The Oconto County Board has authorized an upgrade of the sound system in its meeting room that will make it easier for visitors to follow the conversation and allow for recording of board meetings.
Supervisors voted 27-1 to spend up to $50,000 to place microphones in front of all 31 board members, along with related equipment and hardware. Camera Corner, which installed the existing system when the room was remodeled in 2021, was hired to make the improvements.
County Administrator Richard Heath said a technology group has been investigating since August to see if it’s feasible to record county board meetings. Test recordings of a board meeting and a staff meeting revealed inadequacies.
“We found there’s a lot of holes and gaps and insufficiencies in the current technology that we have here on different levels,” Heath said. “We’re still investigating the recording aspect; there’s some software changes and things that need to be done as well for that particular step.
“But what has been brought to our attention the last three or four months is the inability for people to hear.”
The current system has microphones for the administrator, county board chairman, county clerk and corporation counsel, but comments from the other 30 board members are only picked up by two microphones in the ceiling, Heath said. As a result, visitors have to strain to try to understand what board members are saying.
“In order for us to move toward recording of our county board meetings, if that’s what the county board members choose to do, we really have to resolve the inadequacy of the sound that we have currently,” Heath said. “I think it will be a significant upgrade for people to be able to hear.”
The improved system will also include allow the chairman greater flexibility to adjust the position of the room’s two cameras to follow speakers on video.
The proposal was approved by the property and technology committee and the administration committee before coming to the full board.
Supervisor Stephanie Holman asked if Camera Corner will reimburse the county for the inadequate ceiling microphones.
“The ones that we put up are only a couple of years old. Are we getting any kind of credit for those?” Holman said. “It’s kind of frustrating. Being that they’re the experts, and these aren’t equipped for our room, I think they should give us some kind of discount.”
County Board Chairman Alan Sleeter said giving each supervisor a mike was an option, but the board went with the ceiling microphone to keep costs down in the $250,000 remodeling project.
“They’re nice and all that, but they don’t work that well,” Sleeter said.
Supervisor Elmer Ragen was the only board member who opposed the project. He did not comment.
wbluhm@newmedia-wi.com
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