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HomeMy WebLinkAbout8.4 Live CablecastSystem CITY CLERK File # 1050-10 AGENDA STATEMENT CITY COUNCIL MEETING DATE: November 20, 2001 SUBJECT: Council Chambers Live Cablecast System Report Prepared By: Jason Behrmann, Administrative Analyst ATTACHMENTS: 1) 2) 3) 4) Council Chamber Diagram Camera and Mount Specifications Security Housing Photo Budget Change Form RECOMMENDATION: 1) 2) Determine whether the City should provide live transmission of City Council Meetings. If live transmission is not desired, no further action is required. If live transmission is desired, Staff recommends the following actions: Direct Staff to send a written request to AT&T to complete the fiber optic communications link for the Council Chambers° b) Provide Staff direction on whether to use the existing tri- pod mounted cameras and CTV van configuration or purchase in-house video production equipment. If the Council does not wish to purchase in-house equipment, no further action is required. If the Council chooses to purchase in-house equipment, Staff recommends the following actions: a) Approve the attached budget change form in the amount of $125,000 and b) Direct Staff to issue a Request for Proposal for the design, purchase and installation of cameras and video control equipment c) Provide Staff direction regarding issues such as lighting, security and camera configuration. H/cc-for ms/agdastmt, doc COPIES TO: ITEM NO. FINANCIAL STATEMENT: If the Council chooses to purchase video production equipment for live broadcasts in the Council Chambers, a budget adjustment would be required, as funds were not included in the current budget to provide for this project. Costs for the project are estimated to be approximately $125,000. A portion ora recent $200,000 AT&T capital grant can be used to partially offset this cost. There would be no additional cost if the Council desires live transmission without purchasing the cameras and production equipment. As part of the new cable franchise agreement, AT&T will complete the necessary improvements to provide live broadcasts at the Council Chambers. DESCRIPTION: Since 1996, City of Dublin Council meetings have been broadcast on CTV. The meetings are taped using 3 mounted tripods and a van that houses the control equipment. The meetings are aired the night following the Council Meeting and repeated several times throughout the week. In the past, the Council has shown interest in providing live transmission of City Council Meetings. Until recently, the fiber optic cable and transmission equipment necessary for live broadcasts was not available. On June 1, 2001 the City entered into a 10-year cable system franchise agreement with AT&T. As part of the agreement, AT&T has agreed to complete the fiber optic line to the Civic Center and install the ' transmission equipment required for live transmissions. Additionally, the City will receive $200,000 for capital expenditures associated with the purchase of video production equipment and associated facility modifications for the City and/or CTV. With the new franchise agreement in place, and the availability of this new funding, it is appropriate for the Council to consider the live transmission of Council Meetings and whether to purchase fixed cameras and video production equipment. LIVE CABLECAST TRANSMISSION The primary advantage of a live broadcast is that residents are able to view the information immediately. In addition to the live broadcasts, Council Meetings would continue to be re-broadcast during the week for those residents unable to attend or view the meeting Tuesday night. The project would also provide a different venue from which live programming other than City Council Meetings could be broadcast° Presently the only connections in the Tri-Valley are the Pleasanton Council Chambers and the CTV Studio. Livermore and San Ramon have similar franchise agreements that may provide live transmission connections at their respective city halls in the future. The provision of live broadcasts will not affect the cost of producing the Council Meeting or the flexibility in scheduling meetings. Once the fiber optic cable is extended to the Civic Center and AT&T installs the transmission equipment, meetings could be broadcast live. There is no requirement for new cameras or control equipment for live transmission other than City Council Meetings.. The Franchise Agreement requires that AT&T complete the required improvements for live transmission within six months from the date of the City's written request. This would mean that, if approved by the Council, the Council Chambers could be ready for live transmissions by March 2002, utilizing the existing tri-pod cameras° CITY-OWNED CAMERAS AND VIDEO PRODUCTION EQUIPMENT The Council may also wish to consider installing wall-mounted cameras and video production equipment. The primary reason for considering on-site production equipment is if the City Council desired to achieve greater control and flexibility for scheduling live events. If the City continues to rely on the CTV equipment, the availability of the van will dictate when live broadcasts can be transmitted. It should be noted that City Staff would still rely on the availability of trained CTV Staff to operate City equipment. Using the van would not be a.problem unless the City decided to change its meeting night or wanted to broadcast other events such as Planning Commission meetings. The tri-pod cameras and van availability are limited because they are used for many meetings and events in Pleasanton, Livermore, Dublin and San Ramon. Purchasing in house cameras and production equipment would also reduce the operating cost of Council Meetings. The City currently pays CTV $550 per meeting to tape and broadcast the Council Meetings. If the City had its own production equipment, CTV would provide personnel at an hourly rate. Only two staff would be required and the cost for a 4-hour meeting would be approximately $150. Only one operator is required to run the equipment, but CTV recommends keeping two, at least until the operators gain more experience with the City's system. Because the City would own the fixed cameras, annual maintenance and internal service charges for equipment replacement would be required. Including these charges, and assuming that the time required'for all meetings averages 4 hours, it is estimated that the total annual cost savings to broadcast City Council Meetings using in house cameras and production equipment would be approximately $1,000. The estimated useful life of the cameras and production equipment is 10 years, which means that the equipment will be due for replacement when the AT&T cable franchise agreement is scheduled for renewal° As part of the franchise negotiations, Staff could potentially request Council Chamber equipment replacement funds. This would eliminate the need to use the internal service funds and raise the potential annual savings to between $10,000 and $12,000. In June 2000, the City hired Coast Business Communications (CBC) to complete a cablecast feasibility study for the Council Chambers. CBC concluded that there was adequate space in the existing alcove space located behind Staff seating at the Council dais to house the video control equipment. CBC noted that this alcove could be converted to a control room with minor modifications. The modifications include: removing the millwork now being used as a counter; installing a door entering the alcove; adding an HVAC inlet/exhaust system for cooling of the equipment and operator; and permanently sealing the wall area that opens into the Council Chambers. It is estimated that the modifications would cost approximately $15,000. It should be noted that the modifications would eliminate other potential future alcove uses by City Staff. The control rOom would include a touch pad controller to remotely operate the cameras, video switchers for switching between cameras, a small monitor for each camera, a preview and take monitor for setting up a camera shot and directing it to the live feed. The system would also include a scan converter to convert computer images to video for the live feed. This would allow PowerPoint presentations to be broadcast directly without filming the image from the roll-down screen. Additionally CBC recommends installing two VCRs to ensure maintaining a good copy of all proceedings in the event of failure on the part of one VCR. CBC recommends installing four wall-mounted cameras in positions throughout the COuncil Chambers to ensure complete coverage. The camera locations are shown on the Council Chamber diagram (Attachment 1) and labeled 1-4. Camera 1 would be placed directly behind the dais and mounted at the8' level on the wall to capture a frontal shot of the speakers as they appear at the podium. Camera 2 and 3 would be located on each side of the dais on the wall at the 7' level to provide a full frontal shot of anyone seated on either side of the dais. Camera 4 would be mounted high on the wall in the rear of the Council Chambers to provide a wide shot of the dais and also to provide a frontal shot of the persons seated at the center of the dais. The cameras would be mounted on support brackets and controlled remotely from the control room. Pictures of the cameras and brackets are included as Attachment 2. It is estimated that the cameras, control equipment and installation would cost approximately $110,000. FUNCTION AND AESTHETICS There are several functional and aesthetic issues that the Council may wish to consider when determining whether to purchase in house cameras and production equipment. Functionally, the fixed cameras and production equipment would be designed specifically for the Dublin Council Chambers. The cameras would be new state of the art cameras with highly sophisticated image processing technology providing clear pictures and smooth controls. The control system would allow smooth transitions, panning, and zooming. The four mounted cameras would also provide better camera coverage, particularly of Staff and public speakers. The current tri-pod configuration creates minor inconveniences during Council Meetings. For example, it is often difficult for .Staff and the public to pass from one side of the Council Chamber to the' other because of the tripods and wires running along the floor. Additionally, the wires run out the side exit, requiring the door to remain open during the meetings, and making it difficult for Staffto prevent unauthorized entry~ Fixed cameras cause no inconvenience because they are mounted high enough to be out of the traffic area. There is no visible cabling because all wires are permanently installed. Disruption from camera operators and inconvenience from cameras and wiring is virtually eliminated. On the other hand, while the tri-pod configuration may not be the most attractive or functional, it is not permanent. In the case of remote cameras, the cables are not visible, but the brackets are visible and they are permanent. While some may feel that the cameras add to the professional appearance of the Council Chambers, others may perceive the permanent fixtures as being unattractive. Because the brackets will be drilled into the paneling, they should be Seen as permanent fixtures. Removing them would leave holes in the walls, which may not be easily repaired. LIGHTING During CBC's feasibility study, the lighting of the Council Chambers was discussed. CBC noted that existing lighting, while not optimal, would be adequate for the cameras. In order to produce the best picture quality, additional lighting would be required. When determining whether additional lighting is desired, the Council should consider whether the existing broadcast is too "dark" under the current lighting configuration. Staff has not included additional lighting as part of the budget change° If the Council desires to enhance the lighting, Staff would need time to research the issue and