Cornwall Borough Council purchases live-streaming equipment

This article was funded by LebTown donors as part of our Civic Impact Reporting Project.

Cornwall Borough Council unanimously agreed on July 14 to purchase and install a $2,863 camera and microphone system for the meeting room.

Council has discussed the possibility of adding an audio/visual system for several years, though council members disagreed on the price point. Over $40,000 has been budgeted, but not spent, for the system each year for the last three years, though the only equipment installed thus far is televisions to broadcast materials referenced during meetings.

After councilman Bruce Conrad came forward with a proposal from a local business to live-stream meetings for council for $600 a meeting last month, attendee and Lebanon Valley Chamber of Commerce president Karen Groh suggested council look at the chamber’s A/V system, which she said cost around $5,000 in one-time costs.

Read More: Cornwall Borough Council continues discussion on broadcasting meetings

Since then, chairman Bruce Harris said, five council members have toured the Chamber of Commerce to look at the system and were happy with what they saw.

The quote from Myerstown business Choice Communications includes speaker and mic arrays, a camera that would be oriented toward council, and a mic receiver, as well as installation costs.

In the last three years, some in the community have strongly supported efforts to broadcast meetings with the goal of making them accessible to more residents, including parents with kids and people with atypical work schedules. Others have opposed broadcasting, citing privacy concerns and fears publicly available recordings may change the atmosphere of council meetings.

Multiple council members said council’s intention was to take resident concerns about privacy into account as it drafts policies for use of this system.

“I sort of compare it to church,” said councilwoman Beth Yocum, describing the challenges she has faced as a church leader working to encourage access of church services like Sunday School and nursery in the digital age. “Now, looking at our community, we do have working parents who would like to see some of these things. Times have changed in the last 20 years, especially since COVID, and I think we have to meet people’s needs right now.”

Though there are multiple options available for broadcasting meetings, the borough is considering using Zoom or a different platform by invitation only, with links only available to residents.

In addition to council meetings, broadcast could also be used by other borough organizations and committees, such as the fire department (which occasionally holds trainings and informational sessions in the meeting room).

In other news, council:

• Heard that PennDOT denied its request to place “no trucks” signs on State Route 72 regarding truck restrictions on Ironmaster Road. Council also unanimously agreed to purchase two “no trucks” signs at the entrance to the road, at PennDOT’s recommendation.

• Unanimously authorized Michelle Brummer to complete a fair share analysis as part of a zoning review, with costs expected to total $2,864.68 for just Cornwall and $2,226.14 per municipality if West Cornwall Township agrees to also be part of the review.
• Unanimously approved a waiver of street widening on Maple Lane for the Cavalry development at Quentin, a mixed-use development planned primarily for West Cornwall Township, with three homes partially located in Cornwall. Council members also conditionally approved the plan.

Read More: Cavalry at Quentin wins conditional approval, clearing last hurdle for Wawa

• Unanimously agreed to authorize a truck convoy planned for Aug. 22.
• Unanimously authorized Alden Street Closures Aug. 8 and 10, Sept. 14, and Oct. 12 for the Cornwall United Methodist Church Peach Festival and concert series.
• Unanimously approved the hire of a full-time officer, the only applicant to the position following the resignation of a former officer who was hired by the state police.
• Unanimously approved the final pay application of $14,780 for MS-4 work by M. Webster Construction.
• Unanimously agreed to grant a stormwater exemption for Grandview Circle of Cornwall Manor, which is tearing out and replacing three old homes with two-car garages instead of one-car garages.
• Tabled until September action on an enforcement notice for 104 Store Lane.
• Unanimously agreed to request on the planning commission’s recommendation that Landmark extend a guiderail on Anthracite Road.
• Heard that Conrad has begun planning for the borough’s 100th anniversary next year, with plans to solicit feedback from the community in the next few months.

Cornwall Borough Council meets the second Monday of each month at 6:30 p.m. Meetings are open to the public and do not require prior registration.