturday's 10th Congress of Neighborhoods Expo, Gilbert residents can give instant feedback on town issues through a wireless response system.

Puyallup City Council Stamps Approval on Broadcasting

Thu, 30 Oct 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Puyallup residents, fire up your television sets. The city council meetings are coming.

The council Tuesday night made three authorizations to City Manager Gary McLean that allow plans for television and Internet broadcasts of the meetings to take place by January.

The authorizations ended several discussions and delays to the project, to the delight of several council members.

"When I went out to talk to the public, this was one of the highest priorities," council member Rick Hansen said of the broadcasts. "I think you'll be able to reach out to us easier now."

"I think televising is a good thing and I'm glad we're going forward with it," council member Kathy Turner added. "I'm glad we dragged this through the budget process instead of just putting it on the table."

The council voted in August to delay implementation of a $40,000 camera system and $60,000 in software, citing budget concerns. That equipment, along with annual membership dues to host network Rainier Media Center, are now included in the proposed 2009-2010 budget.

The city is also assuming the costs of airing the meetings, rather than passing them on to residents. A proposed surcharge of 25 cents per cable subscriber had been considered.

McLean said the chambers are already wired for the system, and the cameras should be installed once they arrive in four to six weeks.

Full implementation of streaming media software from Granicus should be ready for the first broadcast. The software should eventually allow users to search through particular items in a council meetings, and it's also designed to prevent network crashes on government Web sites.

Ron Tiedeman, the city's director of information technology, explained that Granicus can also be linked to existing city software so citizens can access various documents. It may also help with downloading documents that, in the past, were handled by city employees.

McLean said the cities of Bellevue and Kirkland also use Granicus software, and explained that it's essential to keeping Internet archives working properly.

"Without it, we're quite sure we're going to have a number of customer complaints that it's not functional," McLean told the council.

Reach Reporter Neil Pierson at 253-841-2481 ext. 313 or by e-mail at neil.pierson@puyallupherald.com

County Eyes Online Meetings

Wed, 02 Jul 2008 00:00:00 GMT

McHenry County Board members who stuck around after Tuesday's meeting got a look at what streaming video of their meetings could look like.

The board's Management Services Committee hosted two software companies to show off software that would allow taxpayers to watch County Board meetings and access documents relating to the items being discussed. The committee might submit a request for next year's budget to implement it, said Chairwoman Tina Hill, R-Woodstock.

"The whole idea is transparency," Hill said. "People shouldn't have to jump through all these hoops and [Freedom of Information Act requests] to see how their money is spent."

County departments currently are preparing their budgets - the County Board typically approves the budget in November before the Dec. 1 start of its new fiscal year.

Unlike city government meetings on public-access cable, Internet streaming would allow residents to watch meetings when they want, County Administrator Peter Austin said. The software also would allow residents to forward to subjects that they care about based on keywords.

Austin said he estimated that such transparency could cost the county between $600 and $900 a month, depending on the company providing the software and the options that the county chooses.

Hill said options for the software would allow residents to access resolutions, minutes and other paperwork as it is being discussed on video, as well as establish members' voting records for easy access.

If approved, video streaming would start with the full County Board's two monthly meetings, not its numerous committees.

The companies that made presentations Tuesday were San Francisco-based Granicus Inc. and New York-based IQM2. The meeting was informational, and the project will not go out to bid unless the County Board allocates money for it.

Weatherford Public Meetings Available Online

Fri, 25 Feb 2011 00:00:00 GMT

City strengthens transparency with access to live and archived meetings through its website

Weatherford, TX - The City of Weatherford is pleased to announce the launch of Granicus' webcasting technology that will provide the public with convenient access to live and archived audio streaming of public meetings through our website, www.weatherfordtx.gov.

"With our current technology, this is the most cost effective avenue for the community to conveniently listen to live public meetings, as well as former public meetings," stated City Manager Jerry Blaisdell. "We want our taxpayers to be as informed as possible and involved."

Weatherford deployed Granicus' system to keep constituents informed and share important policy decisions. This platform allows the city to stream an unlimited number of events and meeting bodies - residents can hear City Council, Municipal Utility Board, Historic Preservation Commission, and Planning and Zoning Board meetings online.

Listeners can easily share media over popular social networking sites as well as copy and embed portions of a meeting from the player itself.

Anyone with access to the internet can view live and archived meetings by visiting the city's website:

Go to the city website: http://www.weatherfordtx.gov
Click on: "Listen to Live and Archived Meetings"
Select your preferred meeting: Click "Play Now"

Granicus is the leading government cloud computing provider for transparency, efficiency, and citizen participation solutions in the U.S. It offers the first cloud platform and product suites designed specifically to help government agencies establish meaningful connections with citizens. Granicus hosts the world's largest government exclusive webcasting network, streaming over 27 million webcasts and serving more than 750 clients spanning all 50 states.

Danielle Felts
City of Weatherford
Community Relations

San Rafael Council Chambers May Go High-Tech

Sun, 18 May 2008 00:00:00 GMT

San Rafael City Hall's council chambers are headed for the 21st century.

The City Council is considering turning the meeting hall into a high-tech epicenter by adding Granicus, an Internet broadcasting and archiving system designed for local government.

Already in service at the county, and in cities such as Cupertino, Milpitas and San Jose, the system makes meetings available live on the Internet, creates searchable digital archives, synchronizes and links documents to audio and video records and includes staff reports, agendas, minutes and other documents.

"It's another way of enhancing public access to the process," City Manager Ken Nordhoff said. "People who are interested in a specific topic - they'll have an easy means to find that."

The system would be key in an emergency, city officials said. Granicus is equipped to distribute public information statements, warnings and other messages - all of which could be broadcast from the chambers, which would serve as the city's emergency hub during a crisis.

Depending on options, the system costs up to $150,000 to install. Providers charge about $14,000 for maintenance and to store information off-site. Officials said they hope to make room in a tight budget for the purchase this year.

Those who work in the clerk's office - the city's clearinghouse for documents - are enthused.

"There's going to be a lot of information totally searchable by the public," City Clerk Esther Beirne said."Things (the public) normally ask us about they can do it themselves. That's going to make things a lot easier for us."

Will a camera in the chambers prompt politicians and appointees to grandstand? Mayor Al Boro said he didn't think so.

"I had the apprehension it would change the way (people) react, but it's not just one camera so it's not just focused on the council - it moves around," he said. "I don't think that will happen. Our meetings operate the way they operate and will continue to operate."

Eustis Website Goes Live with Commission Meetings

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 00:00:00 GMT

City enhances citizen access and participation through live and on-demand public meetings over the Internet

Eustis, FL - In the continuing pursuit of government transparency, the City has teamed up with Legistar, an Agenda Management & System Administration, and Granicus, a Streaming Media Solution specializing in Internet broadcasting, to enable Eustis' website to carry the regular City Commission Meetings live on the internet, and have an archived webcast of the meeting available the next day. The agendas, background information and minutes from the meetings will now be available through an RSS feed page in addition to their current links on the Legislative Information Page, located at the government pull-down menu at www.eustis.org or directly at http://eustis.legistar.com/Calendar.aspx.

"We are excited to provide the public access to watch the regular City Commission meetings and workshops live and on-demand," said Acting Mayor Karen LeHeup-Smith. "Making city government meetings available on the internet is another example of our ongoing efforts to improve communications with the public."

A "soft" launch of the live streaming technology was put to the test during the November 19th City Commission Meeting. With reported success, the City will now offer this service for every City Commission Meeting. City Commission meetings are generally held on the first and third Thursday of the month, beginning at 6:00 p.m. Meetings will be available live and will be archived the following day.

South Washington County School Board Begins Web Streaming its Meetings

Thu, 12 Aug 2010 00:00:00 GMT

District spending $16K for setup; monthly fee for service will be $807

Saint Pall, MN - People interested in what the South Washington County school board is doing no longer need to sit through a whole meeting to catch one item. They can just go online and watch the webcast instead.

Meetings can now be viewed on demand. Once meetings are archived, users can click on the section of the meeting they're interested in and skip over the humdrum parts.

Barbara Brown, the school district's communications director, said the new tool will help the district communicate with its residents and give them more access.

"The more transparent we can be, the better," Brown said.

Many east-metro cities and counties have been streaming meetings, some for years. But only a handful of Minnesota school districts - including Anoka-Hennepin and Rosemount-Apple Valley-Eagan - have taken the step.

South Washington County is using Granicus Inc. to provide the service. In Minnesota, about two dozen cities, three counties and five school districts contract with the San Francisco-based company.

South Washington County is spending about $16,000 for the hardware, services and training for the first year. After that, the monthly fee is $807.

That fee covers up to 200 hours of web streaming beyond school board meetings. That means programming - such as band concerts or graduation ceremonies - that is aired on cable will be available online as well.

"It's another way for us to share our highlights," Brown said. "I think we'll have a lot more people aware of what's going on in our district."

Contact:
Pioneer Press
Megan Boldt
Mboldt@pioneerpress.com
651-228-5495

Olympia Council Will Be On Web

Wed, 04 Jan 2006 00:00:00 GMT

The Olympian

OLYMPIA - Come spring, you'll be able to watch the City Council on your computer anytime you want.

The City Council decided Tuesday to start streaming its weekly meetings live on the Internet, then keep them archived on the city Web site for a year so residents can tune in anytime for free.

"Olympia was the first local jurisdiction to televise its meetings," Mayor Mark Foutch said. "Now we're the first to go streaming online. It's pretty slick."

The first meeting to be webstreamed will be in the spring, said Cathie Butler, communications manager.

