To livestream or not? City Council will think it over for its meetings

Sea Isle City will consider livestreaming or videotaping its City Council meetings after a new member of the governing body called for more transparency and public access.

Ian Ciseck, who was sworn into Council in July after winning a seat in Sea Isle’s municipal election last May, is pushing for meetings to be livestreamed or, at the very least, videotaped and made available to the public within 24 hours.

“We are one of the municipalities that don’t offer this, and it frustrates me a bit,” he told his fellow Council members during their Sept. 9 meeting.

Ciseck suggested that Council should, at a minimum, experiment with livestreaming or videotaping the meetings for six to 12 months to see how it would work.

“What’s the harm in giving it a shot?” he asked.

After the meeting, Council President Mary Tighe said in an interview that she did not favor livestreaming the meetings. But she noted she would be willing to consider videotaping them for the public.

“I’m not for that,” she said of the possibility of livestreaming.

Ciseck believes livestreaming the meetings would lead to more transparency in Sea Isle’s government affairs and would also encourage more public participation.

“I think citizens deserve the opportunity to engage with our meetings, even if they’re not in this room,” he said.

However, Tighe and Councilman Frank Edwardi Jr. expressed concerns during the Sept. 9 meeting that livestreaming would allow for some people to “grandstand” and divert attention away from the regular business on the agenda.

    Sea Isle City Councilman Ian Ciseck is pushing for livestreaming.
  

In the interview, Tighe also said she feared livestreaming would interrupt Council’s ability to interact with members of the public who attend the meetings in person.

“I like the back-and-forth and our ability to have that,” she said. “With livestreaming, we would have to put parameters in.”

Tighe emphasized that she tries to be as transparent as possible in her dealings with the public. She pointed out that she and the other Council members are accessible to the public at the meetings as well as by phone and email.

Although Tighe is personally not in favor of livestreaming, Council indicated in a statement that no final decisions have been made yet.

“During the “New Business” portion of the September 9 meeting, Councilman Ciseck suggested that City Council meetings should be broadcast to the public via live-stream or some other video format, and a discussion about his suggestion followed. City Council is looking into this idea and will alert the public if any new communication system is put into place,” the statement said.

Sea Isle usually holds its Council meetings twice a month on Tuesdays at 10 a.m. Ciseck said members of the public often cannot attend meetings on Tuesday mornings because they are at work.

“10 a.m. on a Tuesday is a little difficult for people to attend,” he said.

In its statement, Council said there is “no need to wait” for the meetings in order for members of the public to ask questions or express concerns.

“Comments in the form of emails and phone calls are always welcomed by City Council, the Mayor, and the city’s Administration – and municipal contact information can easily be found on the City’s website, www.seaislecitynj.us,” the statement said.

The statement added that meeting agendas are posted in advance of all Council meetings under the “Government” tab on the homepage of the city’s website. Minutes of the meetings are also available to the public on the website after they are approved by Council.

    City Council President Mary Tighe is concerned that livestreaming could interrupt Council's interaction with members of the public who attend the meetings in person.
  

During the Sept. 9 Council meeting, three members of the public spoke in favor of livestreaming or switching the meeting times, saying it would make it easier for them or others to keep track of city business.

Jim Marino, who lives in Philadelphia and has a vacation home in Sea Isle, said he is unable to attend Council meetings on a regular basis. He told Council that it would be a big help to him if the city would livestream or videotape the meetings.

“I would be more engaged if I saw things throughout the year,” Marino said.

Anne Organ, a Sea Isle resident, said it is difficult for her granddaughter to attend Council’s morning meetings. Having meetings at night would allow her granddaughter to be more involved in the city’s government, Organ noted.

Donna Fitzpatrick, another Sea Isle resident, told Council that she had to take the day off from work in order to attend the Sept. 9 meeting in person.

“I would really like not to take off from work to come,” Fitzpatrick said of the meetings.

Livestreaming, Fitzpatrick said, would allow her to be more aware of what goes on at the government level and to participate in the community.

“I love the idea of livestreaming,” she said in an interview afterward.