As a local official, it is your duty to keep your community informed and involved. You and your fellow councilmen make decisions on their behalf, so it is only right that they know what is going on in their municipality.<\/p>\n
Live streaming council meetings, public meetings, and events is a great way to honor that duty and fulfill any transparency mandates.<\/p>\n
In this post, we\u2019re going to cover all things related to city council live streaming. To get started, we will talk about why city councils live stream meetings and events. We\u2019ll briefly discuss a few types of events that local municipalities stream and run through the steps of hosting a stream<\/a> of your own.<\/p>\n To wrap things up, we will talk about a few of the top government streaming solutions<\/a> and how to choose the right one for your organization\u2019s needs.<\/p>\n Without further ado, let\u2019s jump into the whys and hows of city council live streaming.<\/p>\n TL;DR:<\/strong><\/p>\n The main purpose of streaming city council meetings is to bring discussions that would typically happen behind closed doors to the public eye and to support the principle of open government.<\/p>\n The rationale here is that the decisions that are being made behind closed doors typically affect some, many, or all of the members in the community, so they are entitled to that information.<\/p>\n Since physically opening the doors to a meeting isn\u2019t always ideal, many city councils and other government organizations opt to live stream meetings so that community members can \u201cjoin\u201d the discussion virtually.<\/p>\n Broadcasting these meetings is valuable for several reasons. Let\u2019s take a look at a few of the reasons why city councils live stream<\/a> their events.<\/p>\n Although it is courteous to involve the community in meetings that discuss important decisions, some jurisdictions have public access requirements\u2014such as those outlined in Sunshine Laws\u2014that essentially require certain information to be made public.<\/p>\n Live streaming meetings among city officials is simply one way to meet public access requirements.<\/p>\n Even if you are willing and able to have members of the community attend your meetings, some people will not be able to attend. This could be because they are working or have other commitments, or it could be because they are physically disabled or homebound.<\/p>\n Broadcasting your meetings over the internet ensures that every member of your community, no matter their situation, has access to the materials you cover. Live streaming also enables remote participation, allowing individuals to engage with meetings in real time without being physically present.<\/p>\n If you choose a platform that includes video recording or auto-archiving, you can also make your videos available for playback at a later time. This way, constituents can watch it at their convenience or rewatch the video if they missed something.<\/p>\n Most people do not have time to attend a city council meeting on top of their busy schedules. It is said that broadcasting these meetings stimulates community involvement.<\/p>\n Having access to the meetings from their smartphones and tablets gives constituents the ability to tune into the live stream while they\u2019re going about their day-to-day lives. Even listening in while they multi-task gives them a sense of what is going on in the community.<\/p>\n Even if just a few people tune in, people will likely head to social media with their opinions and recap on the meeting minutes. This is especially popular since most neighborhoods have their own online communities and forums.<\/p>\n This can cause a ripple effect that makes the community aware of what\u2019s happening, which often motivates them to seek the change that they desire.<\/p>\n City councils and other local government organizations find live streaming capabilities valuable for a few different reasons, including promoting government transparency by making meetings and events accessible to the public.<\/p>\n Here are some of the types of live streams that city councils host.<\/p>\n Your city council likely has regular meetings to discuss a predetermined docket of topics. Every once in a while, you\u2019ll have something out of the ordinary like a town hall session or an emergency meeting.<\/p>\n No matter what the situation is, you can set up your live streaming equipment and start recording to take the real-time occurrences to the screens of your constituents.<\/p>\n Different organizations within your city will also meet to discuss individual projects and initiatives. Give them the opportunity to share their meetings with the public via live broadcast.<\/p>\n Providing this platform to these special committees is very empowering for the people who are pressing for positive changes. It shows that your city council is truly for the people.<\/p>\n These meetings could be easily incorporated into your official city live stream schedule.<\/p>\n Zoning hearings, permit appeals, and other proceedings where public testimony matters.<\/p>\n Town halls, emergency briefings, community events, public forums.<\/p>\n Requirements vary by jurisdiction, but open meeting guidance commonly stresses:<\/p>\n Place signage in the room and a notice on the meeting page:<\/p>\n A practical baseline many governments align with is:<\/p>\n Hosting a live stream that shines a professional light on your government organization is attainable with the right tools and a little bit of preparation.<\/span><\/p>\n We\u2019ve put together a quick guide on <\/span>how to host a successful live stream<\/span> to fulfill your public access requirements, connect with the community, and more.<\/span><\/p>\n Start with what residents need:<\/p>\n 2026 best practice:<\/strong> publish the agenda early and keep it consistent with your replay\/archives so residents can reference decisions later.<\/p>\n You can start simple and scale up.<\/a><\/p>\n\n
Table of Contents<\/strong><\/h2>\n
\n
Why are City Council Meetings Streamed Live?<\/strong><\/h2>\n
![\"city](\"https:\/\/www.dacast.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/city-council-live-stream-1024x768.jpg\")
Transparency Mandates<\/strong><\/h3>\n
Accessibility and Convenience for Constituents\u00a0<\/strong><\/h3>\n
Enhance Community Involvement<\/strong><\/h3>\n
Types of City Council Live Streams<\/strong><\/h2>\n
![\"Live](\"https:\/\/www.dacast.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/Live-stream-city-council-meetings-1024x683.jpg\")
1. City Council Meetings<\/strong><\/h3>\n
2. Special Committee Meetings<\/strong><\/h3>\n
3. <\/strong>Public Hearings and Quasi-Judicial Sessions<\/strong><\/h3>\n
4. Local Events and Announcements<\/strong><\/h3>\n
Obtaining Permission and Posting Public Notices<\/strong><\/h2>\n
1. Confirm your local open meeting rules<\/strong><\/h3>\n
\n
2. Publish the \u201cwatch live\u201d and \u201cparticipate\u201d instructions separately<\/strong><\/h3>\n
\n
3. Post a clear recording notice<\/strong><\/h3>\n
\n
4. Accessibility isn\u2019t optional<\/strong><\/h3>\n
\n
How to Host a City Council Live Stream (6-Step Checklist)<\/strong><\/h2>\n
![\"GOV](\"https:\/\/www.dacast.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/GOV-LIVE-STRAMING-e1603876044815-1024x515.png\")
1. Make a Plan (agenda-first workflow)<\/strong><\/h3>\n
\n
2. Choose your production level (equipment)<\/strong><\/h3>\n
![\"Live](\"https:\/\/www.dacast.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/Live-Streaming-Video-Equipment-1024x683.jpg\")
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.dacast.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/set_up_rtmp_encoder_for_live_streaming_feat-1024x619.jpg\")
![\"live](\"https:\/\/www.dacast.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/GOV-LIVE-STRAMING-1-1024x576.png\")
![\"live](\"https:\/\/www.dacast.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/GOV-LIVE-STREAMING-1024x576.png\")