It will cost $45,000 to buy the technology from Granicus Inc. of California, install it and get trained to operate it. Olympia also will pay $20,000 a year to archive the broadcasts and get technical help.

Funds will come from the cable franchise fees that Comcast gives the city each year, which can only be used for public education and public access.

City Council meetings already are broadcast live on TCTV Tuesday nights and replayed Friday mornings. People who have satellite dishes, Direct TV or a cable service that's not local don't get TCTV.

Copies of the taped meetings can be ordered from TCTV for a fee.

Streaming meetings on the Internet will allow residents to watch meetings when they want, officials said. And they can pause the recording or skip ahead to the part they're interested in without having to watch the whole meeting, which sometimes lasts three to five hours.

The idea of streaming meetings online arose at a January 2004 forum in which the city asked residents how it can be more open and effective. Resident Jeff Jaksich, who was one of the people who broached the idea, said the local coalition of neighborhood presidents started talking about it three years ago as a way to increase the channels of information between government and citizens.

"The challenge for many people is they aren't involved and don't know about critical issues until it's too late," Jaksich, president of the East Bay Drive Neighborhood Association, said in a telephone interview Tuesday before the council meeting.

He doesn't know how many people will use the new service, but said, "you could see it at a time that's convenient for you. People are very busy and they can't be expected to revolve around the city's schedule.

By making it more convenient, it enables people to get more involved."

Olympia will be the first in the county to have webcasts of its meetings.

Cities in California have been doing it for years. Kirkland and Bellevue have had webcasts for a year and gotten hundreds of hits. A Kirkland Planning Commission meeting received 482 views while a Bellevue discussion on temporary homeless encampments got 780 hits, officials there said.

In Olympia, the webcasts are expected to save $8,000 a year to transcribe minutes of the meetings because the city won't have to pay an employee so much overtime to provide such a detailed record, Assistant City Manager Subir Mukerjee said. Instead, the minutes will be a summary of the decisions, and the video will provide the details behind the decisions.

The minutes and video would be synchronized, so residents can click on an item listed in the minutes and automatically jump to that part of the broadcast.

"I love this. We're not only saving money, we're enhancing services," said Councilman Joe Hyer, who added the council received 2,280 e-mails last year.

The webstreaming request was the last in a series of initiatives that began in 2004 as part of Councilman TJ Johnson's goal to be a more open government. That list included holding town hall meetings, posting the full council agenda and staff reports online before meetings and setting aside 30 minutes for public comment at every meeting.

South Padre Island Increases Citizen Participation in the Democratic Process

Wed, 26 Jan 2011 00:00:00 GMT

City allows residents to electronically weigh-in on the decision-making process through its website

South Padre Island, TX - The City of South Padres Island is excited to announce the launch of a new tool that will strengthen citizen participation and encourage civic involvement. This service allows citizens to review upcoming City Council, board and committee meeting materials and provide comments on particular agenda items. The City recently added the Citizen Participation Suite, which includes eComment, to its existing services from Granicus. South Padre Island is the first city in Texas to make this feature available.

"This is a great continuation of the Council's desire to make city government, the Council, and our meetings as accessible as it possibly can be for the citizens. We made streaming of the city Council meetings available to citizens, in case they couldn't be there in person, now they can comment on an agenda item prior to the meeting from the comfort of the home, in order to let the Council members know how they feel about a particular issue. It doesn't get any better than that" said Robert N. Pinkerton, JR, Mayor of South Padre Island.

Prior to a meeting, citizens can log onto www.MySPI.org, go to City Meetings and click on the eComment link next to an upcoming meeting's agenda. They can then indicate their position on an item and add any additional comments related to that particular item or leave general comments for city staff. This tool provides a convenient alternative to in-person testimony, emails, phone calls and faxes. Comments can be automatically routed to staff and elected members, giving elected members time to review and consider citizen input prior to a meeting.

This new tool will also benefit administrative staff, helping them to collect, consolidate, and route citizen feedback through an automated process.

"eComments compliments the City's video streaming capabilities by allowing citizens to participate remotely by using this new feature on the City's website. Now our citizens can not only watch the City Council meetings from the comfort of their own home, they can have their voices heard" said Joni Clarke, South Padre Island City Manager.

About Granicus
Granicus is the leading government cloud computing provider for transparency, efficiency, and citizen participation solutions in the U.S. It offers the first cloud platform and product suites designed specifically to help government agencies establish meaningful connections with citizens. Granicus hosts the world's largest government exclusive webcasting network, streaming over 27 million webcasts and serving more than 750 clients spanning all 50 states.

Contact
South Padre Island: Tim Howell, Information Services Director 956-761-3078 or THowell@MySPI.org Granicus: Aileen Horgan, Client Marketing Specialist 415-357-3618 x1753

Groups want agencies to post more advisory meetings on the Web

Tue, 08 Jun 2010 00:00:00 GMT

Some government transparency groups are pushing the Obama administration to post online videos, recordings or transcripts of meetings that outside advisers hold to formulate new policies for agencies.

Federal law dictates that agencies ensure the recommendations of advisory committees are accessible to the public. But no mandate or policy requires them to provide online access to discussions at open committee meetings.

Some agencies such as the National Institute of Standards and Technology and the Health and Human Services Department have begun webcasting and archiving videos of advisory committee meetings. Government watchdog groups are pressing Congress to pass a bill that would demand all agencies post transcripts or recordings of proceedings shortly after they occur.

"It's hugely important to know what's going on," said Gary Bass, executive director of accountability group OMB Watch.

Congress passed the 1972 Federal Advisory Committee Act to shed light on the extent to which policy decisions are based on the input of experts from outside government. Advisory committee members consult agencies on an array of topics, ranging from nuclear threat reduction to civil rights.

A bill (H.R. 1320) to amend FACA, which is pending in the House, would require agencies to post transcripts or recordings on the their websites within 30 days after a meeting. OMB Watch supports the legislation, which grants agencies flexibility in selecting technologies to document the proceedings.

"Give us an archived video or audio of the meeting. Webcast it live. Make transcripts available even. Something that makes it apparent that you're going to make that information transparent. . . . The tool is more or less their choice," said Rick Melberth, director of federal regulatory policy at OMB Watch.

Without videos, people who cannot afford to travel to Washington are unable to evaluate the members' policy advice or learn from it, advocates say.

Even some people who work in the district are shut out due to space limitations. Bass' organization was not allowed in to a May 26 meeting of the national commission on fiscal responsibility and reform. The newly established panel is charged with producing recommendations to balance the budget by 2015. "For the last commission meeting, several groups tried to RSVP to come and the groups, including us, got a rejection, saying, 'Sorry there's no space,' " he said.

Agency officials recommend webcasts to increase transparency and public participation in advisory committee proceedings. "Many fully public meetings would benefit from the increased access," they said in a statement. "In addition, members of the public would be able to access webcasts of meetings at a time and place convenient to them, thereby reducing travel costs and/or reducing scheduling inconvenience."

GSA promotes webcasting through an interagency committee on FACA management, as well as seminars and guidance available to all departments.

In fiscal 2011, GSA plans to start several pilot projects to showcase webcast technologies.

But the expenses associated with recording and archiving meetings are an obstacle for agencies, GSA officials noted. "Cost and complexity are the key issues that limit the use of webcasting," they noted. "Advisory committees are typically funded out of an agency's base budget, so the cost of webcasting is often a significant increase.

"Recordkeeping is also an issue, both in making the webcast available following the meeting and after the webcast is removed from the agency's active website."

Additional equipment, staff and training are required to properly produce an online broadcast. The videos also must rendered in a format that is accessible to people who are visually impaired or hard of hearing.

"FACA is not well-endeared to people inside the federal government. It costs them time, money and energy to comply with," Bass said. "Most government agencies look at this as a pain. Adding in webcasting is just one more hurdle."

But he noted requiring online videos would be "completely consistent with the administration's principle of collaborative and participatory styles. And it democratizes the meetings."

Some government vendors who sell webcasting tools say federal agencies are more constrained by habit and other mission goals than by a lack of technical or financial resources.

"There is a bit of a newness factor to it [but] this is something that has been happening in cities and counties for a pretty long time," said Thao Hill, vice president of enterprise solutions at Granicus Inc., a Web-based software company. For more than a decade, Granicus has supplied agencies at the local, state and federal level with products and services for creating and storing media content.

On Thursday and Friday, HHS will use Granicus software and support to record an advisory committee meeting in Rockville, Md., where members will consider changes to a Food and Drug Administration policy that bars homosexual men from donating blood. The work will cost HHS about $10,000, according to company officials. Granicus' packages typically include the technology and services required to stream the committee sessions with closed captioning, host an archive of videos on an agency's website, integrate meeting minutes with audio and video, and make all content searchable by keyword.

"Honestly, I wouldn't say it's a budgetary challenge," Granicus Chief Executive Officer Tom Spengler said. "It's really around changing the prioritization and making this a priority."

GSA officials said even $10,000 can be too expensive for some committees whose total annual funding is less than $50,000. Often, the cost of simply organizing an advisory committee is a zero-sum situation, since there is no budgetary line item for most advisory committees, officials added.

NIST used Granicus' products and services to air an advisory board meeting in April at the Washington Marriott Wardman Park Conference Center.

The video of the Information Security and Privacy Advisory Board meeting is still available on NIST's website, along with a tool that allows users to look at specific agenda items. Those items include opening remarks by board chairman Dan Chenok, a member of the team that supported Obama's post-election transition who is expected to join IBM this month, and presentations by Web-based software firms Salesforce.com and Google. The session focused on implementing a governmentwide shift to cloud computing, a networking method that uses on-demand, hardware and software located on a third-party company's servers, rather than on federal servers.

