initiatives
By Scott McAfee, Chief Communications & Marketing Officer
City of New Albany Enhances Online Meeting Experience
18
decisions. The initial system the City of New Albany installed for viewing public meetings from home was functional, but neither the sound nor the video quality was optimal, and viewers were not able to fast forward to a specific item of interest when they watched recorded meetings. A year ago, in April 2021, city staff began researching alternative software packages that would make remotely watching city meetings a better overall experience. Ultimately, the staff chose Swagit Productions to enhance the viewer experience of public meetings from the comfort and convenience of their own homes. Though we looked at several video and streaming options, including purchasing and fixing a wide-
The City of New Albany offers a streaming service to watch City Council meetings.
angle camera in place and shooting our own videos, we chose Swagit because: It offers a remote camera operator. It provides an agenda integration of specific items so viewers can skip forward to their desired item of interest. Sister communities who already tried the services provided enthusiastic recommendations of the product. Swagit’s webcasting feature is compatible with multiple platforms including Apple, Android and other popular devices. Residents and other members of the public can now watch the meetings, either live or archived, while on the go through four HD cameras installed in the New Albany’s Council chambers that are www.healthynewalbanymagazine.com
Photo courtesy of City of New Albany
T
he City of New Albany now offers a streaming service for constituents to either watch live or archived meetings for the City Council, city board and city commission. Even better, the technology being utilized now has functionality that allows those watching archived meetings to fast forward quickly and easily to whatever item interests them. Transparency in governmental operations and the ability to easily obtain public information are fundamental hallmarks of good government. Particularly after COVID-19, when people couldn’t attend public meetings in person, it became even more important for governmental entities to provide alternative ways to access elected leaders’
