The city of Warsaw will begin live streaming public meetings and offering on-demand archives this week.
Residents will be able to access city meetings from the comfort of their own home or while on the go using a mobile device, according to a news release from the city.
Initially, Board of Public Works and Safety meetings and Common Council meetings will be broadcast live online on the city’s website and YouTube Live.
Coverage will be expanded to include many other city boards and commissions in the near future.
The first scheduled meeting to live stream will be the Board of Public Works and Safety meeting that was rescheduled to Monday at 10:30 a.m.
To watch a city meeting, visit warsaw.in.gov/watchcitymeetings, or visit the city’s homepage and click on the “Watch City Meetings” button just below the search bar.
The public can also subscribe to our “City of Warsaw, IN” YouTube Channel for the same live streams and on-demand videos. YouTube Live also offers closed captions immediately following completion of a live meeting.
“With busy lives, we know that accessing city meetings and participating in local government can be a challenge for residents. We’ve been looking toward this goal for several years and really digging in deep the past year or so, exploring options,” said Staci Young, assistant to the mayor and the city’s technology coordinator.
“Online streaming was the most cost-effective means to providing this service, and it appeals to a larger group of people versus local cable access channels. We are excited to offer this service to residents, because it’s important that everyone be involved and learn about the issues at hand in our community. Transparency and participation are priorities to us,” Young said.
Online streaming services were researched by Young and Councilman Jack Wilhite. The city opted to use BoxCast for their streaming service based on features and affordability. BoxCast will maintain a rolling library of 365 days of on-demand video archives under Related Videos.
BoxCast’s technology detects how much bandwidth can be put through a user’s network and adjusts the stream accordingly, allowing for the best possible streaming experience, whether you’re on a high-speed internet connection or cellular data connection.
Audio and visual equipment was upgraded in the Council Chambers to support professional-quality sound and video. The upgrade also supported better in-house sound and hearing assistance devices for those attending meetings in person.
“This service will also allow us to eventually stream other important city events, press conferences and trainings. We will be able to leverage it in many other ways to increase engagement with residents and improve internal efficiency,” Young said.
The written, adopted and signed meeting minutes will still be the official record of all meetings. A calendar of all upcoming city meetings is available at warsaw.in.gov.