"After Obama's mandate on transparency came down, we thought there would be a lot more focus on FACA," Spengler said, referring to a December presidential directive that instructed agencies to create plans for easing access to government information, as well as for increasing public participation and collaboration with the private sector. "It's a great opportunity to create transparency through webcasting, to see how the policy is being shaped."

Office of Management and Budget spokeswoman Meg Reilly said, "[The] directive asks agencies to detail proposed actions to inform the public of significant business of their agency and to propose technology platforms to improve collaboration among people within and outside of their agency. To the extent that it is appropriate, agencies can include proposals to improve their FACA meetings among these proposals, and the public can suggest such ideas to the agencies through their [websites]."

Cities to Put Their Meetings on Web

Sat, 01 Jan 2005 00:00:00 GMT

King County Journal, Washington

Starting next week, residents of Bellevue and Kirkland will have access to live City Council meetings and, eventually, on-demand access to past council meetings on the Web.

Bellevue will broadcast its weekly council meetings live on the city's Web site, www.cityofbellevue.com, using a new video streaming service beginning Monday at 6 p.m.

Kirkland is using the same service to broadcast its council meetings starting Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. on its Web site, www.ci.kirkland.wa.us.

The two Eastside cities teamed up to begin Web streaming together to save time and money, according to a joint press release.

Savings in numbers

By working together, they took advantage of a 20 percent discount available for being the first in Washington state to use Web streaming services from Granicus Inc.

Officials in both cities say the new tool will increase the amount of information available to the public and boost participation in government.

"With this new Web streaming tool, you'll be able to watch live and recent City Council meetings on the Internet,'' said Myrna Basich, Bellevue's assistant city manager and city clerk.

"You'll also see the agenda, and later in January, you'll be able to connect to supporting documents for each agenda item via the Web.''

Always available

Council meetings will be automatically archived and saved for at least a year, allowing the public access 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Eventually, minutes from various Bellevue city board and commission meetings are expected to be added to the system as well.

Bellevue also will offer archived videos from its cable channel, BTV Channel 21

Janice Perry, Kirkland's city clerk, said making council meetings available through a live video stream allows people who can't attend a meeting, or who do not have access to Kirkland's cable television station -- KGOV, Channel 21 -- to see the live broadcast or replays via the Internet at any time.

Kirkland, too, will store video files of council meetings for up to one year. By the end of the first quarter of 2005, Kirkland will begin having City Council meeting packets available on its Web site as well.

Corrales Meetings On Web

Wed, 16 Nov 2005 00:00:00 GMT

Corrales residents can know exactly what happened at the most recent Village Council meeting without ever being there.
    All they have to do is push the power button on their computer, wait for its brain to warm up and with a few clicks, all the action comes alive. Every grunt, stutter and bad joke uttered by a council member is there for the world to experience, long after the lights go out in the meeting hall.
    In August, the village began offering recordings of the council meetings online. Live streaming and video will soon follow, said Village Clerk Tina Gonzales.
    Gonzales said residents can hear the entire meeting. Nothing is edited except the chatter that occurs before the meeting starts. Residents can go to http://www.corrales-nm.org/ to access the audio. Once there, click on the blue button to the left, labeled "council meetings." Once on the meeting page, scroll down and look for the live audio link.
    Gonzales said the system has added convenience for the administration and the public.
    The village began using the recording system Aug. 23, the day it moved its council meetings to the new municipal court building. Meetings were held in the Historic Old San Ysidro Church.
    "In the church, the recording system was totally antiquated," Gonzales said. "It was a lot of frustration. Sometimes it would record, sometimes it wouldn't."
    Gonzales uses the Internet archives to prepare meeting minutes. Gone are the days of rewinding and fast-forwarding a cassette tape. Listed online beneath the recording is a "jump to" feature. Listeners can click on that button and it pulls up a copy of the agenda. One click on particular agenda item takes listeners to the exact moment in the meeting when discussion of that agenda item began.
    Gonzales said the audio recordings are usually available the morning after a meeting.
    The village purchased the system from Granicus, a company in San Francisco, for about $16,000. It pays the company $550 a month for archiving the meetings, maintenance, technical assistance and software updates. Gonzales said she heard about Granicus about a year ago at a clerks' convention.
    Granicus marketing director Pablo Gonzalez said the 25-employee company was created to serve local governments.
    "We do not sell to corporate America," he said.
    According to its Web site, the company's clients consist of large and small municipalities and counties around the country.
    It clients include the cities of San Antonio, Texas; Huntington Beach, Calif; San Diego; San Jose, Calif; and Scottsdale, Ariz.

Brookings Increases Government Transparency and Citizen Awareness

Wed, 10 Mar 2010 00:00:00 GMT

City streams Council meetings through their website live and on-demand

Brookings, SD - The City of Brookings has officially launched webcasting technology that allows citizens to view City Council meetings live and on-demand through the City's website (www.cityofbrookings.org), exhibiting the latest in government transparency initiatives.

"This is the next step in giving the community the ability to be active with City Council issues," said Mayor Tim Reed.

Brookings is making strides to increase citizen awareness through live and on-demand streaming. Live streaming of Council meetings provides an alternative to in-person attendance, while on-demand recordings give residents the flexibility to watch meetings on their own time from the location of their choice. During both live and on-demand viewings, residents can access the full meeting's agenda posted along the video player, making it easier for citizens to follow legislation and stay better informed.

"This technology is another layer in the city's open government initiatives as a way to engage citizens. The new system also improves information access helping citizens more directly find answers to topics of interest of them," said City Manager Jeff Weldon.

Hosted by Granicus, this technology allows residents to search archives by keyword, limiting their results to specific mentions within the archived video library. Viewers can also select items from a drop down box and jump to that particular part of the video as well click on hyperlinked text within the agenda to access that portion of the recording. Archived meetings will generally be available within 24 hours of the event.

Contact
Brookings: Shari Thornes, City Clerk 605-697-8641
Granicus: Aileen Horgan, Client Marketing Specialist 415-357-3618 x1753.

New Orleans City Council to start broadcasting meetings live on Internet

Thu, 03 Sep 2009 00:00:00 GMT

The New Orleans City Council enters a new era Thursday with the first-ever live broadcast of a meeting via the Internet.

The transmittal is part of an effort that will offer -- for free -- real-time videos of council meetings, as well as a searchable archive of prior meetings. There's also a separate video feed for live emergency broadcasts from City Hall.

Live and archived council meetings will be linked from the council's newly revamped Web site; click on the "Video" subtitle near the right side of the page.

Council members on Wednesday touted the service as a boon for citizens who want a front-row seat to the workings of local government, as well as a way for residents still displaced because of Hurricane Katrina to stay connected.

"This will provide exceptional public access and . . . transparency, " Council President Arnie Fielkow said. "City Council business is truly coming to our citizens' homes and computers."

Councilwoman Shelley Midura said the new technology will enable residents to engage with city government on their own time, rather than having to catch meetings live -- or wait for intermittent rebroadcasts -- on local cable-access Channel 6.

"So now you don't have to sit in bed at 3 o'clock in the morning" to watch a council meeting replay, she said. "Now you can do it at 12 noon if you want, on the Internet."

As the new Web interface rolls out, council meetings will continue to be available on Channel 6, at least through the sunset of the city's franchise agreement with Cox, which ends in 2011.

Along with live Web broadcasts, council members vaunted the new technology's ability to archive meetings going back one year and to segment them by keyword so users can watch only the portion of a meeting that interests them.

The council's Web site already offers videos of meetings dating to December 2008.

Video segments are indexed by words in relevant agenda items and in meeting minutes after they are approved. Archived meetings are expected to be available about an hour after meetings end.

In the next six months, agenda items that link to segments of video will be augmented with links to documents related to each item, such as resolutions or ordinances, maps, photos and staff reports.

Meetings of various government panels, such as the City Planning Commission and Board of Zoning Adjustments, are expected to be videotaped using the same system beginning in the next six months, officials said.

Those also will be archived by keywords, and the relevant portions will be linked into the agendas of other meetings so residents can trace issues through the public process.

Using technology created by search-engine pioneer Google, text on the council's new site -- including archived agendas, council members' pages and news releases -- can be translated into Spanish and Vietnamese, though video soundtracks are available only in English.

The system is the brainchild of Granicus, a San Francisco company that provides Web streaming and meeting archives for 500 government clients in the U.S. and Canada. The firm has partnered with Crescent Communications Inc., of Gretna, in what it bills as the first use of its product in Louisiana.

Granicus won a three-year, $266,474 contract last July, after answering a request for proposals. About a third of the deal's cost covered equipment installed in the council chamber and in the mayor's second-floor conference room.

The cost also includes the first installment of an annual $54,000 maintenance fee for the service. Subsequent maintenance payments will be made through the city's government access capital fund, which is financed by franchise fees paid by Cox Communications.

Councilwoman Cynthia Hedge-Morrell said all cash spent on the project has come from the government access fund. She emphasized that none of the money came from the general fund or recovery projects.

Meeting archives will be maintained both at a Granicus data center and at the city's information technology office, company Vice President Thao Hill said. While the city's contract only allows past meetings to be available on a public Web site for a year, he said the records will be stored indefinitely as public records available at residents' request.

County of Santa Clara to Launch Webcasting Technology

Fri, 22 Jan 2010 00:00:00 GMT

Residents Can Access Board of Supervisors Meetings Online

Santa Clara County, CA - On Tuesday, January 26, 2010, the County of Santa Clara will officially launch the webcasting technology that allows residents to watch live meetings of the Board of Supervisors online. In the future, archived videos also will be available. The first Board Meeting to be streamed online will be held at 9:30 AM on January 26, 2010, and at 11:15 AM, viewers can tune in to the 2010 State of the County address.

