Gettysburg Borough Council is leaning towards airing more meetings live from East High Street. During their first budget workshop on Monday, council members agreed that Historic Architectural Review Board and Planning Commission meetings should be livestreamed through Community Media of South Central PA and made available for on-demand viewing.
If approved, the borough will pay Community Media $3,240 for each body. The borough currently livestreams borough council meetings, borough council workshops, and special budget workshops. The additional meetings will result in $14,040 of borough funds being used to livestream them. The borough also connects with the community by funding two newsletters, which cost $4,250.
Potentially adding Planning Commission meetings to the lineup comes after two years of citizen requests. Save Historic Gettysburg, a group of citizens who oppose a Stratton Street Development Project, has paid Community Media to broadcast the meetings for about a year.
Councilman Chris Berger said the meetings have helped him become more knowledgeable of the Planning Commission’s deliberations when he has been unable to attend meetings.
“The public likes transparency, I think that is important for public trust,” he said.
Council President Matthew Moon also supported the expense, but said he believes the borough is transparent. He noted that all of its meetings are open to the public and very few people attend. He noted that while the borough has several other authorities, boards, and commissions, Planning Commission and HARB are the most popular. He cautioned that Zoning Hearing and Code Enforcement Appeals boards can get contentious, so future requests to fund the broadcasts of those meetings are possible.
Councilmember Chad-Alan Carr concurred and reminded those in attendance that all costs must be funded.
“This may or may not be raising taxes because of it,” he said.
Junior Councilmember Elizabeth Prieto, a Gettysburg College student who attends meetings to aid in discussions but cannot vote, asked if a cheaper option exists. Moon said Community Media is a strong partner of the borough, and he wishes to support the organization.
Alex J. Hayes has spent almost two decades in the Adams County news business. He is passionate about sharing stories focused on the people in our communities and following local governments in an age when few journalists report on their meetings. Alex is also a freelance writer for several other publications in South Central Pennsylvania. Alex encourages readers to contact him at ahayes83@gmail.com.