HomeMy WebLinkAbout11 - Improvements to the City Council ChambersNewport Beach City Council
AGENDA ITEM 11
October 12, 1998 Council Meeting
TO: MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL
FROM: DENNIS DANNER, ACTING CITY MANAGER
BY: DAVE KIFF, ASSISTANT TO THE CITY MANAGER
SUBJECT: IMPROVEMENTS TO THE CITY COUNCIL CHAMBERS
ISSUE:
A request for direction from the City Council regarding the Council
Chambers' voting system, audio system, and cable- casting facilities.
BACKGROUND:
In recent years, municipal governments from throughout California have
improved their ability to cablecast their Council meetings. Cablecasting involves
either an onsite production facility with cameras operated remotely or a "truck" that
serves as the production center for moveable manned cameras.
While some cities invest heavily in their cablecasting facilities (hiring
production staff, cablecasting all board and commission meetings and community
events, and more), others are more sparing in their use of television as a
communication medium. Some cities direct their cable television franchisee to
"donate" the funds necessary to construct a production facility and more.
The City of Newport Beach today operates its Council meetings with an
inoperative voting system and an outdated audio system. Comcast provides
manned cameras (typically 2 -3) and a production van to the City each time it
cablecasts a council meeting.
In early 1998, the Legislative Committee directed staff to meet with
representatives from Comcast Cablevision to discuss what financial contribution, if
any, Comcast could make to towards changing the van and manned cameras with a
production facility and remote - operated cameras. Following that meeting, the City
completed a review of its needs were it to install a production facility and
subsequently sent a letter to Comcast explaining the City's formal interest in the
improvements (see Attachment A).
The City's technical consultant in this matter has been Kathy Risk of
Communications Support Group (CSG). Ms. Risk has overseen the installation of
Council Chambers' video improvements in Beverly Hills, Cerritos, Mission Viejo,
Orange, Santa Ana, and Yorba Linda. Al Dodds of the Newport Beach Police
Department has also assisted the City in this regard.
Newport Beach City Council
Agenda Item _
Pape 2
DISCUSSION:
City staff met on Thursday, October 1 to discuss the City's options regarding
improving the City Council chambers. Staff believes that the following actions should be
completed in priority order:
1s' Priority — Remove the current voting system and install a new system that allows
the Council, Clerk, and public to clearly see how each Council member votes.
ANTICIPATED EXPENSE: $25,000 (BUDGETED)
2nd Priority — Remove the current audio system and install new microphones and
speakers that will reflect a "quality" sound system in the chambers and lobby.
ANTICIPATED EXPENSE: $15,000 (NOT BUDGETED)
3rd Priority — Install three remote cameras within the Chambers to replace the
cameras now operated manually by Comcast Cablevision.
ANTICIPATED EXPENSE: $60,000 (NOT BUDGETED)
4`h Priority — Install a small production room behind the Council dais that would
house a camera operator and allow the City to record, edit, and make copies of
events in the Council Chambers. Given that this phase of the improvements
would enable Comcast to stop dispatching its production van to the City twice a
month, Comcast has agreed to fund $25,000 towards these improvements.
ANTICIPATED EXPENSE: $ 60,000 (NOT BUDGETED)
51h Priority — Install monitors in the Chambers and lobby; add projection equipment
in the Chambers for presentations;
ANTICIPATED EXPENSE: $ 20,000 (NOT BUDGETED)
Staff believes that the initial pricing for both the voting system and the audio
system is based upon relatively sound estimates. At the City Council meeting on
Monday, October 12, staff may have additional (and more precise) information about the
sound system after a preliminary bid by a Costa Mesa -based sound company. This
same company has installed the sound equipment in the council chambers of Laguna
Beach, Lake Forest, Mission Viejo, Rolling Hills Estates, and Torrance.
RECOMMENDED ACTION:
(1) Amend the FY 1998 -99 Budget to appropriate $15,000 for the installation of a
new audio system in the City Council Chambers;
(2) Direct staff to bid, select, and oversee the installation of Priorities One and
Two (a new voting system and audio system) by the end of December 1998
with a not to exceed cap of $40,000 for both components;
(3) Direct staff to seek bids on a remote camera and production facility and to
include within FY 1999 -00 budget process.
ATTACHMENTS:
Attachment A — May Letter to Comcast
Agenda !tern
3
Attachment A
Text of Letter to Comcast
May 14, 1998
Ms. Linda Hossinger
COMCAST General Manager
1830 East Warner Avenue
Santa Ana. California 92705
Dear Linda
When you and Marilee Jackson met with me, Mayor pro Tern O'Neil, and City Clerk LaVonne Harkless earlier this year,
we talked about the City's interest in upgrading the quality of the cablecasts from the Newport Beach City Council
Chambers. We promised to return to you with an estimate of the costs to replace the current manned camera operation
with a control room system using remote cameras.
I asked Kathy Risk of Communications Support Group, Inc. to put together a proposal for the City that would address
several needs. These included:
• Remote camera operations.
• Less intrusive lighting.
• Adequate editing and character generation systems.
• Play /back, and taping capabilities.
Kathy and her engineer, Tom Bistry, have presented a proposal in the amount of $155,070 to equip the control room and
chambers. install and wire the facility, and train the City in using the equipment. From my experience in installing the
system in Orange (where Time Warner equipped the Council Chambers for about $100,000 in hard costs and more in
training and support), this amount seems reasonable.
Without directly asking them, I believe that the City Council could support a recommendation by the City Manager that the
City pay up to 40% of the total cost of this upgrade. Comcast's support of the remaining 60% -- either through direct
financial assistance or via special prices on equipment comparable to the equipment list that is attached - would allow us
to complete the upgrade.
I view any improvements to the chambers as a "win" for both Comcast and the City - the new cameras are likely to both
improve picture quality, graphics, and should reduce your onsite staffing costs. The City benefits by conducting its
meetings with less intrusive remote cameras and via more descriptive and viewable communication with our residents.
Please call me (949/644 -3002) after you have a chance to review the equipment list and we'll talk about where we can go
from here Thanks again for meeting with us.
Sincerely,
David A. Kiff
Assistant to the City Manager
Attachment: Equipment List provided by Kathy Risk
City of Newport Beach NO. BA- 016
BUDGET AMENDMENT
1998 -99 AMOUNT: S1s,000.00
EFFECT ON BUDGETARY FUND BALANCE:
Increase Revenue Estimates Increase in Budgetary Fund Balance
8X Increase Budget Appropriations AND X Decrease in Budgetary Fund Balance
Transfer Budget Appropriations No effect on Budgetary Fund Balance
from existing budget appropriations
from additional estimated revenues
X from unappropriated fund balance
EXPLANATION:
This budget amendment is requested to provide for the following:
To appropriate $15.000 from General Fund unappropriated surplus fund balance for the improvement of the
council chambers audio system.
ACCOUNTING ENTRY:
Amount
BUDGETARY FUND BALANCE Debit Credit
Fund Account Description
General 3605 Fund Balance Control 515,000.00
REVENUE APPROPRIATIONS (3601)
Fund /Division Account Description
EXPENDITURE APPROPRIATIONS (3603)
Description
Division
Number 7017 Automation /Communication Capital Projects
Account
Number C0630429 Council Chambers, Voting and Audio System
515,000.00
Division
Number
Account
Number
Division
Number
Account
Number
Division
Number
Account
Number
Division
Number
Account
Number
' Automatic System Entry.
Signed:
Financi prova� l : Fina a Dr
ate
Signed:
�r
/O'
Administrative Approval: City—Manager
Date
Signed:
City Council Approval: City Clerk
Date