"Transparent decision-making by elected officials is important in establishing public trust," said Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors President Ken Yeager, who championed the program. "Webcasting makes Board Meetings more open and accessible to residents."

Beginning Tuesday, the public will be able to access the video webcasting of the Board Meetings at: www.sccgov.org/boardwebcast. A calendar of the Board Meetings can be found on the County's Web portal: www.sccgov.org, under "CONNECT WITH YOUR ELECTED OFFICIALS."

"Online webcasting will help us engage the public on the important business of the County," said Supervisor Dave Cortese, Vice President of the Board of Supervisors. "Constituents will have the option of tuning in to get immediate information while decisions are being made or viewing archives later at their convenience."

Filming of the meetings will be conducted by CreaTV and live streaming on the Web will be provided by Granicus, Inc.

About Granicus
Granicus, Inc. is a provider of comprehensive government solutions for improving transparency, public participation, and collaboration over the Web. The extensive streaming media platform helps public agencies create, manage, and distribute live and on-demand streaming media content over the Web. The technology was built to support and enhance public meeting communications, internal trainings, and public education programs-while reducing staff time and costs. Granicus manages the world's largest government-exclusive webcasting network, streaming an average of 200,000 government webcasts, with over 600,000 hours of archived content, on a daily basis.

About CreaTV
CreaTV San Jose is a non-profit organization that promotes the use of community media access resources for the free exchange of ideas and information. It provides support, management, production and distribution services to noncommercial, community-based media access programs. The organization provides necessary resources, including studio, mobile and video equipments, and training, to San Jose institutions, agencies, organizations and individuals and help them create noncommercial programming on public and educational access channels in the cable system.

Contact:
Gwendolyn Mitchell/Lingxia Meng
Office of Public Affairs
(408) 299-5119

SMUD Board of Directors Meetings Now Available on the Web

Thu, 03 Mar 2005 00:00:00 GMT

Customers can view entire meetings live or archived via streaming video and audio

SMUD Press Release

To better serve its customers, the Sacramento Municipal Utility District (SMUD) is now streaming its twice-a-month Board of Directors' meetings on the Internet. SMUD's customer-owners and other interested people can now visit www.smud.org and click on a link to view SMUD Board meetings. The meetings occur the first Thursday of every month at 6 p.m. and the third Thursday of every month at 9 a.m.

The first meeting was streamed February 17 in a successful test run. Tonight's meeting will start live at 6 p.m.

As an added feature, meetings will be archived on SMUD's Web site for later viewing as well. A search function and links from agenda items to specific parts of the Board meeting video will enable viewers to find items that are of particular interest without watching an entire meeting.

Users may need to download Microsoft Windows Media Player if it's not already installed to view the live or archived meetings.

To view meeting videos, please visit www.smud.org, go to the Board of Directors' page and then click on the "Watch Video" link.

The original press release can be download here or at the SMUD website, under the Newsroom.

Lights, Camera, City Council Action

Wed, 07 Dec 2011 00:00:00 GMT

For residents who can't make it to City Hall on Tuesday nights, the council will broadcast its meetings online. The cost: $18,246 upfront plus $13,000 annually.

San Juan Capistrano, California - Coming soon to a laptop, iPad or desktop computer near you: live and recorded City Council meetings.

The City Council decided Tuesday to spend $18,246 to install a camera and software to broadcast and record various city meetings, enabling Internet surfers to watch sessions live or catch up later with archived recordings.

In addition, the software package by Granicus Inc. of San Francisco will cost nearly $13,000 annually.

"Having [access to a meeting] at your home, I think it's a need, not a want," said Councilman Sam Allevato.

Granicus has about 940 public agencies using its webstreaming software, including Mission Viejo, ?Newport Beach?, Dana Point and Laguna Hills, said Ed Burrell, software sales executive for the company.

Resident EJ Constantine complained about the price tag.

"Do we have citizens complaining they don't have access? We don't need to to spend money when the information is out there," he said. "Not everybody is computer literate. Not everybody has iPads."

Councilman Derek Reeve said greater accessibility and transparency were among the issues on which he campaigned last year.

"I wanted it to be on TV, but we had to be frugal," he said.

Mayor Larry Kramer said the city looked into broadcasting on Cox, but the venture was expensive and had limited reach.

With Granicus's software, "if you have any sort of computer, you can get it," Kramer said.

One of the handiest features, Burrell said, is the ability to jump to any agenda topic while watching archived meetings without having to sit through other parts of the meeting.

The package approved by the council includes one camera and the ability to audio-record other city commission meetings and events. Videotaping those other commission meetings will cost $129 each time, said City Clerk Maria Morris.

With the new software, the public will have an easier time learning about city government and ongoing projects, Allevato said.

"We are probably at the lower end of providing these types of reports to the public," he said. "I would like to have a whole new City Hall some day. This is a small step toward that."

Initially, Councilwoman Laura Freese was "dead against" webstreaming. "I thought it was just for the five or six who were screaming out for transparency," she said.

But when she realized it would save staff time and help dispel rumors about what was said and done at council meetings, she changed her mind.

Source:
Penny Ar�valo, pennysjcpatch@gmail.com
San Juan Capistrano Patch

City Partners with Granicus to Provide Live and On-Demand Streaming Meetings

Wed, 11 May 2011 00:00:00 GMT

Galesburg, IL - Residents are now able to watch city council meetings live or replay all or part of those meetings at their convenience through a link on the city's website at www.ci.galesburg.il.us.

This new webcasting technology provides live meeting coverage to residents who may not have access to Cable Channel 7 or to other interested parties who may live outside the local cable coverage area.

In addition, the new technology allows anyone with an Internet connection to view past city council meetings with the ability to fast forward to any point within the recording. The city has posted council meetings online since 2006 but until now the recordings were limited to real time playback.

The most recent past city council meetings are available now with earlier meetings being added daily. To view the list of recorded meetings or to see the next scheduled "live" webcast, go to www.ci.galesburg.il.us and click on the "View city council meeting" link located on the left side of the screen, or go to the agenda and minutes page at www.ci.galesburg.il.us/mayorcouncil/agendas.htm. Archived meetings are generally available for viewing by 10:00 a.m. the next day.

This improved service is being made available before the city's redesigned website is launched this summer. The redesigned website will include many additional features that will improve transparency, citizen participation and community awareness over the web. The live and on-demand council meeting stream is the first of many enhancements residents will see in the city's new website.

Contact
Galesburg: Sue Davidson, sdavidson@ci.galesburg.il.us, 309-345-3636
Granicus: Aileen Horgan, aileenh@granicus.com 415-357-3618 x1753

House Streams Mobile-Friendly Video

Thu, 27 Oct 2011 00:00:00 GMT

You can now use your smartphone to watch live streaming video from the House of Representatives through HouseLive.gov, a website run by the Office of the Clerk of the House.

Although the website has been active since the beginning of the previous Congress, the streaming capabilities were recently expanded to mobile devices, such as BlackBerrys, iPhones and iPads.

Don Seymour, digital communications director for Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio), said the increased access to live streaming of House floor action is a part of the "Pledge to America" made by House Republicans, which included a promise for more transparency.

"Republicans promised in the Pledge to America to make Congress more 'open and transparent,' and Speaker Boehner is pleased that efforts like HouseLive.gov help deliver on that pledge," Seymour added.

The Sunlight Foundation, a nonpartisan nonprofit group concerned with increasing transparency, has been pushing for increased video accessibility in the past few years.

In a report released in 2007, the foundation called for the House to provide live and archived video of its proceedings to the public through the Internet.

"The coverage of government events is something the government should be responsible for," said John Wonderlich, policy director at the Sunlight Foundation.

Wonderlich is optimistic about the potential for the HouseLive.gov stream.

"It gives the institution of the House something to build on so that they can develop other features," he said, adding that he hopes the website will eventually connect transcripts to the videos, so that a user can click on a place in the transcript and be taken to that moment in the video footage.

Wonderlich said he hopes that the HouseLive.gov stream will eventually include coverage of House committee proceedings, something the Sunlight Foundation originally mentioned in its 2007 report.

"That would be the biggest room for improvement," he said. "Get it to apply to committees."

Currently, C-SPAN offers an audio-only streaming application for the iPhone and BlackBerry and is working on an application for Android phones.

The application allows users to listen to the content being streamed on C-SPAN's three channels and C-SPAN Radio.

C-SPAN Communications Director Howard Mortman said the network welcomes the expansion of HouseLive.gov accessibility.

"The more the merrier when it comes to getting information to the American public," he said.

The HouseLive.gov video streaming feature was developed by Granicus Inc., a San Francisco-based company that provides governing agencies with media streaming techniques. Other recent clients include the city of Los Angeles, the city and county of San Francisco, and the Arizona State Legislature.

According to the Office of the Clerk, the HouseLive.gov stream has had 52,000 users since the beginning of the year. However, the office does not maintain records on how many of those users have been viewing the stream on a mobile device.

Source
By Kate Tummarello,
Roll Call

Instant replay comes to county government

Thu, 14 Jul 2011 00:00:00 GMT

Beaufort County, SC - Residents can now use instant replay to keep an eye on county decisions.

A new Internet streaming service launched late last month will let users replay on demand any government meeting taped by the County Channel.

"From my point of view, it is another enhancement toward transparency for Beaufort County," said county administrator Gary Kubic.

A live feed of the County Channel has previously been streamed over the Internet.

The new on-demand system allows viewers to watch any program at any time and gives them access to archived footage that's weeks or months old. Users can search by topic or click on an agenda item to jump straight to the debate that interests them.