come back with design and cost estimates~ SECURITY As with any large capital investment, it is extremely important that the equipment be protected and secure. Camera equipment was recently stolen from the City of Pleasanton Council Chambers. To protect the City's investment, Staff has evaluated a number of different security options. The first option would be for CTV to remove the cameras after each meeting and lock them in the control room. This would be relatively easy to do and would not take much time, but may reduce the life of the cameras and increase maintenance costs due to the frequent movement and handling of the cameras. The cameras are designed to be mounted in a fixed location and are not built as portable devices as the tri-pod cameras are. Removing the cameras may also detract from the aesthetics of the Council Chambers when the cameras are not being used, because the wall brackets may look out of place without the cameras. A second option would be to purchase security housing for the cameras. The main problem with the housing is the visual impact (Attachment//3). Please note that the housing pictured in Attachment 3 is smaller than would be required for the City's cameras. The housing would be much more visible and potentially unattractive. Adequate funds are provided in the Budget Change Form if the Council desires to install security housing for the cameras° The simplest security option would be to keep the Council Chambers locked when the room is not in use. Currently, there is unrestricted access° Keeping the Chamber doors locked could be inconvenient to some but would protect the equipment against theft and vandalism. AVAILABLE FUNDS As previously mentioned, as a result of the City's new cable franchise agreement, the City will receive $200,000, which can be used for the purchase of video production equipment and associated facility modifications for the City and/or CTV. CTV is in the process of completing a design and RFP process for the expansion and renovation of the CTV studio. The CTV Board has expressed an interest in using a portion of the money from the franchise negotiations to pay for the facility and equipment improvements. Over the past 3 years, the City has provided CTV with a capital budget of $12,500 annually to upgrade outdated equipment. It is likely that this request will increase significantly as the renovation process moves forward. In the past the City has used General Fund money for CTV operating and capital costs. With the new franchise, a $.50 per subscriber fee will be used to pay the operating costs. If the City decides to use $125,000 of the $200,000 on production equipment for the Council Chambers, the City would fund future CTV capital requests in excess of $75~000 from the General Fund. While CTV has not yet received any bids for the renovation, the project is estimated to cost in excess of $600,000. The City's share would be $150,000, which means that the City would be asked to contribute at least $75,000 from the General Fund in future years. RECOMMENDATION 1) Determine whether the City should provide live transmission of City Council Meetings. If live transmission is not desired, no further action is required. If live transmission is desired, Staff recommends the following actions: Direct Staff to send a written request to AT&T to complete the fiber optic communications link for the Council Chambers. b) Provide Staff direction on whether to use the existing tri- pod mounted cameras and CTV van configuration or purchase in-house video production equipment. 2) If the Council does not wish to purchase in-house equipment, no further action is required. If the Council chooses to purchase in-house equipment, Staff recommends the following actions: a) Approve the attached budget change form in the amount of $125,000 and h) Direct Staff to issue a Request for Proposal for the design, purchase and installation of cameras and video control equipment c) Provide Staff direction regarding issues such as lighting, security and camera configuration. Council Chamber Diagram with Wall Mounted Cameras and Video Production Control Room EXIT NEW DOOR CORNTROL ENTRANCE Not drawn to scale $,~.~ A-I-I'ACH M ENT 2 CPC-WMT Description Functional Description The CPC-WMT is an accessory for thc Crestron CPC-CAMI. This accessory is designed as a wall mount for the CPC-CAMI. It offers an attractive design that easily mounts to various surfaces. Physical Description Constructed of durable powdercoated steel, the CPC-WMT is at home in any environment. The overall length of the CPC-WMT is 16.25 inches (41.28 cm) and should provide sufficient clearance for most of today's camera/lens assemblies~ The maximum load rating is 40 pounds (88 kg). Two 1/4-20xl/2 inch screws attach the CPC-CAMI to the CPC-WMTo CPC~WMT: Physical View Wall Mount Accessory: CPC-WMT · 1 file://C:\Documents and Settings\jasonb\Local Settings\Temporary Intemet .., A'I-I"ACH M ENT 3 CITY OF DUBLIN BUDGET CHANGE FORM CHANGE FORM # New Appropriations (City Council Approval Required): Budget Transfers: __X From Unappropriated Reserves From Budgeted Contingent Reserve (1080-799.000) Within Same Department Activity From New Revenues Between Departments (City Council Approval Required) Other Name: Name: Equipment $110,000 Account #: Account #: 001.New.750.073 Name: Name: Improvements $15,000 Account #: Account #: 001 .New. 750o050 Name: Name: Account #: Account #: Name: Name: Account #: Account #: Name: Name: Account #: Account #: Fin Mgr/ASD: Date: Signature REASON FOR BUDGET CHANGE ENTRY: Cable franchise capital grant fund revenue was budgeted in FY 2001-2002 and received in August 2001 ($200,000). However no expenditures were budgeted for this projectI in FY 2001-2002 because the scope of the project was not yet defined. A budget change is required to authorize the expenditure. City Manager: Date: Mayor: Signature As Approved at the City Council Meeting on: Signature Posted By: Signature formslbudgchng Date: Date: Date: ATTACHMENT 4