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 avai...
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