Scott Grooms, the county's director of broadcast services, said the video-on-demand service can help clarify County Council debates for residents because "now you can actually see exactly what everybody said."

The county also hopes to add other programming, such as its Coastal Kingdom nature series, in August, Grooms said.

The streaming service is provided by Granicus, a San Francisco-based company and will cost the county about $15,000 annually.

Some of that cost could be offset by reducing the time spent transcribing meeting minutes, a task that county staff say typically takes about three times as long as the actual meeting. Minutes currently distill council members' debate and paraphrase the arguments on each side.

"It's a laborious, arduous task," said clerk to council Sue Rainey. "It's very important, and it has to be accurate."

With the new system, meeting minutes will be more basic and will direct readers to the online video for more.

On average, Rainey estimated her office spends approximately 20 hours on transcription each week, which could be reduced to about three or four hours.

City Council, Planning Commission Meetings Now on the Web

Mon, 22 Feb 2010 00:00:00 GMT

Residents can now watch public meetings live and on-demand through Redland's website

Redlands, CA - Redlands residents are now able to watch City Council and Planning Commissions live on the Internet or replay all or part of those meetings at their convenience through a link on the City's website - www.ci.redlands.ca.us.

The City will officially launch the new webcasting technology with the March 2, 2010, City Council meeting providing live meeting coverage to residents who may not have access to Redlands TV, the City's cable TV channel.

In addition, the new technology allows anyone with an Internet connection to view past City Council and Planning Commission meetings at their convenience. Residents can view the entire meeting, search keywords for topics of interest or follow links in the online agenda on the City website to navigate directly to a particular item.

Currently the City televises both City Council and Planning Commission meetings live with additional replays scheduled throughout the week on Redlands TV Channel 3 for Time-Warner Cable customers or Channel 35 for Verizon Cable customers.

Residents can view meetings online by going to the City's website at www.ci.redlands.ca.us, clicking the City Council, Clerk & Treasurer tab then clicking the Council Meeting Agenda tab. Live streaming video will be available during both Council and Planning Commission meetings. Archived videos are also listed.

The new on-line service is powered by San Francisco-based Granicus, Inc., the premier provider of government webcasting and public meeting management solutions to over 500 government agencies spanning 45 states across the nation.

The Granicus solution includes streaming software to capture, manage, store and distribute online video recordings. In addition, the video player window includes the meeting agenda with direct links to access specific agenda item discussions within the archived meeting. Archived meetings will generally be available for viewing by 10 p.m. the same evening depending on the length of the meeting. Meetings will be archived and available for viewing for one year.

About Granicus:
Granicus, Inc. is the leading provider of comprehensive government solutions for improving transparency, public participation, and collaboration over the Web. Our extensive streaming media platform helps public agencies create, manage, and distribute live and on-demand streaming media content over the Web. The technology was built to support and enhance public meeting communications, internal trainings, and public education programs-while reducing staff time and costs. Granicus manages the world's largest government-exclusive webcasting network, streaming an average of 200,000 government webcasts, with over 600,000 hours of archived content, on a daily basis.

Contact:
Carl Baker
Public Information Officer
Phone: 909.798.7633
Fax: 909.798-7503
Email: cbaker@cityofredlands.org

###

Horry County Council Meetings to Begin Live Streaming on Internet

Tue, 23 Mar 2010 00:00:00 GMT

County is "Committed to Excellence" and Transparency

Conway, SC - Beginning on April 6th, Horry County residents will be able to watch County Council meetings live on the internet. Viewers with internet access will be able to watch live meetings, and view the Council's agenda. The internet streaming will include live captioning for the hearing impaired. In addition, meetings will be archived and available for replay at the viewer's convenience. This project is a presentation of the County's commitment to making government transparent and accessible to its residents.

"This enables us to empower citizens to make informed opinions of government through raw and untouched meeting coverage. This unfiltered approach, combined with live or playback features gives knowledge and convenience to our citizens," said Chief Information Officer Sheila Butler.

Residents interested in using this new service may visit the Horry County Council website at http://www.horrycounty.org/council . The meetings will be listed by date. The meeting archive will provide viewing of March 16th meeting, and meeting listing will grow over time as future Council meetings occur.

The new online service is provided through a contract with Granicus, Inc., a San Francisco company leading software-as-a-service provider of government transparency, public meeting efficiency, and citizen participation solutions in the U.S., webcasting more than 22 million public meetings with over 600 clients spanning all 50 states.

The County of Horry comprises 46 departments and agencies that provide a full range of services to the community. It encompasses over 1,300 square miles and is home to over 200,000 residents. Horry County Government has a history of providing excellent and responsive public service while operating under sound fiscal principles.

Horry County is home to the city of Myrtle Beach as well as other beautiful beaches, hundreds of golf courses, fine dining, and a wide variety of entertainment and cultural activities.

Contact: Lisa Bourcier (843) 915-5390 bourcier@horrycounty.org

Broken Arrow Council Meetings to be Streamed Online

Mon, 06 Dec 2010 00:00:00 GMT

Broken Arrow, OK - The city of Broken Arrow on Monday announced the launch of live Web streaming of its city council meetings, beginning Tuesday.

The new system provided by San Francisco-based Granicus, Inc., will show the Tuesday council meeting, according to a news release.

"We want our residents to have every opportunity to know what is going on within its government," said Broken Arrow Mayor Mike Lester in a news release. "By offering live online streaming, residents can watch in real-time the actions being taken by our council.

"It's another step we are taking in an effort to be transparent to our taxpayers."

After meetings, residents can use the playback option and indexed points that enable users to easily navigate through the meeting by the agenda items. According to the news release, other city meetings will be streamed in the future.

To access the system, visit www.tulsaworld.com/balivestream.

Read more from this Tulsa World article at http://www.tulsaworld.com/news/article.aspx?subjectid=318&articleid=20101206_318_0_BOEROT299296

City of Fort Worth's Municipal Channel Programming To Go Global Over the Internet

Tue, 07 Oct 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Fort Worth's Municipal Channel, which had been available only to local cable subscribers, goes global tomorrow when the programming begins streaming over the Internet from the city's Web site, FortWorthGov.org. The channel will be available online 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

In development for several months, the new service will be available in a "public beta" version to seek residents' feedback.

Initially, the service will offer the Municipal Channel's streaming webcast only. A video archive of City Council proceedings and meetings of select boards and commissions will be developed over the next few weeks. The video archive will offer on-demand viewing of available meetings. Additional programming produced for the Municipal Channel by Fort Worth Community Cable Television will also be added to the archive.

The archive of council and select committee meetings also will be available with interactive minutes, which will allow viewers to skip directly to agenda items and comments they want to see. This feature will work just like skipping to a "chapter" on a DVD.

Another convenience is the keyword search, which will allow viewers to find segments of recorded meetings where specific topics were discussed.

The webcasting effort was initiated by the Fort Worth City Council to offer residents and non-residents additional convenient access to information and an avenue to engage in local government and the programs offered by the city.

The service provides enhanced, cost-effective and quicker access to many public records by integrating digital video and documents. Plus, the system increases the efficiency of public meeting record-keeping, a responsibility of the City Secretary's Office, which will oversee administration of the service.

The system was implemented by the city's Community Cable Television Office, Communications Office and the Information Technology Solutions Department with assistance from San Francisco-based developer Granicus.

Port of Anacortes Streams Commission Meetings Online

Fri, 26 Mar 2010 00:00:00 GMT

The Port adds convenient accessibility to public meetings while improving transparency

Anacortes, WA - The Port of Anacortes increases transparency and access to public meetings by posting Commission meetings online, on-demand. This new service is available through a partnership with Skagit County and Granicus, Inc.

"We have been looking for a way to increase our transparency. Previously our meetings were aired on the local City of Anacortes Government Access Channel, Channel 10. However, Channel 10 does not serve everyone in the Port District," stated Port Executive Director Bob Hyde.

The Port of Anacortes Commission meetings are available through Skagit County's website (http://www.skagitcounty.net). On-demand recordings give citizens the flexibility to watch meetings on their own time from the location of their choice. To access archived Commission meeting videos, citizens simply need to click on "Miss a Show?" and they are directed to the County's archived listing page.

Port Commission President Keith Rubin stated, "We greatly appreciate the foresight of the County and Granicus to create a robust on-line streaming video system. Our Port Commission found that by partnering with Skagit County, we could very cost-effectively provide access to our meetings to our entire Port District."

Granicus, Inc. is the leading software-as-a-service provider of government transparency, public meeting efficiency, and citizen participation solutions in the U.S., webcasting more than 22 million public meetings with over 600 clients spanning all 50 states.

Contact
Port of Anacortes: Bob Hyde, Port Executive Director 360.299.1812
Granicus, Inc.: Aileen Horgan, Client Marketing Specialist 415-357-3618 x1753

Council Meetings Leap into Cyberspace

Fri, 05 Sep 2008 00:00:00 GMT

WINDHAM (Sep 5): Next week, one small click for computer users will mean one giant leap into cyberspace for the Windham Town Council.

For the first time ever, the Sept. 9 council meeting will not only be broadcast over the local cable access channel but also streamed live online through a link on the town Web site, www.windhamweb.com.

The new software, supplied through a contract with Granicus, a Florida-based streaming media firm, will cost the town around $14,000 for the first year and around $12,000 annually in the following years, said Town Manager Tony Plante.

The Granicus system will change the way council meetings are watched and recorded, and will give residents another way to keep track of how their town government is doing business, Plante said. It will also give Windham residents who do not receive public access Channel 7 an opportunity to view meetings live, he said.

"We have all these different ways for getting information out and providing access to the government process," said Plante. "This was just another way to broaden that."

