Televise Council meetings?
August 24th, 2007 by 
Alica
The Brandon Valley School Board records its board meetings, which are televised on the local cable channel.
Should the Brandon City Council do the same? How about the Brandon Planning & Zoning Commission?
If the meetings were televised, would you watch them?
What, in your opinion, are the advantages or disadvantages of televising the City Council meetings?
Posted in Uncategorized | 
August 24th, 2007 at 3:27 pm
Yes.
August 24th, 2007 at 4:28 pm
YES!!!
August 24th, 2007 at 5:47 pm
When and what channel are the school board meetings on? I’d like to watch them once to see if it makes sense for the City council.
August 25th, 2007 at 4:17 am
Definetely!!!!!
August 25th, 2007 at 6:27 am
yes–but that school board meeting seems to be a gathering of a bunch of people that like to hear themselves talk
August 26th, 2007 at 6:52 pm
Yes, I think the public needs access to the meetings(all meetings). As our work and family committments make attending the meetings on a regular basis tougher this gives us options and is not what we want for ourselves and our town, options.
August 27th, 2007 at 11:45 am
Yes, I think its a great idea to have the council meetings televised. It would interesting to see if the council members agree…..
August 29th, 2007 at 12:21 pm
I think if people really want to know what is going on with city government, they would come to the meetings! It seems that people only come if it concerns them or their neighborhood.
August 29th, 2007 at 12:47 pm
#8, unfortunately some of us have to work for a living and can not make the 6pm meeting…so to accomodate everyone in the city televised is the only way…
August 30th, 2007 at 3:35 pm
Absolutely.
August 31st, 2007 at 6:53 am
With six kids I have to work too, but I make time for my family, my God, and my community.
If your job requires you to work after 6 pm., that is one thing.
I lived in a community that had televised council meetings, and I heard the same old, “Why didn’t they… why did they…” Complain and gripe, but no involvement. If you want to be part of it, be there!
August 31st, 2007 at 12:05 pm
You’re right, Dad of 6, there is no substitute for active participation. I recommend it to all residents. Go to at least one council meeting to find out what it’s like. Stop by City Hall sometime and introduce yourself.
I also am in favor of televising City Council meetings. So many times, I’ve heard people misinterpret what they hear over coffee. People jump to conclusions about facts because they haven’t heard them firsthand. If people caught even bits and pieces of Council meetings on television, they might have a better understanding of how government works. It might even make people more likely to attend a meeting occasionally.
There is a notice in today’s Argus (page 2A) that says the Sioux Falls City Council will stream their meetings live on the city Web site, beginning Tuesday. I do believe it is just a matter of time before City Councils everywhere will be doing the same.
I urge the Brandon City Council to seriously consider looking into recording and televising their meetings.
August 31st, 2007 at 1:26 pm
Alica,
Great points!! I think a big factor is the ability to see for yourself if the elected official is truly representing the community.
I know for myself personally that there were some pretty bad rumors going around Brandon about me prior to a schoolboard election. I wish that more viewers would have watched the meetings to verify or discredit the rumors for themselves.
I also will tell you numerous people mentioned that they watched the broadcast. Most commonly somebody was flipping channels who stayed to watch the meeting.
I am glad I was a part of the reason the schoolboard televises their meetings.
September 4th, 2007 at 7:14 am
Sioux Falls will be doing them via internet feed. It’s expensive so I doubt we could do that, but I watched the debates our city held at the middle school on the local channel and that was great to have.