City Council set to make TV debut

Published 8:10 am Friday, October 23, 2009

FRANKLIN—City Council members will make their television debut during the regularly scheduled Monday meeting, according to City Manager June Fleming.

Two cameras have been installed in the ceiling of council chambers at City Hall, and Monday’s televised meeting is the result of months of behind-the-scenes work.

“We’ve been working on this project since June,” said Cedric Pollard, who oversees the city’s information technology department.

City Council meetings will be shown live on the city’s PEG channel, available through Charter Communications cable channel 6 and replayed days later.

“They will be replayed later on that week or the next week,” Pollard said.

Operation of the cameras requires one person work to control them during meetings. Pollard said that the cameras have the capability to pan, tilt and zoom, “so we can hit every area of the chambers.”

Fleming said that funding for the new cameras was included in this year’s budget, and the city’s goal was to spend no more than $6,000 on the project.

The open session of Monday night’s meeting begins at 7 p.m.

Other public meetings in the city, like the School Board and Planning Commission meetings, may also be televised in the future.