The Granicus system does more than just stream the meeting video, Plante said. The software allows town officials to attach to the video the meeting agenda and other pertinent documents so that the viewer can follow along easily at home.

Also, once the meeting is over, Town Clerk Linda Morrell will archive the video on the town Web site, complete with any additional documents that were introduced during the meeting. Time stamps entered into the system by Morrell each time a new agenda item comes up will allow those viewing archived video to skip ahead, Morrell said.

"They can just click on it and go right to that part," she said. "If you're only interested in two articles, you're good to go."

The ease and convenience of online video will spur greater involvement by citizens in town government, said Carol Waig, chairwoman of the Town Council. VHS videos of the meetings are often in high demand at the Windham Public Library, Waig said, and by the time people get a copy, the issue in question may have already passed.

Also, she said, residents are often interested in only one agenda item, and don't want to waste their time sitting through a meeting for one short segment.

"No one wants to watch an entire meeting to see the one piece they want," Waig said.

The system will also save time for Morrell, who said it can take up to eight days to create detailed minutes of long council meetings, a duty that pulls her away from other aspects of her job. For $75 per hour of video, the meetings recorded by the Granicus software can be sent away for word-for-word transcription.

"It should save time writing minutes," said Plante. "It should increase the quality of the minutes. It should save (Morrell) a ton of time listening to meetings."

One of the reasons the Town Council supported the implementation of the Granicus software was the need for detailed minutes, Waig said. Councilors wanted their conversations written verbatim, she said.

"That's asking too much unless you have a court reporter in the room," she said.

The ability to transcribe the meetings will not preclude the town from having to hire a court reporter during hearings like those currently underway in the Town Council's review of Peter Busque's quarry application. In those cases which may end up scrutinized by the courts, it is preferable to have an objective third party in the room to record what is being said, Plante said.

The transcripts of the meetings can be inserted and synchronized with the video to give hearing-impaired residents an easier way to follow the proceedings, Plante said.

At first, only Town Council meetings and workshops will be streamed online, though Plante said the plan is to eventually extend the system to include other municipal meetings, such as those held by the Planning Board.

"We wanted to start with the basics," he said.

Webcasting Offers Window into Government

Mon, 04 Dec 2006 00:00:00 GMT

More municipalities use the technology to put public meetings and training videos online

As the 2006 election campaign season proved, the public turns to the Web for unfiltered government information, especially for candid video footage of federal officials. Local governments are now attempting to establish credibility with citizens and employees by creating online public records in video form.

Municipalities are Webcasting public meetings, firefighter training videos and other governmental communications. The idea is to offer a live window into government operations - and easy-to-use documentation for future reference.

Some people are suspicious of government entities, and the longer they take to answer questions, the more suspicious people grow, said Frank Clifton, county manager for Onslow County, N.C. The county began Webcasting public meetings live in August, and it also archives them online.

Now when someone is concerned about something the county government discussed or voted on, "I can go in and pull up that meeting and let them see it for themselves," Clifton said.

He chose to outsource hosting and archival operations to Granicus, a streaming media service provider. Since 1999, Granicus has been catering specifically to local governments. Those governments often do not have enough bandwidth to meet multiple requests from developers, lawyers, the media and agency employees.

Webcasting "creates a public record for us. The written minutes are there alongside of the video" in a word processing document, Clifton said. "It facilitates records management and responding to requests for information. We just refer lawyers to the Internet."

To generate and manage the Webcasts in-house, Onslow County would have needed to develop complex synchronization software and distribute video files to Web users. That would have cost hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Clifton said the costs would have outweighed the benefits, whereas the cost of Granicus' quick and easy service was justifiable. The upfront fee was about $26,000. The monthly fee for the service is $1,100.

With the software platform, Clifton can transmit a video, tape, CD or DVD one time to a secure facility at a Granicus site in San Francisco.

Granicus' San Francisco site distributes and stores the content to reduce the strain on Onslow County's bandwidth. No user traffic flows over the local government's Internet connection. This is all invisible to users, who get access to the content directly from the Onslow County Web site.

In Long Beach, Calif., just a handful of streaming requests could bring down the city's entire Internet connectivity, said Long Beach officials, who now use Granicus.

Local governments are also taking advantage of multimedia tools to communicate better internally.

Tom Spengler, Granicus' chief executive officer, said 15 percent of the company's work involves streaming videos of training programs and intragovernmental communications internally to private government Web sites. The distribution process works the same way it does to conserve bandwidth for public Web sites.

Berkeley, Calif., has eliminated the need to repeat retirement benefits classes four times a year by posting a single video on the city's intranet. New city employees can watch whenever they want and immediately download the necessary forms via links on the video's Web page.

The company also gives customers the option of storing their material on Granicus' servers longer than the standard 12 months. When Sacramento County, Calif., needed to store sensitive content, it purchased multiple storage vaults and applied security controls to the vaults that contain the sensitive material.

The system can restrict access to only authorized password holders or authorized IP ranges.

"Security is always becoming a bigger and bigger factor in what our customers want to do," Spengler said.

With Granicus, the files are recorded in Windows Media format and automatically indexed, he said. Government officials and citizens can search the archive by resolution number, date or keyword and go straight to the video segments they want to watch.

Hattiesburg City Council Chamber gets a facelift

Tue, 18 Oct 2011 00:00:00 GMT

Hattiesburg, MS (WDAM) - As you walk into the Hattiesburg City Council Chambers, you will probably find yourself distracted by the 60 inch TV screens or the computer monitors at each seat.

From bottom to top this room has been redecorated and renovated, but Vice President of the City Council, Dave Ware says the change was about more than appearances.

"We looked at this room and found that it was time for us to update the room. To provide some those 21st century electronics that people are certainly use to today," said Ware.

These electronics will allow the people of Hattiesburg to have full access to its city government.

"We are trying to provide a more open form of government. An open access government that allows people to search online for agendas, to listen to and actually view the votes that are occurring," said Ware.

This can all be done through the city's new system called Legistar. You can view meetings in real time, and search for city records.

"That system will allow, as we get all our documents scanned, people to do word searches. They can actually do a real time search of that. Get the information provided to them at the comfort of their home at their PC, then they can provide us feedback if they so choose through our e-mails, or here at these newly renovated chambers," said Ware.

Ware added the online capabilities allow them to be a "paperless" government which benefits the city financially.

"If we can now stop the reams of paper that each of us get every two weeks delivered to our homes, and save the money on those , the printers and the fuel to get those to us. That provides us more money to go out and do things like: patch streets, pave streets, fix water leaks and other things that people expect the city government to do," said Ware.

Ware says the chambers dedication was 25 years ago, and he hopes these changes will last another 25 years.

Source
WDAM - Channel 7

Maricopa City Council Sees Success in Paperless Meeting Pilot Program

Thu, 12 Jan 2012 00:00:00 GMT

Maricopa, Ariz. (Jan. 12, 2012) - In spring 2011, the Maricopa City Council, in an effort to reduce paper waste while increasing mobility and information access, took part in an innovative beta testing program that utilized the use of iPads and an app called iLegislate. The program sought to reduce paper agendas and supporting documentation during City Council meetings and work sessions.

"We wanted to take full advantage of the latest innovation in government technology to save natural and financial resources while providing our Council members a more convenient and efficient way to view agendas and prepare for meetings," said Mayor Tony Smith. "The iLegislate iPad app allowed us to do this and much more. Our Council members were excited to be one of the first municipalities to test the new software."

iLegislate is a free iPad app that allows government officials to access agenda data in the iPad for taking notes, marking follow-up tasks as well as reducing printing costs associated with agenda packet production.

The results have shown the beta test to be a success. Prior to taking this paperless approach, Maricopa spent thousands of dollars annually just on paper and printer supplies. There were additional costs, such as hardware attrition and maintenance as well as personnel needed to assemble and distribute the agenda packets. Since its participation in the beta test, Maricopa has seen those costs reduced, while functionality has been enhanced: automatic data updates, note-taking, bookmark organization, extended agenda item details, and access to streaming video related to agenda items.

"Maricopa's paperless initiative is to be commended and we are proud to stand behind it. With iLegislate, Maricopa has more than just removed paper waste; the Maricopa City Council has created a more efficient government for its constituency," said Tom Spengler, CEO of Granicus, the creators of iLegislate. The City of Maricopa also uses Granicus technology to broadcast their public meetings online and to automate meeting minutes and agenda creation. iLegislate is just one more way for the city to improve legislative efficiencies and respond faster to citizens.

Press Contacts:

LaTricia Woods, Public Information Officer, City of Maricopa, 520-316-6816, latricia.woods@maricopa-az.gov

Lauren Alexander, Director of Corporate Communications, Granicus, 415-357-3618x1788, lauren@granicus.com

Surprise gets perfect score for "transparency, openness" from Sunshine Review

Thu, 01 Apr 2010 00:00:00 GMT

Surprise AZ - The City of Surprise web site, www.surpriseaz.gov, has received a perfect score from Sunshine Review, a nonprofit organization dedicated to state and local government transparency. Surprise becomes one of only 16 state and municipal sites from around the country to be awarded a perfect score.

"Our web site is an important tool in achieving the City Council's goal of transparency, openness and access to city government," says Interim City Manager George Kolb. "All of us are very proud of the steps taken to make access and transparency easier for our residents, and we appreciate being recognized for it."

Sunshine Review noted the availability of city financial information, such as the innovative "It's Your Money" page, among the reasons for the perfect score. "It's Your Money" is a searchable site, supported by the Communications, Information Technology and Finance Departments, that includes bids/proposals, contracts, a "Stimulus" tracker, and regularly updated city expenditure and revenue reports.

