BY JEFF CHUDZINSKINorth Country This Week

CANTON -- St. Lawrence County has entered into a contract with CDW-G for the acquisition and installation of audiovisual equipment in the Board of Legislators chambers.

In a corresponding move, legislators also approved a budget modification along with the contract during the Sept. 9 full board meeting.

The contract for the audiovisual equipment is one that some legislators previously said was long overdue as the existing equipment was outdated and had no support in the event of a technical failure.

Officials said the need to integrate visual technology has developed significantly in the past several years, in particular as it relates to the ability to remotely attend a board or committee meeting.

During the COVID pandemic, the county legislature began broadcasting meetings with a live stream on Youtube. The broadcast was a way to meet state requirements for transparency in government and to allow for remote attendance by legislators.

But as the pandemic waned and other governmental institutions opted to do away with live streams, the county continued to broadcast the committee and full board meetings each month.

"Audiovisual technology has advanced significantly over the past few years, bringing new opportunities for cost-efficient, excellent results, and CDW-G has been a trusted partner of St. Lawrence County for many years and sourced a similar system for Jefferson County with an exceptional outcome," the resolution states.

The contract and budget modification will cost $130,403.

The launch of a new system was not entirely smooth during the full board meeting on July 1, with viewers met with silence due to a technical error.

County officials were able to quickly rectify the situation in time for the July 8 committee meeting.

The technical glitch came as the county legislature transitions to a new broadcasting system.

In early June, county officials posted a quick tutorial to inform viewers that the meetings would be hosted on a new platform, one that is designed specifically for municipalities that host meetings online.

Now viewers can view meetings, see all agenda and resolution documents and presentations in one convenient space.

Viewers who wish to view the meeting afterward will also have shortcuts available to skip to specific agenda items, public comment periods or presentations if they wish.

Agenda packets are also available for download in both PDF and Plain Text formats.

County officials say the move was done in hopes of creating a better viewing experience for everyone that would continue to allow for public engagement.

To view the tutorial, visit www.youtube.com/watch?v=2RLoxPlZqK0

To view the county legislature's meetings, visit https://stlawrencecony.portal.civicclerk.com/