Sycamore won’t broadcast City Council meetings

SYCAMORE – You won’t be able to watch broadcasts of Sycamore City Council meetings anytime soon after council members this week rejected a request from one of their own to video record their meetings.

Sycamore City Council voted 2-4 against a request from 4th Ward Alderman Ben Bumpus to look into broadcasting Sycamore City Council meetings.

Bumpus and fellow 4th Ward Alderwoman Virginia Sherrod voted in favor of the idea while 1st Ward aldermen Alicia Cosky and Alan Bauer and 2nd Ward aldermen Pete Paulsen and Chuck Stowe voted against.

Sycamore Mayor Steve Braser, who only votes in the event of a tie between City Council members, said he doesn’t think the idea has to go by the wayside forever.

“I don’t think we have to kick it off the curb though,” Braser said. “I think it’s worth looking into and stuff as the city grows. I’d maybe like to talk to school district and just see how many people watch it.”

Sycamore School District 427 employees stream the district’s board meetings on Youtube. DeKalb County Board meetings also streamed online. Neighboring city of DeKalb also livestreamed City Council meetings.

Sycamore does not currently capture video records of each City Council meeting, but City Clerk Mary Kalk does retain an audio recording of the proceedings.

Sycamore Park District Commissioner Ted Strack told the City Council that he dislikes the three-minute time given to each public commenter at council meetings, and was in favor of broadcasting the meetings.

“I strongly support that activity,” Strack said. “This clock, in reality, in my opinion is about limiting public input, is about limiting hearing from us.”

Bumpus told council members that he estimates the annual cost of broadcasting, or live streaming their meetings could run between $2,000 and $10,000.

Stowe said when he was previously on the DeKalb City Council, a radio station would broadcast the meeting’s audio over the air.

“The most interesting part that we were given at the time is that the feedback we’d get is, ‘Why doesn’t that alderman turn on his microphone? I can’t hear what’s going on,’” Stowe said.

Bauer said he doesn’t think the community is interested in watching Sycamore City Council meetings to warrant the cost.

“I would think if there was so much interest we wouldn’t have two rows of empty seats here,” Bauer said. “That’s pretty regular. I’ve always encouraged people to come to this meeting, and even if they don’t have an issue.”