It also cited the availability of the city's 2009 financial audit, City Council agendas and the ability to watch meetings live or on demand via Granicus, a custom software application.

"We are dedicated to making access to information even easier," says Kolb. Since the perfect score was achieved, Kolb says the city has added a Google-driven search engine to the site, producing fast and more accurate search results, and a newly designed home page which features a "Contact/Connect" button that makes it simpler for residents to contact elected officials or get updated city news.

Sunshine Review collects and shares transparency information and uses a "10-point Transparency Checklist" to evaluate the content of every state and more than 5,000 local government web sites.

As of April 1, the city's web site is no longer .com, but .gov to better align with how government sites are branded.

Contact
Diane Arthur-Grialou
Public Information Officer
623.222.1422
diane.arthur@surpriseaz.gov

Martin County Commission Meetings a Mouse Click Away

Thu, 12 Oct 2006 00:00:00 GMT

STUART - Forget about sitting through an eight-hour meeting to hear the Martin County Commission's latest plans.

Residents can now see, hear and read only the agenda items they want with the click of a mouse.

On Tuesday, software company Granicus Inc. implemented ? a $44,000 live audio- and video-streaming program, which links footage to agenda text for same-day access.

"We started as live streaming only, and now it's content on demand. We're now using it in full force - live," said Chris Rynders, southeast regional director for Granicus. "The goal was to create an integrated public recording that links with the minutes and audio-video components."

The indexing system means a user need only scroll or click on the agenda item for the video to skip to that place in the broadcast.

But the system it isn't available in real time.

"It takes about two hours for the program to download after the meeting," said Matt Honeycutt, who is training county staff to use the program this week.

While the audio and video agenda items will be available for viewing the same day, the minutes will have to be approved by the commission before being published on the Web.

The county already broadcasts its meetings on public access cable channel MCTV and makes the live video stream available on its home page.

The technology could soon make the county's $5 tape recordings of the meetings obsolete.

"We can give citizens a CD. It's much more cost effective. The cost of a CD is 2-3 cents apiece," Honeycutt said.

Now that the streaming video is fully operational, other content could soon be added, Rynders said.

"Any audio or video the county captures for MCTV - training videos, like emergency evacuation - will be able to be put on there and archived," Rynders said.

CEO Ellis Announces Video Streaming

Fri, 26 Feb 2010 00:00:00 GMT

Twenty-four hour access to DCTV, Channel 23 now offered on-line

Decatur, GA - DeKalb County CEO Burrell Ellis recently announced a new medium DeKalb stakeholders can access to remain connected to county government. The county website now offers 24-hour media streaming of DeKalb County Television (DCTV), Channel 23.

By visiting www.yourdekalb.com or www.dekalbcountyga.gov and clicking the "DCTV" link, visitors to the county's website will be able to view DCTV's live media stream or DeKalb County's video on demand, including regular commission meetings and CEO Ellis' 2010 State of the County address.

"I am excited about this new media streaming technology and hope it will help many more people connect with DeKalb County government while we continue to improve customer service," said CEO Ellis. "This is the first of many initiatives planned to utilize technology and broadcasting to further our commitment to all of DeKalb County's stakeholders."

Webcasting now provides the ability to connect with a much larger citizen population. Previously, DCTV viewership was limited due to geographic location and cable service provider. Now, anyone with internet access (high-speed or dial-up) can view DCTV's programming, including emergency announcements and various productions highlighting government policies, services, and activities.

Regarding the new live media stream and video on demand, DeKalb County Chief Information Officer Darrell T. Black said, "CEO Ellis' dedication to utilizing technology to invest in the lives of DeKalb citizens promises to build a premiere Cyber Center in DeKalb County. We look forward to further informing, educating, and enhancing the lives of those who live, work, and play in DeKalb."

Anaheim Launches Live Access to City Council Meetings via Streaming Video

Mon, 10 Jul 2006 00:00:00 GMT

Beginning tomorrow, Anaheim residents can view City Council meetings from the comfort of their own home or anywhere they have access to the internet. Working with San Francisco-based Granicus, streaming video of Anaheim City Council meetings now will be available from the city's Web site.

"As I proposed at my State of the City speech earlier this year," said Anaheim Mayor Curt Pringle, "at every opportunity we are moving closer to creating 21st Century City Hall, where City Hall is open for business 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, whether you come downtown, or sit in a city park accessing the citywide wireless network on your laptop. With Granicus and our new EarthLink wireless network, Anaheim residents can now watch decisions being made that affect their daily lives from anywhere in the city."

Regularly-scheduled Anaheim City Council meetings will be aired live on Tuesday evenings at approximately 5 p.m. Each meeting then will be posted online along with an accompanying Council agenda about two hours after the conclusion of each meeting. Past meetings will be archived and searchable so that people can locate a specific item of interest and watch that item being addressed by the City Council.

The city's cable channel, ACTV-3, will continue to air the most recent City Council meetings for those who prefer a more traditional viewing format.

Supreme Court to Go-Live Online

Wed, 15 Sep 2010 00:00:00 GMT

Little Rock, AK - The state Supreme Court will begin this week streaming live video of oral arguments to its website, the court announced Tuesday.

Use of the technology will allow people from around the state and the world to watch attorneys argue their cases before Arkansas' highest court without making a trip to the capital city.

"We are committed to provide a greater access to justice and to facilitate a better understanding of the judiciary," Chief Justice Jim Hannah said during a news conference at which the new technology was used to stream video of the announcement live to the Internet.

Hannah appeared from the state Supreme Court with his six fellow justices. Gov. Mike Beebe, state Court of Appeals judges, lawyers and others viewed the webcast in another room at the Criminal Justice Center.

The video streaming will begin Thursday when the court convenes at 9 a.m.

Along with showing oral arguments live, the video will be archived and available for people to access any time, Hannah said.

Justice Robert Brown suggested that maybe the U.S. Supreme Court should take the Arkansas high court's lead and also go online.

Stephanie Harris, communications counsel for the state Supreme Court, said the system will receive its first big test at the end of the month with arguments in Damien Echols' appeal of his death sentence in the 1993 murders of three West Memphis boys.

Harris said technicians plan to free up bandwidth in anticipation of the demand. She said she has received telephone calls from around the world from people wanting to see the oral arguments, which are scheduled for Sept. 30.

Echols, Jason Baldwin and Jessie Misskelley were convicted in the murders of 8-year-olds Christopher Byers, Michael Moore and Stevie Branch. Baldwin and Misskelley each received life sentences.

In August, Pearl Jam singer Eddie Vedder, Natalie Maines of the Dixie Chicks and actor Johnny Depp headlined a benefit concert in Little Rock in support of the men known as the West Memphis Three.

They and their supporters claim police and prosecutors used the defendants' fondness of heavy metal music to label them as Satanists and obtain a conviction with no physical evidence.

The case has gained international attention over the years - there have been two HBO documentaries - and renewed interest has been generated by attorneys for the convicted who have offered what they say is new DNA and forensic evidence in the case.

Harris said it cost about $51,000 to equip the Supreme Court for live streaming video and another $41,000 for the computer software, hardware and professional services from Granicus Inc. of San Francisco, the same firm that installed the live streaming system used by the state House of Representatives.

Granicus also is to be paid $20,665 annually to manage the system, Harris said.

Source
Arkansas News Bureau
Rob Moritz
http://www.swtimes.com/news/article_80276766-c0d4-11df-bcfd-001cc4c002e0.html

City Councils Consider Webcasting

Tue, 17 Jan 2006 00:00:00 GMT

VICTOR VALLEY - From streaming video and audio to downloadable programming, the Internet is changing the face of communications.

Cities are increasingly streaming their city council meetings to keep the public informed. But most Victor Valley cities have been slow to catch on. Locally, Apple Valley is the only city that offers streaming video of Town Council meetings, while Victorville and Hesperia say the issue is not a bad idea, but it had never been brought up before.

Web streaming allows for live access from the comfort of home - or anywhere.

For many companies, Web streaming has become the technology of choice because it is easily accessible and its Webcasting costs are minimal.

Apple Valley Councilman Bob Sagona said that since approving live streaming in mid-2005, a growing number of residents have started using the system.

"It was a no-brainer to approve this technology because we saw the value of the program," he said. "I think this is the future and we will see many more cities install this technology very soon," Sagona added.

According to Granicus, Inc., the firm the town has contracted to stream over the Internet, the Apple Valley Web site has received 12,000 requests for streaming video since it became available.

The interest motivated town officials to also stream all Planning Commission meetings.

"If you are a business in China waiting to get approval from our commission, you can watch it live through the Internet and that is a great advantage we have over other cities."

At the time of signing with Granicus, Apple Valley spent $22,000 for initial set up. The town also pays a yearly fee of $9,000 for storage, hosting and operating expenses.

"We serve over 100 cities and we are seeing more demand for our service," Granicus representative Pablo Gonzalez said from San Francisco.

Aside from live Webcasting, Apple Valley's site also allows users to access archived meetings and go to specific agenda items.

Gonzalez said his company has reached out to cities like Hesperia, Adelanto, and Victorville, but no interest had been expressed from officials.

Victorville Mayor Mike Rothschild said that broadcasting City Council meetings online has not been discussed with city staff.

"It's a matter of three or more people in the council being for it," Rothschild said. "There is no policy requiring us to (Webcast), but that said, times change and that could be a different way to give access to the community."

Hesperia Mayor Tad Honeycutt considered the price of setting up a Web stream very reasonable.

"This could help us to reach people who cannot attend our meetings and I think once our new City Hall is completed (in the fall), we could discuss the idea to set up a system in Hesperia," he said.

Victorville Councilman Bob Hunter agreed that the issue needs to be discussed, but, personally, he would prefer to keep things the way they are.

