Malta residents may be able to take further advantage of technology in staying up-to-date on the governance of their town if a proposal to begin broadcasting town meetings over several mediums moves forward.
The Town Board heard a proposal on Tuesday, Sept. 8, from town Webmaster Candace Schmidt, who said that purchasing equipment from technology supplier Core BTS, which has offices in Clifton Park, would run the town between $22,000 and $36,000, depending on the features. Once up and running, an estimated yearly maintenance fee of $2,200 would be necessary.
Schmidt also suggested that the town further investigate working through the state Office for Technology as a cost saving measure. The town would stream meetings live from Town Hall or other locations to the agency, which would then send the stream to Time Warner for public access channel broadcast and to the town’s Web site for Internet users. The Officer for Technology could also archive the video.
They have a large server, and they’ve gone to great lengths to secure this, said Schmidt.
The municipalities of Clifton Park and Saratoga Springs broadcast their meetings via their Web sites, where previous meetings can also be accessed. Other governments in the Capital District have various degrees of broadcasting capabilities, but operating through the Office of Technology would be a unique opportunity for Malta that would keep costs at a minimum, said Schmidt, if only for the fact it’s a nonprofit entity.
The Office for Technology networking is mostly being conducted between state offices and not local governments, but Schmidt said her inquiries were positively received due to the work the town is doing with microchip manufacturer GlobalFoundries, who is in the process of building a $4.2 billion factory in town. The video equipment used to broadcast meetings could multitask as videoconferencing gear.
`If you really want to make the most out of a Web page and your communication equipment, it has to work together,` said David Newell of Core BTS.
The town’s Building and Planning Department is engaging in an increasing amount of collaborative efforts with consultants who are not always based locally. Having communication capabilities beyond conference calls could help save on travel expenses and increase productivity.
`GlobalFoundries and M+W Zander [the chipmaker’s building consultant] are all into this technology,` said Schmidt.
The Town Board did not make any rulings on Tuesday, and will instead take time to digest the recommendations. After the meeting, Supervisor Paul Sausville noted that an investment in technology will likely have to be made at some point`the question is when.
`I think there’s a lot of opportunities out there as we go into the 21st century,` he said. `We’re also in a tough budget year, so every dollar is a concern for us.`
Schmidt also addressed queries about town government venturing into the social networking sphere. Residents and officials have suggested that the town have a Facebook or Twitter presence as another communication tool. Schmidt agreed with the idea, but said those popular Web venues might not be the proper place for the town, and suggested the more businesslike xumbox.com.
`I don’t know if I would want my town meeting residing next to partybot.com,` said Schmidt. `I think we need to have a more professional presence than on an open forum.`
Xumbox also requires users to register using a physical address, making it simple to restrict access to residents and possible to send email alerts like boil water advisories to selected areas.
The Town Board expressed interest in the site, but wished to examine it further before taking any action.
Schmidt also announced that the town’s Web site would be rolling out a `service request` feature that will allow residents to communicate complaints and issues directly to the town. It should be going live for the Building and Planning Department by the end of the month, and may be expanded to other areas in the future.
In other business, the Town Board voted unanimously to allow the Building and Planning Department to scope of services with consultants contracted to assist with inspection work on the GlobalFoundries plant. Now that the project is underway, it has become clear that the $900,000 previously appropriated will not cover specialized inspections of the equipment coming into the building, among other services.
According to town officials, the builder is required to assume any inspection expenses incurred by the town.
With the opening of a 20,000-square-foot expansion to the Malta Community Center scheduled for Oct. 3, the Town Board voted unanimously to establish a part-time office position at the request of Parks and Recreation Director Audrey Ball, who said the new worker will be responsible for creating and implementing new programming at the facility.
There was considerable discussion as to whether the 20-hour-per-week job would be cost justified. Ball said it is unlikely the four-person staff at the Community Center will be able to keep up with increased demand.
`Everyone is stretched very thin up there, they do a lot of different things,` she said. `We’ve got to come up with expanded programs to cover the expense of that new building.`
She said the department would be seeking an applicant with a sports background who can organize new leagues and tournaments to make use of the facility’s new gymnasium. He or she will work nights and weekends to cover the center’s reception desk, as well.
The Town Board briefly discussed brining on a clerk instead of a specialist, but concluded this would result in about $3,000 in savings per year for a questionable substitution.
`I’d be concerned about understaffing, especially during a startup period,` said Councilman Peter Klotz, who added that the position can always be reviewed in the future.“