HomeMy WebLinkAbout11/04/03 Telecommunications TELECOMMUNICATIONS BOARD
MEETING MINUTES
November 4, 2003
The Regular Session of The Telecommunications Board of the City of The Colony, Texas, was called
to order at 7:04 p.m. on the 4th day of November 2003, at City Hall with the following members
present:
Board Members Present StaITPresent
Clark Switzer, Chairman Rebecca Koo - Finance Director
Richard Kuether, Vice Chairman Linda Camerlin I.T. Manager
Walter Gillette Rhonda Gann - Recording Secretary
Bill Cunningham
Wallace Gehrke
Board Members Absent
Marcus Latham - Arroved late - door was locked, went home
Melvina Sparks - No Phone Call
With five (5) board members present, a quorum was established and the following items were
addressed:
1.Citizens Input
None
2. Consideration of approval of the minutes of the Telecommunications Board meeting
held on October 7th, 2003.
Bill Cunningham made a motion to approve the minutes for October 7th, 2003 meeting.
Wallace Gehrke seconded the motion.
Those in favor: All
Those oppose: None
3. Discussion on equipment usage and check-outs:
Linda told the board the communication between her and Richard has been going very well.
Richard has been calling her when he needed the video equipment and when he returned the
video equipment.
The board thanked Linda fbr being committed to them by being here each time they have to
pick up the equipment and coming back each time the equipment is returned.
Clark's agenda for the weekend of November 7~ and 8th:
a. Friday - Football game in Lewisville - Need equipment by Saturday - The
Opening and dedication of the Five Star Complex - Need equipment by
$:00a.m.
4. Staff Liaison Report:
1. Linda passed out the sheet that had the inibrmation on the motion made by Councilman
Harris.
Item//3.7 on the agenda for the Council Meeting:
The discussion went as follows: (Brainstorming)
a. Clark said he would make a list of all volunteers. This list will consist of all
volunteers that are on the board and off the board. The list will be posted in the
telecommunications room in the Council Chambers, the staff Liaison will keep a
copy, and there will be a copy filed in the City Secretaries office.
b. Bill suggested that it would help the board if they can recruit volunteers from each
ot'the sports events that are willing to learn how to use the cameras and equipment,
so they can film their own sports event since they are more familiar with that
particular sport. When the event is over, they can give the tape to Diane Baxter at
City Hall.
c. Linda told the board that she had a concern when it comes to passing out the
equipment to someone other than a board member. One of the issues at the Council
Meeting was the expense of the equipment.
d. Bill said there will be times when everyone on the board is filming somewhere else
or is not able to make it that particular night and there will need to be trained
volunteers, beside the board members that can accomplish what the Council/City
needs.
e. Bill stated that someone would need to make a decision as to what will be taped find
what will not if the City decides to use only the board members to tape and not any
volunteers outside of the board. There are too many activities at some seasonal
times and not enough board members available in some cases.
Clark said the only equipment that will be used by outside volunteers, if needed,
would be the old cameras and not the digital cameras. The City Attorney stated in
the Council Meeting that if there are volunteers who want to check out one of the
old cameras, not the digital cameras, they can be trained by one of the board
members first, and then once trained and signed off by a board member, they can
use the cameras fur City use only.
g There are five cameras ready for use. If needed, there can be five events at one time
that can be taped.
h. Bill suggested having a board member train a volunteer, put the volunteer on a
probationary period. While on a probationary period, a board member will go with
the volunteer tbr hands on training until the board member is confident the
volunteer is ready to work on his own. The board member will then sign the
volunteer off and the volunteer will be added to a list kept with the staff liaison and
the City Secreta~3"s office as well as on the list in the telecommunications room.
i. Volunteers needed for each event:
1. Council Meetings - 2 Volunteers
2. Seniors Events- I Volunteer
3. Basketball Games - 3 to 4 Volumeers
4. Football Games 3 to 4 Volunteers
5. Baseball Games - 3 to 4 Volunteers
6. Soccer Games - 2 Volunteers
7. Wrestling Events - They' have their own camera, but if more than one
event is going on at a time, a volunteer can film it.
j. Richard brought up a scheduling need tbr all events.
k. Walter and Bill suggested that when filming any event; make sure we comply with
the copyrights law. Example: If you are filming any event and there are songs in the
event, by radio, recording or lip singing, the songs have copyrights. The copyrights
must be released or the City can be fined or sued. You have to call BMI (Broadcast
Music Incorporated), and ASCAP (American Society of Composers and Arrangers,
and Procedures), and pay fees to use copyrighted material or get a letter from the
original maker releasing copyrights to us.
