Wednesday 13 March 2013

Executive Board to recommend webcasting pilot


The agenda for next Monday's Executive Board meeting has been published and includes, finally, the proposal to webcast full council meetings for a 12 month pilot. The cost will be met by a recent Welsh Government grant made available to 'promote local democracy. I am assuming that it will be approved and passed on to full council for their approval. I hope to attend the meeting.

The details can be found on the council website here.

I also note that this disappointing, but expected statement is included in the Summary;
It should also be noted that the Council also decided to confirm the recommendation of the Business Management Group, that members of the public would not be allowed to film meetings until the pilot on broadcasting meetings has taken place and been evaluated.

On a separate issue, the Board has to approve the Independent Remuneration Panel for Wales report into Members' Allowances and expenses. Little has changed from last year except a new requirement that;
"the annual public declarations of payments to members the Council should now include remuneration from all public service appointments held by elected members by virtue of being a councillor. 
(e.g. allowances paid by the Dyfed Powys Police & Crime Panel, Community Health Council, WLGA and any other body that the Council appoints members to serve upon will now be included in the published annual schedule of allowances paid to councillors, co-opted and independent members of the council’s committees)"
About time too, I'm sure this was recommended by the IRPW over a year ago.


5 comments:

Anonymous said...

I wonder if the webcasts will be live or 'tidied up a bit' before broadcast.

Martin Milan said...

The council have suggested to the BBC that the webcasts will be live and then available for watching later... Whether that is what eventually happens remains to be seen, but I think with #DaftArrest etc the BBC will probably be more than happy to point out publicly if they do...

Personally, I'm encouraged by what they have proposed to do - I think all sides come out this better than they went in. I only really have two concerns...

First of all, this is apparently only for a year, at which point the trial ends. If the policy is adopted then great, but if not, we're back where we started...

Secondly, to my mind Jacqui should still be allowed to film. Why? My counter is why not??? She can't (and wouldn't) edit things to her advantage, because at the end of the day the council would have their own film with which to refute any distortions of the truth.

The Councillors and staff need to remember that they are our servants, not our masters.

caebrwyn said...

Yes I believe the intention is to live stream the meetings, this is different to the original proposal to record then upload the material.
I also hope it continues after a year, let's hope plenty of people watch and it's extended to other meetings in the Chamber.

I, of course, also believe that the principle of allowing the public to make their own recordings should be made. Indeed, why not??

Anonymous said...

Well done on this - and good luck for tomorrow.

By the way who or what is the buisiness management group - who is on it and what do they do ?

Minutes of discussions available ?

caebrwyn said...

Anon 15.45
The Business Management Group consists of officers and party leaders, including the 'leader' of the Independents. Unaffiliated or truly independent councillors are not represented. Despite meeting regularly and making 'recommendations' to the Exec Board there is no published agenda, nor published minutes. The BMG does not appear in the council's organisational structure either.