The Town of Lake Cowichan has allocated a maximum of $50,995.23 (plus applicable taxes) for a new audio-visual system for its council chamber.
Promax audio-visual systems will be installed this month and should be ready for council meetings in September.
“We’re taking August off so they have time to implement these improvements and do some testing. Then the meetings start in September,” said Mayor Tim McGonigle.
The improvements, which include additional speakers, will especially help those in the back of the council chamber hear what council members are saying.
“This way I don’t have to scream and use my acting voice,” McGonigle said with a giggle.
In addition, two additional televisions will be installed in the Council Chambers to allow citizens in attendance to view the agenda, staff reports and visual presentations by delegates.
But it is not just those attending the meetings on site who will benefit from the new technology. The muted noise that currently occurs in the online streams of the Council meetings will also be more audible.
“I’m hoping there will be an improvement in the YouTube feed as well,” McGonigle said. “We’ve been struggling; we’ve been struggling with audiovisual issues since we came online. I think the problem is the technology we’re currently using, the Owl system with only one microphone that broadcasts YouTube, and the noise of the heat pump and other noises in the chambers will be mitigated by the upgrades.”
