Friday, May. 16, 2008

Council Chambers Get Digital Upgrade

By Nicholas Sakelaris

Staff Writer

The Southlake City Council meetings are going digital.

Over the next few weeks, the cameras, microphones and speakers in the council chambers will be replaced with new digital technology. The upgrade will allow the city to broadcast the meetings live on television and eventually put the meetings on the Web site, said Gary Gregg, manager of information resources.

At its May 6 meeting, the City Council approved hiring XTG Inc to upgrade the audio/visual equipment in the council chambers.

The $104,533 upgrade will add a new camera, but the majority of the upgrades will be behind the scenes, Gregg, said.

The current analog system is about eight years old and breaks down often, Gregg noted. The modern digital technology will enable the city to use more graphics and make a better presentation on television, Gregg said.

The meeting could also be broken down into segments on the Web site so people could re-watch a discussion or vote from a specific agenda item.

The upgrade is expected to take two or three months and will not interfere with council meetings.