Supervisors Say No to Televised Meetings

Supervisor Stephen Wallin is not a fan of reality TV.

He says televising supervisors meetings again is “an invitation to controversy.”

Wallin read a long speech at the latest board of supervisors meeting, opposing a plan to spend a budgeted $39,487 for a digital media system to replace equipment that broke down more than two years ago. Prior to the equipment failure, the supervisors meetings were recorded and broadcast via public access television.

He first objected to spending the money during an economic recession, while adding there would be additional costs including payments for training people to run the equipment and tape the meetings.

“Many small townships and almost all boroughs do not spend their limited and declining resources on televising meetings,” he said.

Wallin also said there is a lack of interest in local government, exemplified in the small turnout at meetings.

His final comments indicated he might have opposed the contract regardless of cost.

“It appears that the persons who may watch the meetings are not really interested in local government or they would be at the open public meetings themselves. What I do believe is that the TV is an invitation to controversy,” he said. “It is a fact that people will attend and create issues or controversies that they do not now or would not without TV cameras and broadcasts. The controversy is what the viewers seek, not information on local government.

“This type of controversy on TV is called reality TV. I do not think we are in the reality TV or entertainment business.”

Board Chairwoman Lola Biuckians disagreed with Wallin's assessment, saying many households have two working parents, leaving them with little time to attend meetings at night.

“They need to see it on their time, not our time,” she said.

Biuckians added that not televising the meetings leaves the board “open to questions of transparency.”

She and fellow Supervisor Marguerite Genesio said residents have frequently asked them when the meetings would return to TV.

Genesio said she agreed with Wallin's cost argument, but she said there was a problem with not approving the measure.

“People are asking why is there no access to supervisors meetings," she said.  "And we promised to fix it as soon as possible.”

Nonetheless, Genesio voted against the expenditure, along with Wallin, Walter Stevens and Keith Froggatt. That resulted in a 4-1 rejection, with Biuckians alone in supporting the plan.

Afterward, Genesio motioned to investigate audio taping the meetings and posting the recordings online. However, no one on the board would second the motion; the motion fell and was not discussed nor voted on.