To: Board of Supervisors
From: Clerk of the Board
Agenda Section: Departmental
SUBJECT:
title
Update on Board Chambers Equipment Upgrade Project and In-Person Meetings
end
RECOMMENDATION(S):
Recommendation
That the Board of Supervisors:
1. Receive an update on the status of the project to upgrade the audio/video equipment in the Board Chambers and provide teleconferencing capabilities during live Board Meetings, and
2. Discuss whether to continue zoom only meetings for the Jan. 4 and Jan. 11, 2022 meetings while equipment installation and testing takes place, or hold in-person meetings with no zoom-in or PowerPoint presentation option for these two meetings.
Body
SOURCE OF FUNDING:
General Fund
DISCUSSION:
On Oct. 26, 2021 your Board voted to return to holding live Board Meetings beginning with the first meeting in January, 2022 and to pursue a hybrid option as soon as the equipment is available and installed.
Since that time, staff has been working with Access Humboldt, County Administrative Office - Information Technology Division, and Public Works - Facilities Maintenance to push forward the Board Chambers Upgrade project to accommodate a hybrid option for constituents to attend in-person and virtually. The current status of the project is as follows:
1. The sound system upgrade in the chambers is in progress and moving forward.
2. TV monitors have arrived and plans are in place to remove the old Smartboards from the chambers to allow for new wall mount brackets for the new TV monitors
3. New software, i.e. “Vote Cast” has been uploaded into Granicus and will allow for direct clerking and electronic voting on Board Member/Planning Commissioner devices in real time and will be viewable by the public on the new TV monitors. Please note: there will be some training necessary of Clerk staff, Planning staff as well as Board Members and Planning Commissioners on the use of Vote Cast during live meetings.
4. The new tricaster necessary to connect our Granicus signal to Access Humboldt which allows for streaming and TV broadcasting of live board meetings has arrived and will be installed the last week of December 27, 2021.
5. Staff anticipates that Stewart Communications will be installing the necessary cables and wiring to connect all of the above equipment, with the last piece of the project the week of Jan. 11, 2022
6. Training of Clerk/Planning Staff on “Vote Cast” is anticipated to happen the week of Jan. 17, 2022 as well as testing of all equipment with a projected live date of a fully functioning in-person/hybrid Board meeting on Jan. 25, 2022.
FINANCIAL IMPACT:
The financial impact to the General Fund is approximately $49,000 in equipment and materials, and is paid out of the Board of Supervisors budget (1100-101).
STRATEGIC FRAMEWORK:
This action supports your Board’s Strategic Framework by providing community-appropriate levels of service.
OTHER AGENCY INVOLVEMENT:
N/A
ALTERNATIVES TO STAFF RECOMMENDATIONS:
Board discretion
ATTACHMENTS:
N/A
PREVIOUS ACTION/REFERRAL:
Board Order No: N/A
Meeting of: N/A
File No: N/A