Tag Archives: BKAT

Minus BKAT, PO Has Glitch in Video Meeting Coverage

Tuesday’s meeting of the Port Orchard City Council is the first since the council voted in December to do away with its BKAT broadcasts and to post videos of the meetings on the city’s Web site instead. Unfortunately, there was a glitch, and no audio of the meeting came through.

Mayor Lary Coppola has accepted responsibility and explains in a letter below where things went awry. Instead of a video, draft minutes of the meeting have been posted on the Web site. Here is a copy your viewing pleasure.

Port Orchard City Council Meeting, Jan. 12, 2010, draft minutes: POCC_011210

The city had a contract with BKAT since 2006, but decided to ditch cable in part to save money, in part to try and reach a wider audience and offer a more convenient form of access. Coppola and council members who favored the switch said most people now have Internet service adequate to view meetings on the city’s Web site. Viewing online would allow people to skip through the the parts of the meeting in which they were most interested and to view meetings at whatever time they choose. The possibility of having both forms of broadcast is not off the table, and the council may resurrect discussion of BKAT and how to fund it. Port Orchard has been paying a reduced rate and BKAT was hoping to bring the city’s fees in line for comparable service.

Here’s the mayor’s letter sent to the Port Orchard Independent and forwarded to me by Councilman Fred Chang.

“From: Lary Coppola
Sent: Wednesday, January 13, 2010 4:18 PM
To: Charlie Bermant
Cc: Patricia J. Kirkpatrick
Subject: RE: BKAT

First, I want to apologize to the citizens of our City for the problem, and accept full responsibility for it. A draft copy of the meeting minutes will be posted on the City’s Web site, along with the video.

BKAT had a responsibility to provide training for our staff as part of its contract, and we had done a run through on December 22, prior to BKAT removing its equipment to make sure there were no glitches and everything worked correctly. It was after that, when BKAT removed its equipment, and hooked up ours as was agreed. apparently an audio cable was left unplugged. It wasn’t immediately obvious that this had occurred, and since the run through went perfectly, we assumed everything was ready to go – just as BKAT assured us it was.

We don’t believe this was an intentional act, and if you’ve seen the amount of wiring involved in the broadcast setup, you can see how easily something like this could happen. Rest assured that everyone involved in this project knows for a fact it won’t happen again.

Lary Coppola, Mayor
City of Port Orchard
216 Prospect Street
Port Orchard, WA 98366
(360) 876-7025 – Direct Line
themayor@cityofportorchard.us”
___________________________________________________

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BKAT, Parks Funding Among Proposed PO Budget Cuts

On Wednesday, I’ll be heading to a 6 p.m. city council work study meeting at Port Orchard City Hall. The council will discuss $16,000 worth of budget cuts needed in light of its decision to maintain the city’s budget at 2009 levels. The council declined to take a one percent property tax increase in light of the recession.

Among proposed cuts are BKAT broadcasts of city council meetings, a cost of $7,900 per year, and nearly $10,000 in parks funding, including $700 a year for mutt mitts (who knew Port Orchard’s canines were so productive). The city also could renegotiate contracts to save money.

The work study is open to the public, although comments are not generally taken. The public will have a chance to comment on the city’s 2010 budget at a hearing at 7 p.m. Dec. 7. The council will vote on the budget at its regular meeting, Dec. 8.

From the city’s Web site:
“Copies of the Preliminary Budget will be available to any interested taxpayer at a nominal charge during normal working hours, Monday – Friday 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at the office of the City Treasurer on November 13, 2009.

Any person or public agency interested is invited to attend the Public Hearing and/or submit written comments on the 2010 budget to the City Council on or before December 7, 2009.”

All meetings are held at City Hall, 216 Prospect St.

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Keeping Up with City Hall

If you consider BKAT’s broadcasts of Port Orchard city council meetings must-watch TV, this news is for you: the City of Port Orchard will shortly be posting video coverage of the meetings on its Web site.

Following the city council’s meetings on the second and fourth Tuesday of each month, gavel to gavel coverage of the meeting is broadcast on BKAT at 1 a.m. Wednesday (for you night owls), 8 p.m. Thursday and 11 a.m. Friday. The addition of council video coverage to the city’s Web site should take place by the end of the week.

BKAT has rescheduled the regular broadcast time for the Feb. 10 council meeting from 8 p.m. Thursday to 8 p.m. Friday due to a special broadcast on Marvin Williams, former Bremerton High basketball star, who now plays for the Atlanta Hawks and will be visiting his alma mater Thursday. The Knights will retire his jersey at half-time of their game against Port Townsend.

This is a “one-time” rescheduling, and televised council meetings will then return to the regular Thursday time slot.

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