Houlton councilor wants all board meetings televised

HOULTON – When Town Council meetings were first broadcast live over the town’s public access channel seven years ago, some residents believed the move would benefit taxpayers by giving them a better picture of their government at work.

A few years later, however, some people have said the cameras discouraged people from talking at the meetings.

Despite differing opinions, the cameras have remained on, and now one councilor wants town officials to think about turning them on at all the municipal board meetings.

During a recent meeting, Councilor Carl Lord said he wanted the group to explore having all the town’s meetings aired on the public access channel.

The issue is on the agenda for discussion at the next meeting.

“I would like to see the cameras on at all of our different meetings,” Lord noted at the gathering.

“That includes the planning board, the zoning board, and the Shiretown Development Corp. meetings. I would like to see that put on the next agenda so that we can discuss it.”

Now only council meetings, along with some special meetings arranged by the town, are televised.

Last April, the SAD 29 board also considered televising its meetings, but never took action on the matter.

The meetings of the SDC board are not televised. The SDC, which acts as an economic development arm for the town, frequently discusses and makes important decisions about economic development issues.

Live broadcasts of the council meetings began in September 1998 after a survey conducted earlier that year by the town’s cable TV committee revealed that at least half the people who responded wanted to see the meetings aired.

While all meetings are open to the public, time constraints and health conditions can prevent people from attending.

In 2001, however, some councilors said the cameras actually deterred people from stepping up to the podium and making comments.

A few group members also said some residents and councilors took advantage of the broadcasts to advance their own causes and benefit their own issues.

The town has few rules and regulations to determine what can be televised on the channel and who can use it. Last November, the council decided to form a committee to draft guidelines on how to govern the broadcasts.

Council Chairman Gerald Adams said he knew the subject was sometimes cantankerous, but agreed it should be talked about.

“Increasing the TV time is a difficult subject,” Adams said. “Some people would like the cameras on 24 hours a day, while some people don’t want them on at all. I am going to put this on the agenda for the next meeting.”