Would You Watch Videos of Johnston School Board Meetings?

After much discussion and several votes, the  decided Monday to videotape work sessions and regular meetings.

The board approved a measure, 4 to 3, to videotape meetings once a policy has been developed and approved by the board. The equipment to record shall not exceed $10,000.

Mike Farrell, Deb Henry and Jill Morrill voted against the measure.

Farrell told the board he could not support the measure without knowing the quality of recordings that could be made.

Videotaping meetings came to light after board member John Dutcher asked March 26 that all meetings be recorded.

It was determined that Iowa law does not allowed closed meetings to be recorded.

Dutcher first made a motion at Monday's meeting to go forward with the recordings without a board policy, saying that the Ames and Iowa City school districts record meetings and have no policies in place guiding the practice.

Minutes from each board meeting will continue to be the document of record.

Dutcher said the videos could be used to give patrons a better idea of what is discussed at meetings, saying that meeting minutes are not adequate.

"If the minutes were adequate we wouldn't have … JEA in the back making minutes or constituents calling after the meeting," he said. 

Board member Jill Morrill said establishing a policy would show the community that the board is making the right decision, not that the members won't record meetings.

Board member Julie Walter said that with a bond issue looming in the fall that time was critical.

"We want the community to see what we have done," she said.

Eventually, it came down to cost and quality of video recordings.

School staff determined costs could be between $9,000 and $11,000 for a dome camera.

The matter will now be sent to the policy committee for review with the school's lawyers and the Iowa Association of School Board policy.