Majority of City Council supports the idea of livestreaming meetings

City Council members generally seem receptive to the idea of livestreaming their meetings – but it is not yet clear when it would happen and whether there would be restrictions placed on the public to prevent “grandstanding.”

Sea Isle City currently does not livestream its meetings on Zoom or offer remote access to the public on any other online platforms. The only option for members of the public to see the Council meetings live is to show up in person.

But Councilman Ian Ciseck has been pushing for livestreaming to expand public access and participation in the meetings. He brought up the issue again at Tuesday’s Council meeting and seemed to win the backing of most of the other members.

Ciseck believes the public would enthusiastically support livestreaming. He said livestreaming would give an opportunity “for everyone to see, for everyone to hear” the meetings without having to be there in person.

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.

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

Council members William Kehner and Mike Jargowsky said publicly during Tuesday’s meeting they have no serious objections to livestreaming.

Jargowsky called livestreaming the “evolution of communication in this world.”

Kehner said he is not opposed to livestreaming, but noted that the city would need to have guidelines in place and would have to explore the proper technology for offering remote access to the meetings.

Edwardi has expressed concerns that livestreaming might allow people to “grandstand” during the meetings by discussing issues that have nothing to with Sea Isle.

However, when asked in an interview after Tuesday’s meeting whether he would support livestreaming, he replied, “I think we should do it.”

     Members of the public currently must attend the Council meetings in person at City Hall to see them live.
  

Ciseck suggested that one possible way to prevent grandstanding is to have members of the public submit questions to the City Clerk’s Office in advance of the meetings. The clerk would then read those questions during the meetings on behalf of people who are watching on livestream, he said.

Council President Mary Tighe, who has not yet endorsed livestreaming, said there may be other ways to increase public participation in the local government.

As an example, she mentioned the possibility of having a “Frequently Asked Questions” section on the city’s website to provide more information to the public.

Tighe expressed concerns that Council would have to place limits on the amount of time members of the public are allowed to speak during meetings in order to accommodate livestreaming.

“I don’t want to have to put constraints on it, but that would happen if we just opened up the livestream,” she said in a text Thursday explaining her position on the issue.

Tighe indicated that she wouldn’t object if Sea Isle recorded its meetings instead and then placed the video on the city’s website the next day for public viewing, similar to what Ocean City does for its Council meetings.

In the meantime, Sea Isle will continue to consider its options for livestreaming or possibly using another technology to give the public remote access to the meetings, she said.

“So, there are ways to do it to satisfy everyone’s wants, and we will move forward in a methodical, responsible way,” Tighe said in the text.

City Council issued a statement earlier this month explaining that 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.