Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAbout09/16/03 Telecommunications TELECOMMUNICATIONS BOARD MEETING MINUTES September 16, 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 16th day of September 2003, at City Hall with the following members present: Board Members Present Staff Present Clark Switzer, Chairman Linda Camerlin - I.T. Manager Richard Kuether, Vice Chairman Rhonda Gann - Administrative Assistant Walter Gillette Marcus Leatham Wallace Gehrke, Alternate Board Members Absent Bill Cunningham - Illness in Family Melvina Sparks - Working Late Michael Fogarty - Written Resignation With five (5) board members present, a quorum was established and the following items were addressed: Marcus Leatham sat in as Chairperson for this meeting for training purposes. 1. Citizens Input Cultural Arts Board members did not show due to their own pressing situation. Marcus re- affirmed the board would be glad to meet with their board members at anytime. Marcus said that our board can appoint one of our members as a representative to go to one of their meetings or they can appoint one of their members as a representative and come to our meeting. The boards need to f'md a way to meet. 2. Consideration of approval of the minutes of the Telecommunications Board meeting held on July 15, 2003, and August 19, 2003. Copies of minutes were passed out to all board members for both meetings. Clark made a motion to approve the minutes for both meetings. Richard seconded the motion. Those in favor: All Those oppose: None 3. Cultural Arts Board - Joint Meeting: Members did not show. 4. Discussion and action of new equipment purchases: Clark distributed a list of information on a "DV Pro Field Edit Station". DV Pro Field Edit Station $6,494.00 ADVC-100 Media Converter 295.00 $6,789.00 Clark told the board that he talked to Rebecca about a month ago, and asked her if they can order this equipment now, and the amount over the balance in the Telecommunication Board budget for 2002-2003 can be taken out of the 2003-2004 budget. Clark told the board and staff that Terry Real with Video Tex told him he needs an answer by Friday, September 19, 2003 to receive this special. This specialized computer is designed and built by Video Tex. Clark asked Linda to have Bob Sparkman contact Terry Real with Video Tex and see if he is on the QIFB or on the Municipality Bid List. If Video Tex is on the list, the board will not have to go out for three bids. Clark said he would like to purchase this equipment before the fiscal year is up. Clark said if this equipment is not purchased this week, they will not buy it at all and all the projects that are listed for them to do is going to be stopped because he is not going to try and do anything for anybody anymore. Clark said without this laptop, it is wasting their time and their time is valuable too. Linda told Clark that she has to go through Bob to make sure this company is on -- the QIFB or Municipality Bid List or Bob will have to go our for three quotes. Marcus said the laptop has a 6-channel Dolby system that the board is not even set up to use. Wallace said he would like to see this laptop with a DVD that has a plus and a minus rewrite system. Wallace made a motion to have Linda call Terry Real with Video Tex to see if they can extend the expiration date of the sale for up to 60 days. This will give Linda and Bob time to see if we have to go out for bids and to answer questions as to whether or not the boards balance will be forwarded from this fiscal year to the next fiscal year. Marcus seconded the motion. Those in favor: All Those oppose: None Linda told the board that she was not aware that the balance could be forwarded into the next fiscal year, but that she would get with Tony and see if this was possible. 2 5. Staff Liaison Report Linda told the board to keep in mind that she must be included in all e-mails that has to do with City-related businesses. If the board is working with another department and she is not aware of it, she will not know to keep that department accountable for time limits or information needed to be relayed to the Telecommunication Board for viewing. 6. Subcommittee Report 1. Marcus said he e-mailed the board a letter he sent to Chief Clark in reference to equipment for the Police Department. The e-mail informed Chief Clark of Marcus's findings on the equipment that was purchased. Marcus suggested to Chief Clark that he purchase the front panel remoting kits if he wants it to work with communications consol. The radios are going to the back where the equipment rack is, where the other repeaters are, and for him to get access to some of the features he wants on his special requirements list, he will have to have the front panel with radio where the operator is. Marcus told Chief Clark not to put the big radio up there: just the little thin panel and the connection cable. Marcus told Chief another objective would be to have something custom wired. This would be another issue separately, because he will need to have someone maintain it, make repairs when needed, and someone to keep track of what is there. By ordering the front panel and the connection cable, this issue can be avoided all together. 2. Marcus discussed the upcoming football games. Attending the upcoming game in Wichita Fall: Walter Gillette cannot go. Marcus Leatham took time offand can be there. Richard Kuether will go. Clark Switzer will go for the use of his track. 