West Lebanon approves sound system purchase, hopes to record meetings

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

The West Lebanon Township Board of Commissioners voted 4-1 to approve the purchase of a sound system at its Feb. 2 meeting, with the goal of livestreaming meetings via Zoom and having the recordings available on the township website.

Commissioner Joseph Templin voted against the motion and said he wanted more information.

The township received several quotes and ultimately went with Rick Bouchette Computer Consultants for a $1,175 estimate. A copy of the proposal shows $375 for an eight-channel wireless microphone system, $325 for four in-ceiling speaker systems, and $65 for 200 feet of 12-gauge speaker wire.

RBCC will install the ceiling-mounted speakers, connect to the hardware in the storage room, and test the system. They estimate it will take four hours at $90 per hour.

The other quotes were several thousand dollars higher and included more equipment. Commissioners ultimately decided the township didn’t need a more complicated system since they’re only hoping to livestream meetings via Zoom and upload the recordings to the website.

The township already has a camera that was used to livestream meetings during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“For the people that can’t make our meetings, it’s transparency,” commissioner Justin Snyder said. “Something that should have been done a while ago, and then for everyone in here to hear us.”

After the meeting, commissioner Michelle Testerman said many township residents are hard of hearing, so microphones and a speaker system will help them hear the discussions when they attend in person.

She also said Bouchette works with the township’s other sound systems and equipment, so a contract with him would bring his previous experience.

“Rick already is so in tune with our system and understands everything we’re doing,” Testerman said.

She said they don’t currently have a timeline for installation.

In other business, commissioners:

• Adopted ordinance 547, amending the township’s codified ordinances to adopt the 2021 Edition of the IPMC and the 2021 ICC codes.
• Decided to use Commonwealth Code Inspection Service Inc. for property maintenance code enforcement. It will cost $50 per address for basic complaints typically resolved with a door hanger or courtesy letter, and $85 per address for an initial inspection to evaluate a situation and gather all necessary information to begin enforcement procedures. It will also be $75 per non-traffic citation and $200 for court preparation.
• Tabled a decision to form a recreation committee, pending additional information. The township already has a committee, but solicitor Paul Bametzreider said he couldn’t find an ordinance on the books establishing it. He said they wouldn’t need an ordinance if it were a purely advisory committee. Commissioner Jeffrey Clarke said there are three people on the committee, and they’re looking to add two more.
• Appointed Clarke as the Lebanon County Library representative.

West Lebanon Township will meet next on March 2 at 7 p.m. at the municipal building at 322 N. 22nd St., Lebanon.