Selectmen Agree to Post Audio Files of Meetings

While a proposal for live Internet streaming and archiving of meetings was defeated at a recent meeting, the Board of Selectmen did agree Wednesday to move forward with an idea to post audio files on the Internet.

At the meeting, Selectman Bruce Lockwood, who had strongly advocated the live streaming, said he asked Chief Administrative Office Robert Skinner to look into posting the audio files that are recorded at the meetings.

“I’m trying to find out if we can take the audio tape and push it up,” Lockwood said.

Lockwood said that while he had hoped for the Internet video streaming, archiving the audio would at least give people a chance to hear the meetings, especially important with the complexities behind some of the issues.

“I would like us to at least put something up, so people can be more informed,” Lockwood said.

Skinner said he looked into the issue and the only concern was overwhelming the bandwidth of the town’s website.

However, the town should easily be able to use another Web hosting site to store the files and link to them from the town’s site, Skinner said. The cost for such as service would be low – only about $5 a month.

Skinner said there is money in the budget, especially since $1,200 was put aside in the proposed 2011-2012 budget in anticipation that selectmen might approve live streaming. 

First Selectman Richard Barlow said his only concerns with the audio were quality and the fact that people may not always know who was speaking.

“We don’t always make it a habit of identifying ourselves,” Barlow said.

Other selectmen had questions about the audio, but Skinner and Selectman Marc Cerniglia said it’s a digital file that shouldn’t lose any quality.

“If the quality’s good, I make a motion to support Bruce’s proposal,” said Selectman David Gilcrhist.

Selectmen voted unanimously to go forward with the idea.