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HomeMy WebLinkAbout06.c. Receive information on possible improvements to Board Room audio/visual systems Page 1 of 4 Item 6.c. CENTRAL SAN February 19, 2019 TO: ADMINISTRATION COMMITTEE FROM: JOHN HUIE, INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY MANAGER REVIEWED BY: PHILIP R. LEIBER, DIRECTOR OF FINANCE AND ADMINISTRATION ROGER S. BAILEY, GENERAL MANAGER SUBJECT: RECEIVE INFORMATION ON POSSIBLE IMPROVEMENTS TO BOARD ROOM AUDIO/VISUAL SYSTEMS The Administration Committee has requested information regarding options to improve the audio/visual systems in the Central San Board Room to make it easier for customers to follow along with presentations made by staff and others. Background The existing audio/visual system has been in place for a little more than three years. Previously, there were only audio recordings of Board meetings, which were destroyed after summary minutes were approved. I n October 2015, in response to the Board's request to have draft minutes available for approval at the next meeting, the decision was made to begin video recording the meetings. The video recordings are retained permanently and supported by brief action minutes. The current system consists of the audio system and a single video camera that is placed on the center of the back wall facing the dais and focused on the Board Members, the General Manager, and District Counsel. The camera position does not enable viewers to see the speaker at the podium, staff sitting at the managers'table, or the screens where presentations are shown. Research To get a sense of what other agencies are using for their audio/visual systems, staff conducted a brief informal survey. The survey was conducted through a mailing list that reaches out to IT Managers for many agencies throughout California. The results indicate that the majority of public utility agencies either do not record their board meetings or record audio only. The few utilities that reported recording video either used a single fixed camera or were affiliated with a larger city agency that already had more sophisticated audio/visual capabilities due to the number of public meetings they conduct. Many cities have multi-camera configurations, for which they reportedly spent anywhere from $30,000 for a basic system to $800,000 at the high end. Many noted that the staff time involved to run these meetings increased significantly. They needed to February 19, 2019 Regular ADMIN Committee Meeting Agenda Packet- Page 15 of 97 Page 2 of 4 cross-train multiple staff to ensure there is always someone available to operate the equipment during meetings. A number of these agencies indicated that the staffing complexity was more complex than anticipated. Quite a few ended up contracting out these services to their local cable company or other private firms in an effort to reduce costs and staff time. Some agencies are using the services of an outside vendor using new technology that allows the vendor to remotely operate the audio/video from their own offices. The cameras and audio are installed and operated by the vendor, which monitors volume levels as well as switches between the various camera views "live" during each meeting. This approach offers a good balance between cost and the quality of the final product while reducing the need to have constant staff intervention. These services also provide additional capabilities such as closed captioning capabilities. Options: Option 1 Continue operating with existing single camera equipment and staff Cost None Staffing Impact Currently requires two staff members Option 2 Install 3 or 4 additional cameras, video switching equipment, and control station to be operated by Central San staff Cost $50,000 to $75,000 depending on complexity Staffing Impact Continue with two staff members, and train additional staff to ensure coverage Option 3 Contract with outside vendor to install and remotely operate multiple cameras and host website for streaming of videos Cost $50,000 for equipment and installation $12,000 per year for remote operation and additional services Staffing Impact Would reduce the need to have staff constantly on hand monitoring meetings while adding additional capabilities If the Board wishes to proceed with a multi-camera approach so that speakers and presentations can be viewed, it would be staff's recommendation to proceed with Option 3 because it is the most cost-effective approach. It would reduce the staffing needs and provide redundant operators regardless of staff coverage. The equipment would be installed by the outside vendor but owned by Central San and could be operated locally by District staff in the future if desired. One of the outside vendors that has been contacted is Swagit Productions, which provides streaming media solutions for government agencies. The City of Concord has been using Swagit for a number of years. Strategic Plan Tie-In GOAL ONE: Provide Exceptional Customer Service Strategy 1 - Build external customer relationships and awareness, Strategy 3- Maintain a strong reputation in the February 19, 2019 Regular ADMIN Committee Meeting Agenda Packet- Page 16 of 97 Page 3 of 4 community ATTACHMENTS: 1. Swagit Board Camera Proposal Graphic February 19, 2019 Regular ADMIN Committee Meeting Agenda Packet- Page 17 of 97 Page 4 of 4 cj)) swa g i t PROPOSAL aMays connected Central Contra Costa Sanitary District,California I January 29, 2019 AviorTm Broadcast System Diagram (co)) swa g is Avi TM A . Inbound access via TCP/IP Port TC PA P A� l IOR multi-view feed to Swagit CDN AviorT"HD AviorT"HD AviorT"HD camera#1 camera 92 camera#3 PowerPoint 1 Presentations POSITIVE IWORMATION JL a� SwagitEASE"Streaming Appliance „19 RS-232 or RS-422 data sent via Cat 516 to AviorT'hardware �•� Audiolvideo Feeds and/or cabling • � Outbound bandwidth allocated for live and on-demand 1 Q Connection to AviorNet hardware over TCP11P from Swagit's Broadcast Operations Center Live and/or Multi-viewfeed for remote management Video On Demand Viewers ®2018 SWAGU PRODUCTIONS,LLL.PROPRIETARY AND CONFIDENTIAL INTENDED FOR INTERNAL USE ONLY DO NOT DISTRIBUTE WITHOUT WRITTEN PERMISSION. 0603 9 © 2018 Swagit Productions, LLC• 12801 N.Central Expressway,Suite 900 • Dallas,TX 75243 214-432-5905 -�8p0}0�-573�-�3y�1 Y610.J a• sswaa�.�itp.}compa�lp �Q n{07 February 1 �a} a��P�;J�[}rp p�p@ � P}p�TNM E%DEtl IfJFERMAL 195�ON17`U6`ItlOTD157R99TAii1Qt RITTEN PERMISSION. 2018 Q2 180418