1. Clark told the board he would accept all responsibility for all the equipment going
out and coming into the telecommunications room.
m. The telecommunications board can videotape all training for the City for future use
in training if requested.
n. Clark would like the key re-issued back to him as the responsible party for all
telecommunications equipment.
o. Clark infurmed the board there would not be a Telecommunications Budget
anymore. The funds will be transferred to the General Fund Account and the board
will have to submit a request in writing fbr anything needed by the board to keep all
telecommunications equipment up and running. The request will go to the City
Liaison and then to the City Manager for approval.
p. The board will fbllow the current checkout procedures.
q. Bill suggested to designate a coordinator to coordinate all events and let the board
know when events need to be filmed.
r. Clark would like to be responsible tbr inventorying all equipment going out and to
check all inventories coming in.
s. The board requested that as soon as Linda is aware of an event that needs to be
filmed, she contacts the board and informs them as soon as possible with no less
than a 2 day notice for the board to schedule the taping.
t. Once a volunteer coordinator is elected on the board, that person will be responsible
in scheduling the volunteers for filming each event.
u. The elected volunteer coordinator will inspect all equipment going out and coming
in. If equipment needs to be repaired, the volunteer coordinator is responsible for
completing a damage report and turning it in to the StaffLiaison.
v. The volunteer coordinator or his assignee will be responsible for training volunteers
on telecommunications equipment. Once the training volunteer is off of probation,
the volunteer coordinator will be responsible in adding the new volunteer to the
volunteer list kept by the Staff Liaison, City Secretary's office and in the
telecommunications room.
w. If the volunteer coordinator is ill or not able to make an event for filming, he is
responsible for assigning another trained volunteer to take the job. The volunteer
coordinator will still be responsible for the equipment taken out and brought back
in.
2. After brainstorming between the board, the Finance Director and the Staff Liaison, the
following is the policy the board as agreed to submit to Council on December 1, 2003:
Recommendations for Telecommunications Board Policy
To provide guidance for the Telecommunications Board for broadcasting special
City/Community event and functions, and arranging volunteers schedules and training
Recommendations for Telecommunications Board Procedures
1. Telecommunications Board will recommend a Volunteer Coordinator to be
affirmed by the City Council.
2. Volunteer Coordinator will accept full responsibility of audio/visual
equipment and will be provided a key to City Hall, Council Chambers, and
the Telecommunications room.
3. The Volunteer Coordinator will inventory all equipment that is being used.
The Volunteer Coordinator will again inventor), all equipment in each box
when it goes out of the building and when it returns to the building.
4. The Volunteer Coordinator can assign a backup volunteer in his/her absence.
5. The Staff Liaison should inform the Volunteer Coordinator with a 2 day
advance notice, when community related events are to be broadcasted.
6. The Volunteer Coordinator is responsible for recruiting and organizing
volunteers.
7. The Volunteer Coordinator will schedule volunteers to tape events.
8. The board will adhere to the Volunteer Policies of the Municipal Cable
Channel Policies adopted in March 200Z The board will approve volunteers
upon review of application form. The list of volunteers will be filed with the
City Secretary's Office and a copy will go to the Staff Liaison and in the
telecommunication room.
Procedures for selecting events to be broadcasted:
1. The Telecommunication Board will abide by the Municipal Cable
Channel Policies.
2. The Telecommunication Board will develop a schedule/calendar to be
coordinated with the Staff Liaison in advance. The calendar will be
covered, reviewed, and updated at every meeting.
3, After taping of events, the Telecommunication board will make the
broadcast as time allows.
5. Sub-committee Reports:
Richard informed Linda that there will be a football game on Friday night in Lewisville and
he will need the equipment for the game.
Richard also informed Linda that he would need to meet her at City Hall on Saturday,
November 8, 2003 at 8:00a.m, to get the video equipment for the taping of the Veterans
Memorial Day event.
6. Chairman's Report:
Everything has already been discussed in the Liaison's ReporL
Clark told the board thc next meeting will be held on November 18, 2003.
Clark adjourned the meeting at 8:58p.m
APP~OyED: / ~, /
Clark Switzer, Chairman
Rhonda Gann, Recording Secreta~~