Ansonia officials want to videotape all Board of Aldermen meetings starting in January, using volunteers and donated equipment.
The details of how the city plans to do so were outlined in a resolution brought forward to the Board of Aldermen on Dec. 13.
Currently, Seymour is the only lower Valley town that has video recordings from public meetings.
But it’s not the town behind it — it’s resident Frank Loda. Click here to see some of Loda’s videos from public meetings in Seymour.
In addition to posting the videos online, Loda has the meetings video on Comcast cable. Ansonia is planning to do the same.
If Ansonia’s proposal comes to fruition, it would be the only city-sanctioned video recording in the lower Valley.
“We are setting an example, we are being a role model by way of transparency in the Valley and in the state by taking the initiative to do it ourselves, and I’m very proud of this board,” Marini said Tuesday.
Click play on the video above to hear more of the discussion about the policy.
The Board of Aldermen voted in October to start recording meetings in 2012.
According to the proposed policy discussed Tuesday:
- A ​“Video Recording Committee” consisting of members of the Board of Aldermen would be formed to oversee the practice.
- The video recording would be conducted by citizen volunteers.
- The equipment for the video recording will be paid for through private donations or public grants.
- The Video Recording Committee will try to hold fundraisers to help pay for more equipment
- The video will be a single shot, from the public gallery in the Ansonia meeting room, without zooms or pans.
- The video won’t be edited, or changed before publication
- The video will be put on the Internet, and aired on public access television.
- The video will also be distributed to the Ansonia Town Clerk’s office.
Board of Aldermen President Eugene Sharkey named to the Video Recording Committee: Robert Beall, chairman, Edward Adamowski, Joseph Jeanette, John Marini and Sharkey.
The board voted Tuesday to send the proposed ​“Video Recording Policy” to the video recording committee for review.
“I’m confident that with new technology it won’t take more than a video camera and maybe one to two volunteers to actually get it done on a monthly basis,” Marini said.
