Look for Farmington City Council meetings to be broadcast on Channel 15 in the near future, thanks to a small group of community volunteers and a “studio in a suitcase” provided by the Southwest Oakland Cable Commission (SWOCC).
The other two cities involved in the cable consortium, Novi and Farmington Hills, have been broadcasting council and commission meetings for some time. Farmington, being smaller in terms of population and the number of cable subscribers, receives a smaller share of the revenues provided by cable franchise fees. Thus, Farmington’s city channel broadcasts half-hour profiles of local businesses, SWOCC’s local non-profit profiles, Army Newswatch and the Mayor’s Corner, with each council member taking a turn to talk about something going on in the city.
Which is all well and good, but seeing actual council meetings will provide citizens with information that is a little less filtered. Thanks to the SWOCC Public Access volunteers Gerry Goldberg, Ken Murray and Brian Belesky, who will be working behind the scenes.
Still boggling to the mind is why the City of Farmington could find $30,000 to fund a marketing study, $20,000 to fund a parking study, but couldn’t come up with any funds to supplement the franchies fees and provide this service. It’s wonderful to have volunteers step forward, but shouldn’t the city have made communicating with its residents and bringing a little sunshine into council chambers a priority long ago?
–Joni Hubred-Golden
Michigan Woman blogger
