Farmington Officials Look at New Web Service

officials are looking at adding an Internet service that will make reviewing city council agendas and meeting videos a whole lot easier. 

Offered by California-based Granicus, the service would allow viewers to jump to a specific portion of a meeting recording, by simply clicking a link for the agenda item they wish to see. Agendas are also presented in a way that allows the user to make notes and comments on the document. 

"I think it's a great tool," city clerk Sue Halberstadt said during a Monday night study session. She said the city clerk in Clawson, where the service is already in place, "felt it was absolutely a benefit to the city." (See an example on the City of Clawson's website.) 

The move would allow the city to dispense with agenda packets on CD that are delivered by officers to council members' homes. City manager Vince Pastue said the service could be used to post other types of video; Clawson's site includes a video explaining an upcoming millage vote, for instance. 

Cost to implement the system is $13,000, with a maintenance cost of about $1,000 a year, Pastue said. The city would save in employee time, with less spent on preparing meeting minutes and agendas. 

"I think the bigger win here is transparency," city council member Greg Cowley said.

Officials will consider the contract at a future meeting. Pastue said there is a window of time for implementation and training for the clerk's office that would fall between the February partisan primary and August general primary elections.