New Janesville service would increase access to government
Photo 
Gordy LaChance
JANESVILLE — It's December, but you want to hear a Janesville City Council debate on sidewalks that took place in May. Or you want to hear public comments about a proposed homeless shelter that were made before the plan commission weeks earlier.
Or you want to watch a council meeting live but can't because the meetings are broadcast on cable TV and you don't have cable.
Next year, a simple click on the city's website will allow you to do all that and more.
The council tentatively approved paying $390 a month to web stream council and committee meetings live. The fee also pays to store the videos.
City Manager Eric Levitt included the $4,680 in the 2011 budget because he said it is a small expense for a valuable service.
"This gives more accessibility to council meetings for very little cost to a broader base of the public," Levitt said.
The city also could upload videos onto the site, including videos produced by JATV.
The system's capabilities could increase over time if the council opts to spend more money. For instance, residents could eventually search for material by listing ordinances.
In the past, the city did not provide the service because of the expense. The cost has decreased dramatically, and the cost is now basically a service fee, said Gordy LaChance, the city's information technology manager.
LaChance acknowledged that the budget is tight.
"This gives people something they don't have now that is very, very important to them," he said.
At a recent study session, Councilman Tom McDonald suggested that the city wait a year to implement the service because the council is looking for cuts "anywhere and everywhere.
"It's not something that is terribly important," McDonald said. "I've never heard anybody say, ‘Gosh, I wish I could watch council meetings on the website.'
"We're talking about reducing officers … reducing staff," he said. "This is an increase in service and, right now, frankly, (I'm) trying not to increase services anywhere across the board."
Councilman Bill Truman agreed, saying he believed most people in Janesville have cable TV through Charter Communications.
"This is an enhancement for a few that want to watch it on the web," Truman said.
Councilman Yuri Rashkin said people have talked to him about being able to watch council meetings.
"To me, that is part of basic services," Rashkin said. "It's very important. Fewer and fewer people have Charter, and U-Verse doesn't carry JATV at all.
"I think we're doing a huge service to democracy by making council meetings accessible," he said.
Council members tentatively approved spending the money on a 5-2 vote at a recent budget study session. Truman and McDonald voted against including the expense.
A second budget study session is at 7 tonight in City Hall, 18 N. Jackson St.
Those who have cable can watch the meeting live on JATV on channel 98 and digital channel 994.
Oct 22, 2010 at 8:06 p.m.
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Milton City Council meetings are on the schools web site at redhawkmedia.com. Maybe JVL should be working with the JVL school district, could save some money.
Oct 22, 2010 at 7:37 p.m.
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I've been saying "gosh, I wish I could listen to city council meetings on the internet" but maybe I haven't been saying it loud enough! This will be great!
Oct 22, 2010 at 3:02 p.m.
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To doc0430,
About your comment on just getting hooked up with Uverse, it is not quite that simple. There is expensive equipment JATV would have to purchase to connect to AT&T. Currently AT&T will not pay for such equipment, so until JATV can acquire the many thousands of dollars required they will not be on U-Verse.
Oct 22, 2010 at 12:08 p.m.
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Exactly MikeF,
I don't have cable TV either but we do have the internet.
We watch almost all our same shows right from the company's websites (CBS, Fox, CW, etc) and also on Hulu, and have a subscription to Netflix (less than $10/month) and watch a lot of instant streaming shows and get DVDs in the mail.
This has saved us around $80/month.
Oh and we do have a TV antenna and get about 18 stations but rarely use it.
Oct 22, 2010 at 11:26 a.m.
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Whether you like it or not, computers will soon be in every home. Yes there is a generation out there that missed the high tech era and don't want to be confused trying to learn it, but they are not the majority. We have to look at the future and keep up with change, not pretend it isn't happening. Those without computers can use the ones at the library with assistance. In fact, they're probably the ones using the library the most anyway. Home computers have eliminated the need to use library reference materials. Cut the library budget.
Oct 22, 2010 at 8:48 a.m.
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Not 40 or older.. We have U verse. I have been asking for a year for the council meetings to be on the internet -- please --(like most cities Janesville's size.) I have prior commitments on Monday nights. I would LOVE to be there in person, as it is always much more exciting to see all of the drama IN the room and not just what the mic and camera picks up. ;) But I will be very glad for the internet option.
Oct 22, 2010 at 8:40 a.m.
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Excellent idea.
Oct 22, 2010 at 8:14 a.m.
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I really have no interest in 3 sports channels, 5 shopping channels, 2 channels in a language I neither speak nor understand, and dozens of other useless to me channels. Why would I pay for something I would not use? I don't have cable but I do have internet. I have DSL from my phone company. I watch the tv shows I want on hulu.com when I want.
As for the 40 and older. Guilty as charged. :)
Oct 22, 2010 at 8:14 a.m.
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While I am sure what they are trying to do could be done cheaper, I think it is a good thing. On the internet you can watch the video anytime you want and skip parts that don't interest you. Anyone who can get to a public library has access to the internet, not so with cable. I am sure if you watch the meetings you will see bigger wastes of money than you think this is.
Oct 22, 2010 at 7:50 a.m.
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KEEP SPENDING JANESVILLE, EVERYONE THERE IS RICH ANYWAYS!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Oct 22, 2010 at 12:08 a.m.
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Apparently someone is ASSUMING that if one doesn't have cable they have internet. I'm thinkin' if someone doesn't have cable, they most likely don't have internet and those most likely to have an interest in watching the banter would be citizens 40 and older and probably most likely older than 60. Without a computer let alone internet.
Oct 21, 2010 at 9:21 p.m.
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I don't have charter or u-verse, but would like to see the meetings. And no I cannot go to the meeting live because I have board meetings for two non-profits on the nights of the city council meetings.
Bill Truman's comment that most people have charter shows just how out of touch he is.
Oct 21, 2010 at 8:56 p.m.
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U-Verse has a public access channel all the city of Janesville would have to do is get hooked into it as right now it carries Madison council meetings, I think its time Janesville gets it together and get in on this as well if they're concerned about people being able to watch the meetings and for that matter if these people that Yuri "claims" want to see meetings but can't because they don't have Charter, the easiest solution to that problem is that if they want to see meetings turn of your computer get up and GO TO ONE!! I agree with Tom McDonald completely on this and thats that if we are indeed looking to trim the budget in every way possible adding this is just non-sense at this time, we have went all these years without such a thing that I just can't see it as being needed at this time.
City Manager Eric Levitt included the $4,680 in the 2011 budget because he said it is a small expense for a valuable service.
It sure seems to me that new City Manager Eric Levitt sure is pretty free about spending the cities tax dollars when we are in such a economic downturn and he needs to rethink such things that well yes they would be nice but are not really necessary to get by. $4,680 that could be used in many other areas when trimming the fat from budget is suppose to be the goal of our city higher ups at this time, I would surely hope that he would recognize that this is one more thing that we can live without for at least a few more years......
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