The Policy Committee will be discussing allowing internet access in the Lyle Shields Meeting Room during County Board meetings tonight at its monthly committee meeting. The meeting was moved from Wednesday night to tonight at 7pm. From the information that we've been given, there would be no cost to use the service (there shouldn't be we pay for it), your device (laptop, PDA, cell phone) would have to be wi-fi enabled, the service would not be available when meetings aren't in session (it would be cut off when the sound system in the meeting room is turned off). I know that in the past this has been a request by many in the county as well as by many of the board members themselves so I thought I would let you know that it is coming up tonight and if it passes it would then go to the full board later in the month.
*Update - This resolution passed in committee tonight by a 8-1 vote (Chairman Betz voted against). It will now go to the full board but it won't make the consent agenda because it wasn't unanimous. Also, if this passes through the full board, internet access would also be available at Brookins on election nights.
Kevin Hunt
Excellent!
It's about time.
Is the sound system ever cut off during a brief recess, or any other time between the start and end of a meeting? If so, tying it to the sound system might not be the best way to handle it. If there is a recess, that's the time when people might want to utilize the system to email editors, post writing, etc.
And a big thank you to the CB members and staff who worked (and are working still) to make this happen.
I believe that the only time that the sound system would be cut off would be during closed sessions. It's been my experience that we very seldom go into recess unless the meeting goes really long.
Kevin Hunt
What was Betz's argument against the resolution?
I forget his exact words, but it was something along the lines of not being up on all the new technology. IP was mentioned, so that could have had some bearing on it I guess.
"I forget his exact words, but it was something along the lines of not being up on all the new technology. IP was mentioned, so that could have had some bearing on it I guess."
Well, it took people some time to get used to horseless carriages, too.
Thanks for the update.
It's illustrative that such a basic, common-sense item cannot pass out of a Champaign County Board Committee unanimously. Sigh.