An August council meeting (Glenn Hicks/paNOW staff) 

By Alison Sandstrom

Council matters

P.A. city council ponders live streaming meetings

Oct 24, 2019 | 1:20 PM

Prince Albert city council is considering live streaming council meetings on their website, YouTube, and social media channels.

“For us to offer our residents access to what goes on in the council chambers is another way of getting closer and getting more residents engaged in the community,” Coun. Evert Botha said at this week’s meeting.

Currently meetings are broadcast on Shaw TV Channel 10, but residents without subscriptions are unable to access them.

“We need to open it up,” said Coun. Blake Edwards. “We need people engaged in the city and to be able to have those conversations by viewing what is talked about in council.”

Several councillors also voiced their approval for the idea on the basis that is could help them overcome what they see as unfair media coverage of council proceedings.

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“I’m responsible for the things I say, and I’m okay with that,” Coun. Ted Zurakowski said. “But when it’s cut and pasted in the media or it gets an inflammatory headline that has nothing to do with the content of the material, that’s certainly frustrating.”

“There is a huge bias I think,” said Coun. Dennis Ogrodnick. “And that way residents in our ward and our city will see exactly what we said, how we said it and the amount of participation that we have and it won’t be filtered through somebody’s eyes that isn’t always fair and accurate.”

paNOW and CKBI radio news, along with the local newspaper, regularly attend and report on city council meetings.

City staff will prepare a report on the cost and implementation of broadcasting the meetings online for council to review at the end of January, 2020.

alison.sandstrom@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @alisandstrom