They walk. They talk. They run the county.
Coming soon to a webcast near you: Skip Alston, Billy Yow and all the rest of your Guilford County political favorites.
The county wants to buy computer gear that allows video of county meetings to be broadcast online. If commissioners approve the $75,000 web services contract next week, searchable meeting minutes, agendas and videos would be available, too.
Government diehards have been watching the commissioners for years on the local-government access channel, but this would be the first time the board's meetings would be broadcast on the Internet.
Greensboro has a similar system. So do Mecklenburg, Onslow and other North Carolina counties.
If the commissioners approve the contract, the meetings could be online by September.
Comments (5)
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I want to know what corporation/technology is behind this. $75k? Sheesh. Waste.
What's even more stupid is that the technology itself only uses Windows Media Player. Meaning anyone with a Mac? Sorry... you're out of luck. Everything else is in pdf format (agenda/minutes/etc).
I bet you could do it for $50k... actually, no, I know I can do it for $50k. If you're not purchasing cameras, then even less. Pure waste of tax payer money.
Can you find a breakdown of the cost?
Posted on June 6, 2006 5:13 PM
The company is Granicus, Inc. They're out of San Francisco. I'll try to find a cost breakdown.
Posted on June 6, 2006 5:32 PM
Is this any more complex than digitizing the TV feed and streaming it? Are there any ongoing costs after the $75K is spent? And why isn't a local (Triad-wide) company doing it -- was it put out to bid?
Posted on June 7, 2006 7:14 AM
Verbatim from the draft agenda for the meeting (more info will be available later this week):
"Approve contract with Granicus, Inc. for live web streaming services and meeting archives for Guilford County. Will create searchable archives of board meeting videos, agendas, summaries and minutes to improve internal and external access to board information. Contract includes MediaManager software including Minutesmaker software for clerk's office and one-time computer hardware purchase to support the Granicus system."
The contract was not put out to bid. According to clerk to board Effie Varitimidis, Granicus received high marks from other N.C. governments that use it. She said the service was created for local government with a focus on the clerk's office, which keeps minutes, agendas and other records.
For the video archives, residents will be able to click on the agenda item they want to watch, and the video will take them directly to that part of the meeting.
The cost for the service has changed from the amount released yesterday on the draft agenda. A final number isn't ready yet, but it currently stands between $60,000 and $70,000, Varitimidis said.
Posted on June 7, 2006 10:45 AM
Sounds like all software and a computer. So they're not even doing the audio system or videos? Amusing. Another waste of taxpayer funds imho. If you're going to broadcast it, broadcast in a non-DRM form. The point of government is to reach the maximum number of constituents, not go out and spend their money because the other governments use it also.
I'd be curious as to who the technical contact is that recommended this. I'm not saying Granicus doesn't do a good job. I'm saying that it's an expense that is not needed and the money can go elsewhere for other more useful things. If the County has an excess of $70k, then shouldn't it be used to further other means?
Also, I'm sure Granicus holds licensing agreements. I'd be curious as to what the "license renewal" rate is. If no one bothers to find out ongoing fees, there is a good chance the taxpayers will be tacked with some crazy $10,000 a year license for this software.
Posted on June 13, 2006 12:09 PM