Should Hamilton County stream its government meetings?
NOBLESVILLE, Ind (WISH) – There’s debate in Hamilton County, whether debates should be broadcast online.
Right now, you can view Fishers council meetings online, but if you’re looking at Hamilton County, you’re out of luck.
With a $140 million budget, councilor Rick McKinney wants to add live streaming.
“I think in the year 2016, we’re in the 21st century,” McKinney said. “So much is on the internet, and so much is on TV, radio. My question is, why not?”
To find out, we asked Commissioner President Steve Dillinger. “I don’t know how it would be any (more) transparent if we recorded the council meetings,” Dillinger said. “I don’t have a big objection to it, but I do need to see the benefit/cost factors in it.”
There are cameras in the county chambers, however commissioners say they wouldn’t be sufficient. To set up a web service would cost thousands of dollars.
For start-up, camera, and operation, Dillinger said it would cost $22,400 for the first year. And $14,400 each year after.
In Fishers, it uses an IT employee to record, and posts meetings to YouTube for free, where it generates about 15 views.
While it may not generate a ton of views, some neighbors believe the accountability should be added.
“It would get whole county involved with them,” Noblesville resident Kendrick Weatherspoon said. “So we don’t have to figure out, what are they doing next? What are they doing now? So we will know what they’re going to do.”
“I just don’t think it’s that interesting to most people,” Noblesville resident Kelly Landrey said. “It’s just something people wouldn’t watch, I don’t think.”
Audience isn’t the only concern. Dillinger questions if things inside the room would change, with cameras recording.
“I hope that kind of thing would not happen, but you’re always susceptible to that,” Dillinger said.
“I think that’s probably one of the most juvenile things to think of and say, because it’s a smoke screen,” McKinney said.
The council voted six to one last month to allow streaming but they don’t have any authority to add it. As for the commissioners, they do, and they plan to discuss it before the end of the month.
The council’s goal is to have meetings streamed online by October.