Videotape and Cablecast Policy
Purpose
To provide guidelines for the videotape and cablecast of local government meetings on the County’s Government Access Channel.
Policy
It shall be the policy of the Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) that the Communications Department will videotape and cablecast local government meetings to the public on the local cable television systems. These meetings will be scheduled for cablecast on the County’s Government Access Television Channel depending upon the time available on the channel.
Responsibilities
County Administrative shall apply the following priorities to determine which local government meeting will be cablecast live or taped for delayed cablecast; subject to the availability of staff.
- A. All regular, special, workshop and public hearing meetings of the BOCC.
- B. The meetings of other governing bodies with decision-making powers rather than advisory authority which are held in the Board Room and when the meeting:
- is of general interest to the public;
- has a minimal impact on the current operating budget; and,
- does not conflict with a scheduled BOCC meeting.
C. The meetings of governing or other public bodies with decision-making powers rather than advisory authority which are not held in the Board Room and when the meeting:
- is of general interest to the public; and
- costs are either shared with the County or reimbursed by the governing body.
D. The meetings of other public bodies with advisory authority which are not held in the Board Room and when the meeting:
- is of general interest to the public; and
- costs are either shared with the County or reimbursed by the governing body.
Local government meetings currently scheduled for live cablecast will be videotaped and rescheduled for tape-delayed cablecast when the BOCC deems a meeting of a higher priority should be cablecast live.
A request to videotape and cablecast meetings of authorities, agencies, boards, and committees established by Federal, State or Local Government authority shall be directed to the County Administrator.
The request will be reviewed by the Communications Department in the order received and a report will he submitted to the County Administrator for review and possible approval. The determination shall be based on, but not be limited to, the established priority, availability of staff, and estimated cost. If the request is approved, the meeting will be added to the current Government Access Television Schedule.
The following illustrates the priority ranking of current meetings videotaped and cablecast on the County’s Government Access Channel:
- The BOCC meetings that are held in the Board Room. (i.e. Board, Zoning, Land Excavation, Environmental Protection Commission, Workshop, Public Hearing, Special, etc.);
- The BOCC meetings that are not held in the Board Room. (i.e. Budget hearings, Town hall, etc.);
- The Legislative Delegation meetings that are held in the Board Room.
- The meetings of an Authority, Organization or Agency that is held in the Board Room and requires the participation of a County Commissioner. (i.e. Public Transportation, Expressway, Metropolitan Planning Organization, Port Authority, HARTLine, etc.);
- The Commission, Authority, Agency or other Board meetings that are not held in the Board Room and do not require the participation of a County Commissioner. (i.e. Planning Commission, etc.); and,
- Other governing body meetings that are held in the Board Room and do not require he participation of a County Commissioner. (i.e. Zoning Hearing Master).