Bethlehem man puts council meetings online for all to see
September 21, 2010 Sunshine Act | Open meetings
By LYNN OLANOFF
The (Easton) Express-Times
BETHLEHEM — When city council President Robert Donchez in April said he was working to get council meetings streamed live on the Internet, resident Tony Simao didn't think it would happen anytime soon.
Remembering the video camera he received as a Christmas gift a few years back that was just gathering dust, Simao decided to put it to use and record the meetings himself.
While he doesn't have the ability to stream the meetings live, he has recorded every meeting since July 20, making them accessible to the public on YouTube.com.
"I'm putting it out there so the citizens of Bethlehem know who they're voting for," said Simao, who started attending council meetings last year to advocate saving the old Broughal Middle School. "Government should always be held accountable."
Putting council meetings online makes it possible for more residents to monitor their local officials, said Simao, who has heard from several residents grateful for his videos.
"Hopefully more and more people will pay attention and that's my goal," he said.
Resident Bob Pfenning, who originally proposed to council the idea of live-streaming its meetings, said Simao's videos are a benefit to the public, although he would prefer the city broadcast the meetings itself.
"I think it's a step in the right direction," Pfenning said. "I think anything that enables people to see what's going on in the meetings when it's not convenient for them to attend is a good thing."
Pfenning, a regular at city council meetings, said he often watches Northampton County Council meetings online rather than driving to Easton. Easton Area School District also live-streams its board meetings and Lehigh County is working on a system.
If Bethlehem installs a system in its main meeting room, the city could also broadcast planning and zoning board meetings that take place in the same room, Pfenning said.
Donchez could not be reached for comment last week, but city Clerk Cindy Biedenkopf said no progress has been made in setting up an online broadcasting system. In April, Donchez said council was seeking estimates on a system and that officials were talking to Northampton County officials about their system.
Simao said city council members have not offered any feedback about his videos. In July, Simao asked if he would be allowed to record the meetings, which Donchez affirmed he could.
Councilman Gordon Mowrer said he's observed Simao recording the meetings, but he wasn't sure why he was doing it. Members of Mayor John Callahan and Rep. Charlie Dent's congressional campaigns also have been recording recent council meetings.
"If he wants to do it, he can do it," Mowrer said of Simao. "We don't do anything there that's not public. It's not going to make any difference in what I say."
Simao, who writes about city government for the citizen journalism site Examiner.com, said he has opinions on local issues, but he tries not to let them color his video coverage. While he can't post the meetings in their entirety because of YouTube's 15-minute length limit, he posts the meetings in several sections and tries only to exclude extraneous sections such as votes on routine matters or irrelevant public comment, he said.
Simao concedes that his videos may not portray every council member in the same light. But he said that portrayal is based on how council members act, not on anything he does.
"Once you turn the camera on, people will highlight themselves for either good or bad," he said. "They'll either come across as arrogant or they'll come across as a watchdog."
Simao's videos have been viewed almost 1,350 times and he has three regular followers, including Lower Saucon Township resident Karen Samuels.
While she lives out of town, Samuels is a member of the South Bethlehem Historical Society and said she likes to pay attention to Bethlehem government matters related to historic preservation.
"The average resident is overwhelmed with demands on their time, whether it is work, after-school children's activities, taking care of elderly parents," Samuels said.
"Attending local government meetings is not a priority, but it doesn't mean we are not interested. Video is the next best thing to being there."
The (Easton) Express-Times
BETHLEHEM — When city council President Robert Donchez in April said he was working to get council meetings streamed live on the Internet, resident Tony Simao didn't think it would happen anytime soon.
Remembering the video camera he received as a Christmas gift a few years back that was just gathering dust, Simao decided to put it to use and record the meetings himself.
While he doesn't have the ability to stream the meetings live, he has recorded every meeting since July 20, making them accessible to the public on YouTube.com.
"I'm putting it out there so the citizens of Bethlehem know who they're voting for," said Simao, who started attending council meetings last year to advocate saving the old Broughal Middle School. "Government should always be held accountable."
Putting council meetings online makes it possible for more residents to monitor their local officials, said Simao, who has heard from several residents grateful for his videos.
"Hopefully more and more people will pay attention and that's my goal," he said.
Resident Bob Pfenning, who originally proposed to council the idea of live-streaming its meetings, said Simao's videos are a benefit to the public, although he would prefer the city broadcast the meetings itself.
"I think it's a step in the right direction," Pfenning said. "I think anything that enables people to see what's going on in the meetings when it's not convenient for them to attend is a good thing."
Pfenning, a regular at city council meetings, said he often watches Northampton County Council meetings online rather than driving to Easton. Easton Area School District also live-streams its board meetings and Lehigh County is working on a system.
If Bethlehem installs a system in its main meeting room, the city could also broadcast planning and zoning board meetings that take place in the same room, Pfenning said.
Donchez could not be reached for comment last week, but city Clerk Cindy Biedenkopf said no progress has been made in setting up an online broadcasting system. In April, Donchez said council was seeking estimates on a system and that officials were talking to Northampton County officials about their system.
Simao said city council members have not offered any feedback about his videos. In July, Simao asked if he would be allowed to record the meetings, which Donchez affirmed he could.
Councilman Gordon Mowrer said he's observed Simao recording the meetings, but he wasn't sure why he was doing it. Members of Mayor John Callahan and Rep. Charlie Dent's congressional campaigns also have been recording recent council meetings.
"If he wants to do it, he can do it," Mowrer said of Simao. "We don't do anything there that's not public. It's not going to make any difference in what I say."
Simao, who writes about city government for the citizen journalism site Examiner.com, said he has opinions on local issues, but he tries not to let them color his video coverage. While he can't post the meetings in their entirety because of YouTube's 15-minute length limit, he posts the meetings in several sections and tries only to exclude extraneous sections such as votes on routine matters or irrelevant public comment, he said.
Simao concedes that his videos may not portray every council member in the same light. But he said that portrayal is based on how council members act, not on anything he does.
"Once you turn the camera on, people will highlight themselves for either good or bad," he said. "They'll either come across as arrogant or they'll come across as a watchdog."
Simao's videos have been viewed almost 1,350 times and he has three regular followers, including Lower Saucon Township resident Karen Samuels.
While she lives out of town, Samuels is a member of the South Bethlehem Historical Society and said she likes to pay attention to Bethlehem government matters related to historic preservation.
"The average resident is overwhelmed with demands on their time, whether it is work, after-school children's activities, taking care of elderly parents," Samuels said.
"Attending local government meetings is not a priority, but it doesn't mean we are not interested. Video is the next best thing to being there."
