Plum Council voting meetings to be livestreamed on YouTube later this year

Plum officials are considering livestreaming council voting meetings via the borough’s YouTube channel.

Several officials are enthusiastic about the idea, but at least one councilman said council has not discussed it.

Voting meetings are held at the borough building at 7 p.m. on the second Monday of the month.

The meetings currently are broadcast live via public access Comcast channel 19 and Verizon Fios channel 29.

The footage is uploaded to the borough’s YouTube channel within a day or two afterward.

“On the Agenda,” a show featuring Borough Manager Michael Thomas and audio/visual director Vince Lagrotteria talking about what council is expected to vote on that month, airs just prior to the meeting.

That program is expected to be uploaded to YouTube the day of the voting session.

Lagrotteria said the livestream would allow the borough to reach a bigger audience and allow more residents to watch their government in action.

“Not everybody might have cable TV, so they wouldn’t be able to see the voting meetings on a monthly basis,” Lagrotteria said. “By exploring the possibility of streaming these monthly meetings, it might get some younger viewers and get them involved in their local government.”

For years, Plum Council meetings have maybe a few audience members at any given month unless Mayor Harry Schlegel is giving out certificates or issues crop up such as flooding and gas wells raise residents’ concerns.

The streaming broadcast provides another opportunity for folks to participate in their community without traveling to the borough building, Schlegel said.

“That’s just getting the word out so people who want to be informed can be informed,” the mayor said. “There are people out there that watch (channels) 19 or 29 or YouTube constantly, and there are others who have no clue even though we advertise it.

“I’ve talked with people and they’re predicting in 10 years that there will not be a need for TV. I don’t know if going to YouTube is going to make that much of a difference, but we’re covering all the bases. No one can say there is no venue for them to watch the council meeting.”

But Councilman Mike Doyle said he was surprised to hear about the livestreaming idea Friday.

“This has not been discussed by council,” he said.

Plum’s YouTube channel also features a variety of programming outside of council chambers such as “Boro Spotlight,” a show that features an in-depth look at elected officials, staffers and other community leaders.