We Can’t Hear You!
Open Letter to the City of Winter Park
Editor's Note: Articles written by citizens reflect their own opinions and not the views of the Winter Park Voice.Guest Columnist Jim Fitch
Hearing & Seeing = Believing
It is very difficult for those of us who regularly attend the twice-monthly Commission meetings to hear, to see or to understand the proceedings. It is hard to believe this is intentional – even when controversial topics like The Canopy are being discussed.
Full Names, Please
City staff making presentations frequently fail to state their full names and positions. They are known to the Commission (e.g., “Troy”), but there is often a failure to inform the audience. Most presenters address their remarks to the Commissioners and not to the public.
Don’t Ignore the Microphones
The Mayor mumbles, the City Manager mumbles and Commissioners Seidel and Cooper do not speak into their microphones. The result is that the audience must strain to hear the discussion – and is completely left out of the side banter between Mayor Leary and Commissioner Sprinkel. Only Commissioners Sprinkel and Weldon speak clearly enough to be understood.
Make the Visuals Visible
Even though the Commissioners have laptops and document packets in front of them, they sometimes seem ill-informed about what is going on. Document screen shots projected for the public are, more often than not, too small to be legible. No laser pointers are used – Mayor Leary says it would only cover one of the two screens.
If the presenter’s lectern were placed in the center of the room in front of the dais, the presenter could use a laser pointer on both screens.
Appoint a ‘Listener’
The City should also place a listener at the back of the chamber to monitor audio levels and alert the Commissioners and presenters when their remarks cannot be heard. Presenters and Commissioners alike should pay attention to the public when people in the audience signal that they cannot hear.
We Need New Mikes
The City should invest in higher quality wide angle microphones or individual lavalier microphones, rather than the uni-directional ones now in use, so that the official discussion, as well as the side banter, is clearly audible to the audience.
If It’s a Public Meeting, Citizens Deserve to Be Able to Hear & See
Not only are the current practices disrespectful to the citizens of Winter Park, they are a violation of the Sunshine Law. This is an easy fix – please do something to correct this situation.
I agree with jim we are taxpayers and deserve better
All good points, most of them easily executed courtesies.
I am especially bothered by the poor resolution and color quality of the overhead visual screens. By now we should have a giant high-definition monitor directly facing the audience.
Thank you.
I’ve heard the phrase city of the future, after the proposed changes are implemented, could we stream the session?
Steve,
City Commission meetings are streamed live on the city’s website during the meetings. Here is the link for you to watch the meetings live, as it happens:
https://cityofwinterpark.org/government/live-video-broadcasts/
You can also view the video of past City Commission meetings by visiting https://cityofwinterpark.org/government/city-commission/. Just scroll to find your meeting date and you can see past meeting video files.
Good points! I also wonder could the meetings be broadcast live on the city website?? Like Cspan but WPSpan.
Many schools, daycares (and even doggie daycares) offer the ability to login to their website and watch live. It can’t be that much of an expense. We likely have IT on staff who can easily set it up.
WP Span,
City Commission meetings are streamed live on the city’s website during the meetings. Here is the link for you to watch the meetings live, as it happens:
https://cityofwinterpark.org/government/live-video-broadcasts/
You can also view the video of past City Commission meetings by visiting https://cityofwinterpark.org/government/city-commission/. Just scroll to find your meeting date and you can see past meeting video files.
Excellent. Thank you for the info!
“The best way to control the opposition is to lead it ourselves.” – Vladimir Lennon
It appears that Mr. Leary and Mr. Fitch are working together to attempt to distract residents from serious issues of substance and to focus residents’ attention on trivial matters of form.
It won’t work. But we can’t blame them for trying.
Commission meetings currently are live streamed. You cannot see the visuals on projector screens- ever- but you can see the meetings. If you do not have the bandwidth you can listen to the audio. Live.
The City Commission meetings are already broadcast live over the internet and recorded both in video and audio format and can be found on the City website under the “Government” tab.
You can turn the volume up or down on your computer, whichever you prefer.
You can watch or listen online live, or at your convenience.
There are much more important matters that need the attention of residents today in Winter Park than this.
Curious as to the folks who have commented so far. Do you support the new library?
Would you like residents to become active and organized about this topic by displaying yard signs that say “Speak Up”
Do you believe that the audio quality at City Commission meetings is the most urgent matter residents face today regarding how our City is being governed?
Mr. Fitch does, however, make a good point about the Sunshine Law. The mayor and Commissioner Sprinkel should not be having sidebar conversations, whispering in each others ear during City Commission meetings. I don’t know that this is specifically prohibited in the Sunshine Law, but if it isn’t it should be.
Otherwise, let’s use this blog in a more constructive way, to guess what they might be saying during their secret conversations, such as:
Leary: “Where are drinks tonight?”
Sprinkel: “I’m ready.”
I mean, if they aren’t speaking loud enough for us to hear, can they blame us if we make a guessing game out of it?
More of the same!!!
Do the Commissioners read the Winter Park Voice?
There was no improvement at the meeting held on October 22nd!
Come on…!!!
Let us hear you, unless you have something to hide!