A reader commented that no new City Council meetings have been PCTV for some time (this was regarding my advice to watch the hijinks at the Oct. 9 meeting on television, as they were too much to describe on the blog).
So today I called the phone number on the city web site for PCTV. No answer. The latest schedule posted is for December.
I no longer have a television set, so I was unaware that the meetings are not being televised.
The blog about PCTV seems to be stuck in time back between April and June.
Considering that franchise fees are used to run the operation, maybe someone can explain why operators are taping the meetings (and presumably getting paid) but then the meetings are not being televised.
This division is under Administration & Finance, so maybe Mr. Restaino or the division head can explain to the public at the November agenda-fixing session, which has been rescheduled to 7:30 p.m. on Nov. 8.
--Bernice
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Bernice,
ReplyDeleteI will find out why the meetings are not being aired. I can't imagine that the Media Division all of a sudden doesn't have the wherewithal to air the meetings, when other material shot for the station has aired. It is the against the law to withhold the airing of these public meetings. Residents are entitled to see copies of the DVDs, which are kept in the clerk's office.
Rebecca
Bernice, the Media department was dissolved pending approval of city funds to pay for salaries for the new positions which were just posted a couple weeks ago. They were all part-time contractors working at the station, an effort to hire them all permanent was blocked by Rebecca Williams and Adrian Mapp for months and months. The crew created new content to air on the local channel as well as filming the city council meetings and other city events. Verizon pays the City of Plainfield over $150,000 a year to fund the station and they don't ever see a dime of that money.
ReplyDeleteWhat a shame the station is down. I would have loved to see the "carnival" or mayoral circus at Hanna Atkins!
ReplyDeleteBernice,
ReplyDeleteThe anonymous individual who wrote the comment at 8:55 a is a straight-up liar. We blocked NOTHING. You can ask Chris Payne, Al Restaino, and Eric Berry. This individual is making this up. Nothing was dissolved. As a matter of fact, what the council did was provide Chris/the administration the budget funds to create permanent positions, rather than continue to use seasonal workers who, by law, have to be terminated every 3 months. The hiring of workers is an administrative function--ask Personnel Director Karen Dabney, who clarified the policy during the budget hearings. I am hopeful that the permanent positions will be filled soon, as I am sure Chris is. However, that has nothing to do with the scurillous lie this anonymous coward is attempting to promulgate. As a matter of fact, I asked Chris Payne last week if he had heard some of these lies, and he said he had not, but said that if anyone asked, he would clarify that the council gave him the support he needed. Clearly, this anonymous individual has a personal axe to grind--I have an idea who it is as well...pathetic. Rather than making up lies about Adrian and me, this person ought to apply for one of the positions. Again, there is no way the council can "block hires"--that is only within the purview of the mayor and her administration. Also, the lie has absolutely nothing to do with airing city council meetings on PCTV. The meetings are recorded--the apparatus is in place to air them. One would have to ask the administration why they are not being aired.
Rebecca
My apologies Rebecca Williams. I heard the positions were posted just a few weeks ago. Meanwhile, the people that held those part-time positions have been out of work since June and still are not working, in this economy. So all the summer city events were not televised. No need to be so angry and nasty Rebecca. There is no personal axe to grind, but of course you would think that. I sit in these meetings and see how the public voices their concerns, which is usually a whole lot of complaining about what the "city council" is NOT doing. Get off your soap box and explain to the people who elected you what have you done for this town! Wake up Plainfield, let's ask ourselves are we better off since Rebecca Williams and Adrian Mapp took office??
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