Town Moderator Richard Guertin, who said he’s been talking about the proposal to videotape future annual and special town meetings with residents, reported that it is “getting a mixed review around town.”
MONSON – Voters will be asked at the annual Town Meeting on May 9 if they want future annual and special town meetings videotaped, according to Town Moderator Richard E. Guertin.
Guertin said he was approached recently with the request by non-profit M-Pact, which tapes selectmen and School Committee meetings and airs them on its local cable access channel and its website. He said he sees “pluses and minuses” if the meetings are videotaped, but feels the voters should make the final decision.
“It’s not my meeting. It’s the voters’ meeting,” Guertin said on Tuesday.
“I really feel I need to be neutral on this. I could go either way on this,” Guertin added.
M-Pact told him that four cameras would be set up around the Granite Valley Middle School auditorium, to capture the meeting from all angles. Footage will be compiled, and made available on the M-Pact website at a later date. Meetings would not be shown live, he said.
Taping the meetings may deter people from coming, if they think they can watch the proceedings later, and also could prevent camera-shy people from asking questions, Guertin said.
But, he said, positives include more transparency in government and an accurate record of what transpires at the meetings, which are typically held twice a year.
While the town clerk keeps a record of the votes, no minutes are taken detailing them, leaving only newspaper accounts of the proceedings, Guertin said. Taping the meeting also allows those who could not attend a chance to view it after the fact, and could spark interest in attending future town meetings, Guertin said.
Guertin, who said he’s been talking about the proposal with residents, reported that it is “getting a mixed review around town.”
Non-verbal votes, which required a hand count, would not be broadcast later, due to privacy concerns, he said. Questions or comments prior to the May 9 meeting can be directed to Guertin at (413) 364-9413.