Report Prepared by: Jeff Bennyhoff, Director of Information Technology
Title
SUBJECT: Approval of the Transition of Public Meeting Livestreams from Facebook to YouTube
REPORT IN BRIEF
Approval of the transition of public meetings from Facebook to YouTube to ensure long term public access, improved accessibility features, and broader compatibility across devices, while continuing to utilize existing broadcast platforms.
RECOMMENDATION
City Council - Adopt a motion approving the transition of public meeting livestreams from Facebook to YouTube.
Body
ALTERNATIVES
1. Approve, as recommended by Staff; or,
2. Approve, subject to other than recommended by Staff; or,
3. Deny; or,
4. Refer to Staff for reconsideration of specific items; or,
5. Continue to a future meeting.
AUTHORITY
Charter of the City of Merced, Section 200.
CITY COUNCIL PRIORITIES
As provided for in the Council Goals and Priorities.
DISCUSSION
The City currently livestreams and records all City Council meetings and Brown Act-covered boards and commissions to ensure transparency and public access to governmental proceedings. Meetings are broadcast simultaneously on the City’s website, Facebook, and local cable television channels, including Comcast and AT&T. Recordings are retained and archived on the City’s website in accordance with applicable records retention requirements and serve as the City’s official repository for meeting videos.
While the City website remains the official location for archived meeting recordings, many residents rely on widely used social media and video-sharing platforms to locate and view historical City meetings. These platforms serve as an important point of discovery for residents seeking access to past City Council and commission proceedings.
Facebook has started to implement a platform-wide retention policy under which Facebook Live broadcasts are automatically deleted after 30 days. As a result, historical meeting recordings are/will no longer be available on Facebook beyond this retention period. Although Facebook is not the City’s official archival platform, this policy change limits long-term public access to meeting recordings on a platform commonly used by residents.
Staff recommends transitioning the City’s social media livestreaming of City Council and Brown Act-covered board and commission meetings from Facebook to YouTube. Under this proposal, YouTube would replace Facebook as the City’s social media livestreaming platform. All other existing broadcast and archival practices would remain unchanged, including livestreaming and archiving on the City’s website and broadcasts on local cable television channels.
YouTube provides long-term video availability on a widely used public platform, allowing residents to more easily locate and view historical City meeting recordings through familiar search and viewing tools.
YouTube offers enhanced accessibility features, including automatic live captions with broader language support and translation capabilities, improving access for residents who prefer to engage with public meetings in languages other than English. The platform also provides consistent functionality across a wide range of devices, including smart televisions, desktop and laptop computers, tablets, and mobile devices.
Viewers are not required to create or sign in to a YouTube or social media account to view City meeting broadcasts, reducing barriers to public access and ensuring meetings remain freely available to the public. Examples of YouTube recorded Council and Commission meetings may be found at:
<https://www.youtube.com/@CityOfMerced/streams>.
The proposed transition was presented to the City Council Governance Subcommittee for informational review and discussion. No concerns were raised regarding the proposed change. Staff is now bringing the item forward to the City Council for consideration. Transitioning the City’s social media livestreaming from Facebook to YouTube aligns with the City of Merced’s ongoing efforts to modernize digital communications, enhance transparency, and improve public access to governmental proceedings. By maintaining existing website and cable television broadcasts while adopting a platform that provides longer content availability and enhanced accessibility, the City can better meet the needs of residents seeking to engage with local government.
IMPACT ON CITY RESOURCES
The proposed transition affects only the City’s social media livestreaming platform and does not alter official record retention practices. The City website will continue to serve as the official archive for meeting recordings. There is no anticipated fiscal impact associated with this change, and no reduction in public access to live or recorded meetings.
ATTACHMENTS
None.