3. Marcus reminded the board about Michael Fogerty's e-mailed resignation. Linda told the board that Michael Fogerty's resignation will go before Council on October 6, 2003. Michael's resignation will have to be acknowledged by the Council before the board can replace that position. Richard asked Clark if he spoke to Michael about possibly changing positions and just being the alternate member. Clark said that he would contact Michael and see if that would be an alternative for him. 4. Marcus asked the board about plans for the upcoming Veterans Day Memorial on November 8, 2003. Richard said this event would be a big event. The air force will be flying over The Colony, etc. Richard told the board that this is going to be a good event for The Colony and it should be covered. 3 Clark suggested that they use two cameras for this event. One camera will be on the platform, and the other camera will be ready for the flyover. Two cameras will allow them to go from place to place without a lot of movement of the cameras. Marcus suggested that the board get a committee together as the event gets closer to November 8, 2003. 7. Assistant Chairman's Report 1. Richard asked Linda how he would be able to tell if the Interact broadcast from the control room is live or not? Richard told Linda that one night he sat in the control room, had the computer monitor on, and could see the video from the control room on the screen. Richard said that he does not know where it goes from there. Richard said someone called the control room, said there was a scene that continued in the control room, after the meeting was over and they had already left the control room. Clark told Linda within seconds after they mm off the switch in the control room, the scene from the council chambers is suppose to go off, and the view on the screen should go automatically back to the bulletin board. Linda told the board she was informed a couple of months ago there were problems with the hosting vendor. The vendor had changed equipment and settings, but did not inform the City. Linda said they thought it was being broadcasted and it really was not. Linda said the only way to tell if the broadcasting is being viewed is by bringing in a computer, click on the Interact explorer, and then click on the link where you can see it working. Richard told Linda it was important for them to know when they are broadcasting and when they are not. Linda told the board she would look into it. 2. Richard asked Linda if the PC in the control room is for the boards use. Linda told the board the PC in the control room is being used for encryption of the council meetings. Linda said the PC could not be used at all by the board because it is being used to encrypt the meeting for archiving. Linda told the board she would look into getting the information off, and getting it moved. 3. Richard reported to the board that Comcast adjusted the modulator. They found the bad piece of equipment, which Richard thinks is the problem with the audio. The fault light deals with the amount of data pushed across the fiber. Because there is so little data being processed through there, the equipment thinks there is no data being passed though so it gives a fault notice. The Comcast representative said that there is high-speed capability there, it is just not utilized enough. Clark said the Comcast representative also adjust the modulator at their head-end at the old building that is a looping head-in. Then they went to Piano and adjusted the modulator there. Clark told Linda he would send her an e-mail to update her with all the work that Comcast did. Richard said that he found a bad piece of equipment as well. Richard told the board he was not sure if they should try to get it repaired or not. 4 4. Clark asked Walter if he could find time to come in and look at the compressor. Clark said they have to turn off the compressor to film a session or to get sound from the recorder. Walter asked if he knew where the problem was, in the compressor or the cable. Richard told Walter that they just tamed off the compressor, did not change cable or anything else, and everything worked with the compressor off. 8. Chairman's Report 1. Checklist to be worked on by the Telecommunication Board. a. Speakers in council chambers need to be moved forward from where they are now. They need to be moved towards the audience where they are even with the front row of the audience. One person can do this job, but it would be easier with two. b. Re-wire the back end of the playback unit. The new cables are in. Number 4 tape player is not working remotely. One person can do this job, but it would be easier with twO. c. Hook up the fan into the rack and connect it to a power source. d. Take home the big spool of wire and check all the connectors on it to make sure they are welded and solid. (Marcus Leatham will take care of this item) e. Clean up the Telecommunication T.V. room. Clean the shelter for project tapes to be stored. f. Computer in the Telecommunication T.V. room needs to supply the Intemet projects. g. Pull the rack out, re-check all the wiring and make sure it is bundled up and redressed. Use fie-wraps to clean up the wire lying all over the back. The next meeting will be held on October 7, 2003. Marcus adjourned the meeting at 8:33p.m. APPROVED: Clark Switzer, C~ Rhonda Gann, Recording Secretary