"I would prefer the public got more involved. If they can sit and watch television, they can get in their cars and come to our meetings," he said.

Another concern for Hunter is about some residents grandstanding because of the presence of cameras.

"We are in an age of technology and this issue will have to be discussed soon," Hunter added.

Williamsburg Improves Citizen Engagement through Enhanced Online Video of Meetings

Tue, 08 Mar 2011 00:00:00 GMT

Williamsburg, VA - The City of Williamsburg has launched new webcasting technology to keep constituents informed and engaged in important policy decisions with improved access through its website to live and archived streaming of City Council, Planning Commission and any other public meetings that are broadcast. This new service, Open Platform and Government Transparency Suite, is available through the city's partnership with Granicus, the leading provider of webcasting solutions for government.

Residents can now review agendas and minutes posted alongside the video player, and archived meetings are indexed, allowing viewers to select agenda items that interest them instead of watching a meeting in its entirety. Videos are key-word searchable and available as MP3 (audio) and MP4 (video) downloads. Viewers can also share videos over popular social networking sites as well as copy and embed portions of a meeting, or an entire video, through the player itself.

"The City has offered live streaming and archived video for the past 5 years, but we are constantly looking for ways to enhance customer service for greater citizen engagement and transparency," said Mark Barham, Director of Information Technology. "This new technology dramatically improves our streaming media capabilities and makes it so much easier for citizens to participate in the policy making process."

Anyone with access to the internet can view live and archived meetings by visiting the city's website: http://www.williamsburgva.gov/emeetings. A link to emeetings is also available on the City's home page, www.williamsburgva.gov and www.williamsburgva.gov/publicmeetings

The new video streaming service is part of a continuing effort by the City to use technology to improve customer service and communications. In March 2010, responding to analytics that showed an increase in the number of users accessing the City website from their smart phones, the City created a mobile-optimized version of the website which is easier to read and navigate on the smaller screen. In August 2010, the City launched CITY411, a text messaging system to enable residents to report a municipal service need from their text-enabled cell phone. The City also has a Facebook page and twitter account (@WilliamsburgGov).

The service through Granicus is free of charge through April 2011, and then will cost $600/month and allow unlimited meetings.

# # #

The City of Williamsburg, Virginia (www.williamsburgva.gov), established in 1699, is home to two internationally renowned institutions, the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation (www.colonialwilliamsburg.com), who operates the world's largest outdoor living museum; and the College of William and Mary (www.wm.edu), the second oldest college in the United States.

Computer Users Now See Meetings on Web

Sun, 13 Nov 2005 00:00:00 GMT

MIDLAND - The future has arrived at Midland City Hall.

Thanks to $20,000-plus worth of high-tech gadgets, residents can view City Council meetings and those of other boards and commissions via streaming video on the Internet.

All it takes is a couple of mouse clicks for computer users to watch in real time or at their leisure from an archive, said Selina Tisdale, city clerk.

"This is one more way citizens can be informed about local government. City government is now closer to Midland citizens," she said.

Streaming video started last week with Tuesday's Planning Commission meeting. Monday's City Council meeting will become that body's first session available in streaming video.

Web users need a broadband connection to the Internet such as DSL, cable modem or other high-speed connection, Tisdale said. Users with dial-up connections will receive an audio-only stream.

Midland is one of the few cities in the state to offer the streaming function, officials said. The city has tested the system for the past month to "work out the bugs," said Assistant City Manager Jack Duso.

"The new service meets a top goal of City Council members, which has been to make local government more accessible to citizens. We are excited to be on the cutting edge of the technology," said City Manager Karl Tomion.

The council approved the move at its July 25 meeting.

The city bought a streaming video system for $17,950 and a dedicated server for $3,400 from Granicus Inc. of San Francisco. The system costs $700 a month to maintain, or $8,400 per year. The first year is included in the initial cost.

Streaming video is a digital version of sights and sounds that is sent, or streamed, over the Internet in compressed form in real time for computer viewing. A viewer does not have to wait for a large file to download. The video plays as it arrives at a computer.

Duso said the city picked Granicus as the vendor because the company provides an indexing feature that allows people to search by agenda items, such as public comments or new business.

"Another feature is a keyword search capability allowing one to search all archived meetings. If someone wanted to know about the Civic Arena, they could use keyword Fast Ice Drive and (view) all meetings where that is mentioned," she said.

The public won't reap the benefits alone, Tisdale said.

"This will help the staff be more efficient. When I have questions about the minutes, I had to wait for a video from the cable channel. Now, I can access the archived meeting right from my desk," she said.

Videos will remain in the archive for a year. The system is accessible at any time of the day or night.

Tisdale said the new service is compatible with most computers, including those running Microsoft Windows and Macintosh software. Streaming video requires a recent version of Internet Explorer, Safari or Netscape Navigator. One must have Windows Media Player 9 or above to view the video.

To access streaming video, go to the city's Web site at www.midland-mi.org. Click on the streaming video link in the right-hand column on the home page and choose from current and archived meetings.

People eventually will find streamed versions of meetings of the Aviation Advisory Commission, Cable Access Advisory Commission, Downtown Development Authority, Library Board, Parks and Recreation Commission, Planning Commission, West Main Street Historic District Commission and Zoning Board of Appeals.

All of these panels advise the council.

For more information, call the city manager's office at 837-3301 or try the Web site.

La Habra Heights puts council on the Internet

Fri, 20 Feb 2009 00:00:00 GMT

"Live from La Habra Heights: It's Thursday night"?

With Councilwoman Tela Millsap's words began a new way for residents and others to watch City Council meetings.

Instead of having to go there in person or wait for cable television to air a tape of the meeting, all you now have to do is get on the Internet and listen and watch.

Or you can go online the next day or later and call up each agenda item separately.

La Habra Heights is one of 37 cities in Los Angeles County that broadcasts its meetings over the Internet.

This Thursday's meeting will be the fifth one broadcast on the Internet since the service began in November.

"What we're doing is giving the people in the community a chance to view us live," City Manager Shauna Clark said. "On playback, people can go specifically to the items they want to look at."

The city's Web site, http://ci.la-habra-heights.ca.us/, also provides the agenda reports as part of the service it purchased from Granicus.

The latter will save people time and money from having to get copies from City Hall, Clark said.

The city spent $13,462 to buy the service and pays $8,996 annually to run it.

Millsap said she is finding some people prefer watching the meeting on the Internet.

"They can stay if they don't want to come and sit on the cold, hard chairs," she said.

Millsap even watched one meeting on the Internet when she was out of town.

Although meetings are televised on cable on a tape-delayed basis, Mayor Stan Carroll said not everyone has cable.

"Many residents are switching to satellite television which doesn't carry any of the city's meetings," Carroll said.

Not everyone is totally satisfied.

George Edwards, who is a council candidate and attends most meetings, said the Internet broadcast can be difficult to use.

"It's not perfect, but it is a step in the right direction," Edwards said. "It requires a fairly sophisticated computer and a high-speed connection."

Village of Lombard to Increase Open Government and Legislative Efficiency Online

Wed, 04 Jan 2012 00:00:00 GMT

The Village of Lombard just implemented a new software system that will make the legislative management process more efficient, transparent, and will cut numerous costs.

This project is a significant step in Lombard's budget reduction and open government initiatives.
"As a government unit, it is our responsibility to our residents that we become more efficient, eliminate waste and provide increasingly better services. What we've achieved here is the next step in becoming a smarter and more responsive government for our citizens," said Lombard Village President, William Mueller. "By automating our internal processes, we are able to automate open government. The public research tools now available on our website provide all of Lombard's business, including all legislation, its entire history with all votes at every stage as well as supporting documentation," he added.

Lombard's new solution will save time, for example, with tasks such as introducing, managing, and tracking legislation through the democratic process. With the new software, tasks such as creating meeting agendas, routing approvals, or generating minute records will require less redundancy, paper, and printing costs. At the same time, the system includes an online research center to make current and historic legislation including staff reports, minutes, and video easy to access.

"The change to the new software will assist us with the transparency of the Village and open government," added Mueller.

Anyone interested in accessing the information on the Village website, www.villageoflombard.org, is directed to the purple tab in the lower middle of the home page entitled, "Agendas & Minutes."

http://www.villageoflombard.org/CivicAlerts.aspx?AID=813

Westlake City Council Meetings Go High-Tech

Thu, 09 Mar 2006 00:00:00 GMT

Is the daunting drive to Westlake City Hall hindering you from attending council meetings? Are you out of town and desperate to know if the latest hot topic was approved?

Not to worry, the Westlake Village City Council meetings will soon be a mouse click away.

In an effort to meet the goal of enhancing communication with Westlake residents, the city council unanimously approved a proposed agreement with Granicus Inc. to incorporate streaming video of council meetings onto the city's website at www.wlv.org.

San Francisco-based Granicus Inc. is the leading provider of web streaming and archiving services for local municipalities. The company serves more than 100 city governments, including Calabasas, Thousand Oaks and Moorpark.

The new partnership will allow residents to view live broadcasts of council meetings over the Internet, as well as search archived meetings by date and content. Internet viewers will be able see the meeting, agenda items and associated minutes in tandem.

Residents interested in researching a particular topic discussed at council meetings will be able to type in a keyword and be directed to the exact point in the meeting when the topic was referenced.

If individuals are interested in learning about water in Westlake, instead of viewing hours of tape, they can type "water" onto the website and be cued to the exact point in the meeting the issue was discussed.

The new web streaming service comes at a one-time installation cost of $19,418 and a monthly service charge to the city of $900.

It will take 60 days to install the equipment. The service should be operational by May, officials said.