Thursday, June 18, 2009

Liveblogging School Committee: standing committees LIVE

Liveblogging School Committee...looks like they are doing the regular agenda first, then the budget.
Right now we're on item gb#9-25.1, dealing with the filming of standing committee meetings. (dang, sorry; it looks like the link to the backup isn't working) The mayor appears to be concerned about how we are paying for the retirement of people whose salary is funded out of the Channel 11 account. She appears to think that it's difficult to figure out where the money is going.
Now where did we get the information on needed upgrades for this report, she asks?
Equipment is unreliable..."we missed a lot of opportunity for our students and our parents if we've been sitting on this equipment for the past ten years" says the mayor.
Brian Allen points out that we did not have the staff to use the equipment previously.
20% of all Channel 11 program is non-bulletin board programming..."frankly, that's disappointing," says the Mayor.
Administration recommends that standing committees continue to meet on the fourth floor committee meeting room. The Mayor is bothered by this.
The Mayor is making a motion that they go back to the drawing board to come up with a better recommendation. She says that the fourth floor "has become a tradition..to relegate them to a fourth floor meeting room is unconsciable...a twelve month recognition of the importance of what the School Committee does."
Mr. Monfredo disagrees about the Durkin building...he'd like it to stay there.
Broadcasting at Durkin allows them to broadcast live, only other place is Tech auditorium. It's the modulator from Charter. The Mayor wants new conversations with Charter.
Mayor asks if the new North will allow it.
Mr. Foley is supporting the motion from the administration. Difficult to schedule meetings in either City Hall chamber. Mr. Foley says it's accessible, easy to find...people have said that City Hall is difficult to access. "I don't know that there are any good answers."
The Mayor says people coming isn't the issue...not a popularity contest.
Mr. O'Connell supports looking at the new North. He wants to know if we could use it for concerts, award ceremonies, and so forth. Mentions of Norrback, Claremont Academy, Doherty...he wants to know how much it would cost to bring Claremont back online.
Mrs. Mullaney starts out by speaking of the budget message they received yesterday from the state; she sees no possibility of bring Claremont online "this will never happen; I don't support looking at it" Have some time to look at North, as it won't open until 2012. Echo Monfredo and Foley on locale of subcommittee meetings...we have not seen an increase in subcommittee meetings...she can't get a parking place in City Hall "I don't think people are clamoring enough to come down here enough to change the location"
Suggestion from Dr. Boone that we put PowerPoint presentation directly on the screen through the cable, rather than through the camera. (oooh, good idea!)
There was apparently some miscommunication regarding graduations where one nearly didn't get televised...?
Channel 11 schedule is one day repeated every day (there's one schedule that's the same every day).
The Mayor is withdrawing the motion to move from Irving Street, as she says "I can see that we're attached to Irving Street, for some strange reason."
Items are to approve the administration plan with continuing conversations with Charter.

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