Videographer Brian Cox records an event at City Hall.After first asking why the city's new videographer was not taping budget talks Tuesday and Thursday, council members turned to asking how much of a tab the $100-an-hour service has run up since July.
The city lost its former videographer to a layoff plan, then sought bids for the service in SFY 2011. The council approved BC Productions of Plainfield for an amount not to exceed $30,000 for the year. From a Plaintalker post at the time:
"Another item would grant BC Productions of Plainfield a video recording contract at $100 per hour. Challengers included a Snellville, GA firm that wanted $173.25 an hour plus travel expenses. Not sure whether this is for regular City Council recording or something else."
On Thursday, City Administrator Bibi Taylor said the contract included council meetings as well as city-sponsored public events.
Councilman Rashid Burney stressed the importance of the budget deliberations and said, "Government functions should not be short-changed."
Councilman Adrian Mapp said concerts at Plainwood Square were being taped, leading Council President Annie McWilliams to ask Taylor for a list of what has been taped. It was also unclear who assigns Cox to events. With the hiring of an information technology manager, Mayor Sharon Robinson-Briggs said IT and Media will report directly to her, despite the City Charter's mandate for all operations to come under three city departments.
Earlier in the budget session, Corporation Counsel Dan Williamson had asked the council to support hiring outside counsel for "at least" $125 an hour instead of the present rate of $95 an hour, saying it was hard to get the best representation at the lower rate. So the videographer is being compensated at a higher rate than outside attorneys. In addition, the tapes are supposed to be shown on local channels 96 and 34, but the city's television studio was off the air for seven weeks recently due to lack of a certain piece of equipment.
Based on the annual salary of the former media person who was laid off, his hourly rate was about one-third of contracted videographer.
According to a schedule of budget sessions, IT/Media functions and costs will be discussed on Nov. 9 at a 7 p.m. meeting in City Hall Library.
--Bernice
Let's see, no videos of Council meetings on the city's website since April, no TV for weeks due less for brownouts than unpaid bills, a hodge-podge of media, IT, nepotism, an exploding budget, a mayor who wants to keep it all in the back pocket, no man, no plan, the Age of Restaino nearly upon us, and a council wilfully oblivious. The chickens are home to roost and the foxes are at the door.
ReplyDeleteI think we're being ripped off for video and I wonder how much Shady Sharon gets of that. I also think that Dan is full of it when he wants the City to pay more for a lawyer. Lawyer's are hard up for cash and are chasing ambulances on TV and radio to stay afloat. There are too many low life lawyers in this state and there are jobs for them. The lucky and most slimy ones are found in Trenton. Dan needs to be unemployed and get real with our money.
ReplyDeleteAlan is absoloutly on target there. The council has capitulated it's responsibility in favor of acting out meaningless ordinances and resolutions that do nothing but set false expectations. All the while ignoring their own responsibilities. We are seeing nothing from the Mayor, and expect nothing. Now all hope for the Council to do anything has come to an end. They are equally inept.
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