HomeMy WebLinkAboutCLD-025-19Clarington
Staff Report
If this information is required in an alternate accessible format, please contact the Accessibility
Coordinator at 905-623-3379 ext. 2131.
Report To: General Government Committee
Date of Meeting: November 25, 2019
Submitted By: Anne Greentree, Municipal Clerk
Reviewed By: Andrew C. Allison, CAO
File Number:
Report Number: CLD-025-19
By-law Number:
Resolution#:
Report Subject: Webstreaming of Council and Committee Meetings
Recommendation:
1. That Report CLD-025-19 be received for information.
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Report CLD-025-19
Report Overview
This report informs Members of Council of the upcoming change to Council and Standing
Committee meetings to add webstreaming and closed captioning. To date, Council and
Standing Committees have only been audio recorded. The webstreaming initiative will
provide improved accessibility and will integrate with the minutes.
1. Background
Definitions
1.1 The concept of video capture/recording of meetings provides greater accessibility and
transparency to the general public who are unable to attend a meeting. However, there
have been hurdles to overcome in that there is a requirement, under the Accessibility for
Ontarians with Disabilities Act, to provide closed captioning.
1.2 Closed captioning (CC) means the system of displaying the text version of the spoken
part of the broadcast across the bottom of the screen. Unlike subtitles, which only
transcribe dialogue, closed captioning also describes sounds and other audio
information pertinent to the viewer.
1.3 Webstreaming means to the process of delivering multimedia over the internet.
"Streaming" allows the viewer to begin viewing the video without first downloading the
entire file.
1.4 Webcasting and webstreaming are the same, in the Clarington context, in that they both
deliver video live to the user.
1.5 Video archiving means the saving of the video file for access on demand at a future
date (i.e. not live).
Recordings at Clarington
1.6 Since May, 2008, where possible, we have recorded, to DVD, the Rogers Cable video
of the Council meetings.
1.7 In 2012, Staff had proposed either webstreaming or podcasting and Council decided to
proceed with podcasting at that time. As a result, Staff have been audio recording
Council and Standing Committee meetings since June, 2012, and providing the
recordings on the municipal website.
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Report CLD-025-19
Page 3
1.8 Since December, 2018, as a result of improvements to the audio technology in the
Council Chambers, Clarington has also audio recorded closed session meetings of
Council and its Standing Committees. These improvements also included the
installation of a Clarington-owned camera integrated with the existing audio system.
Clarington's IT Strategic Plan
1.9 In October, 2017, Council approved the recommendations in Report CAO-008-17 which
endorsed the Information Technology Strategic Plan. One of the key aspects of the
Strategic Plan was to address projects related to the "customer facing systems layer".
In particular, it states:
"At the top of the technology stack are those customer facing systems that
portray the Municipality's image on the web through provision of information,
transparency and accountability, engagement, and routine disclosure of data
that people and organizations want. Social Media is an opportunity to engage
more interactively with residents and customers. It enables effective pushing
of information to the interested, and is a channel where there are
conversations about the Municipality."'
1.10 The Strategic Plan projects have been approved and prioritized by the IT Steering
Committee, comprised of Department Heads. In order to address the "pushing of
information" to the public and to provide greater accountability and transparency, while
adhering to the AODA standards, webstreaming was proposed to be a project as part of
the IT Strategic Plan. Webstreaming software has been an approved project in the IT
Strategic Plan since December, 2018.
Technology
1.11 In September, 2019, the Municipal Clerk's Department implemented an electronic
meeting management software, eSCRIBE. This software is used for all regular and
special meetings of Council and its Standing Committees for agendas and minutes.
1 Information Technology Strategic Plan, Prior & Prior, Page 28.
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Report CLD-025-19
2. Webstreaming Phase
2.1 As we are progressing through the later stages of the meeting management software
project, we are looking ahead to the next phase. The Webcasting Module will be
integrated with the minutes and provide closed captioning and live webstreaming, using
our existing camera and audio system. The archived video will be integrated with the
minutes such that the viewer would open the minutes, click on an item, and the video of
the discussion on the item would appear in a box within the minutes, as shown below,
which can be accessed on the St. John's website:
2. PROCLAMATiONSIPRESENTATIONS
2.1 Financial Literacy Month - November 2019
2.2 World Town Planning Day - November B, 2019
N
2.3 Recognition of Rogers TV Volunteers for their many years of Council Meetings
Coverage
3. APPROVAL OF THE AGENDA
3.1 Agenda of November 4. 2019
4. ADOPTION OF THE MINUTES
5-1 Presentation of Motion - Climate Change
Emergency
4.1 Adoption of Minutes -October 28, 2019
,
5. BUSINESS ARISING FROM THE MINUTES
1. St. John's - Climate Emergency Motion-V3.pdf
5.1 Presentation of Motion - Climate Chan a Emer en �7,
At the Regular Meeting of Council on October 15. 2019 Councillor Froude gave notice that
he will be requesting Council's consideration of a motion for debate recognizing climate
change as an emergency and set forward a course of action for the city's sustainability
2.2 Additionally, the entire video will be archived as part of the meeting calendar
documents, should the view choose to view just the video, in its entirety.
2.3 As Clarington sees more meetings with residents making use of the "overflow rooms" to
listen to the audio of the meetings, there would also be a benefit with the addition of
webstreaming, where Staff can set up a screen, projector and laptop in the overflow
rooms so that the residents can view the meeting live. Alternatively, anyone with
internet access at home or on a device will be able to watch the meetings where they
wish.
2.4 It is anticipated that the archived video, with closed captioning, would be posted within
two business days of the meeting.
2.5 Although it is anticipated that our current bandwidth requirements will be sufficient, it is
not known for certain until the project is live.
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Report CLD-025-19
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2.6 Staff are working towards an implementation date of January, 2020 for webstreaming
and video archiving of all regular and special Council and Standing Committee meetings
(that are held in the Council Chambers). The Clerk's Department will work with the
Communications Division to develop an official press release to let the public know that
this service is available.
3. Financial Impact
3.1 The costs for implementing this phase were included in the 2018 budget as part of the
larger project.
4. Concurrence
This report has been reviewed by the Director of Corporate Services and the Director of
Operations who concur with the recommendations.
5. Conclusion
It is respectfully recommended that Council receive the information regarding
webstreaming and closed captioning.
Staff Contact: June Gallagher, Deputy Clerk, 905-623-3379 ext. 2103 or
jgallagher@clarington.net.
Attachments:
Not Applicable
The following interested parties will be notified of Council's decision:
Clarington Accessibility Advisory Committee