School board reconsiders televising its meetings

Millstone residents may get a chance to watch budget process on TV

BY JANE MEGGITT Staff Writer

MILLSTONE – The Board of Education is considering changing its policy with regard to videotaping and broadcasting its meetings.

The board currently does not tape or broadcast its meetings. Current board policy allowsmeetings to be taped if the board receives 24 hours’ notice from the person who wants to tape the meeting. The policy does not address the broadcast ofmeetings.

At the Jan. 14 board meeting, members discussed changing the policy and allowing upcoming meetings to be taped and then later broadcast after the board changes its policy. To change its policy, the board has to hold a first and second reading of the proposed changes, meaning that any change could not be implemented until March.

Last year, board members voted 4-4 at the March 12 meeting when a motion was made for the board to undergo a six-month trial period of recording and broadcasting its meetings. The tie vote resulted in the measure not passing.

The board decided at that time it would allow its March 26, 2007, budget presentation to be recorded on videotape and broadcast but would not allow other portions of that meeting to be taped and broadcast, according to Mary Ann Friedman, the board’s president.

Board member Tom Foley said that while the school district is currently under a budget freeze, there are some budget areas fromwhich the board could pull the relatively small amount of money it needs to tape themeetings.He pointed out that the board has not had much success in recent years getting voters to pass its proposed budgets.

“The definition of insanity is to keep doing something over and over again and expect different results,” Foley said. “We must do something different.”

Foley said videotaping the budget process would be very educational.

“There’s a lot of tough discussion,” he said. “I think the community needs to hear it.”

Friedman agreed with Foley but said taping and broadcasting the budget process would sidestep the policy change process.

Board member Kevin McGovern, an attorney, said, “Are you suggesting we tape the meetings and later broadcast them?”

He said the board could not start broadcastingmeetings until it votes on the policy change in March. While Foley said that McGovern was “splitting hairs,” he admitted that the board’s current policy does not refer to broadcasting.

Board member Sergio Galindo suggested asking the Township Committee for use of the township’s camera equipment to record the meetings. He said that when the new policy goes into effect, the previously taped meetings could then be broadcast.

The Township Committee, Planning Board and Zoning Board meetings are currently recorded and then shown on the township’s cable access Channel 77.

Township Committeeman Steven Sico, who acts as the committee’s liaison to the board, said the township has two sets of recording equipment, an old one and a brand-new one.

“Give me advance notice and what needs to be done will be done,” he said. “The community needs to see the effort you put in on a day-to-day basis.”

Resident Ramon Recalde, who had previously expressed frustration over the board not televising its meetings, said, “Even if one person watches it, it’s worth it.”

He suggested the board post videos of its meetings on the school district’sWeb site.

“It’s not expensive; even an amateur can do it,” he said.

Friedman went over themeeting schedule regarding the budget process. She said the board’s Operations Committee, which puts the budget together, met Jan. 23 and would meet again at 7:30 p.m. Jan. 28. She also said the committee planned to meet to discuss the transportation budget.

Friedman said the board would hear the first presentation of the proposed budget at 7:30 p.m. Feb. 4. There will be a regular boardmeeting at 8 p.m. Feb. 11 and a tentative budgetmeeting at 7:30 p.m. Feb. 13, she said. The board is scheduled to adopt the proposed budget at its Feb. 25 meeting. All of themeetings are open to the public, she said.

By statute, the board must present the budget to the public during the week of March 22, which happens to be the week the school district is closed for spring break, Friedman said.

The board decided to hold the public hearing on the budget at 7:30 p.m. March 24 even though some board members and Superintendent of SchoolsMaryAnne Donahue said they would not be able to attend.