City Council Agenda and Packet 2018 04 17

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Louisville COLORADO • S1NC N - CITY COUNCIL COMMUNICATION AGENDA ITEM 5D SUBJECT: DATE: PROFESSIONAL SERVICES AGREEMENT FOR BROADCAST UPGRADE APRIL 17, 2018 PRESENTED BY: EMILY HOGAN, ASSISTANT TO THE CITY MANAGER SUMMARY: Staff recently solicited proposals for consultant services to complete an upgrade to the City's broadcast system. The City records and broadcasts a variety of live meetings and programming through its Public, Educational and Governmental Access Channel (PEG Channel or Comcast's Channel 8). These include City Council, Planning Commission and Historic Preservation Commission meetings and a variety of programming (i.e. Library and Historical Museum events, Connected Colorado). In addition to Channel 8, the City also streams this content on its website and YouTube Channel. The City's existing broadcast equipment is nearing the end of its useful life as it was originally installed in 2007 and the average lifespan for a broadcast system is 7-10 years. In 2017, staff received multiple complaints from Channel 8 viewers that they were unable to hear the live meeting recordings as the audio was failing. Staff is proposing to replace the broadcast equipment as finding replacement parts for the outdated equipment has become increasingly challenging. Additionally, staff spends a significant amount of time and resources trying to diagnose issues with the current system and maintain its functionality. The City issued a Request for Proposals (RFP) in January and asked firms to prepare conceptual drawings and cost estimates to replace the broadcast, audio and visual equipment with high definition models. The existing system currently produces a standard definition (SD) signal. Per the City's franchise agreement with Comcast, the City can request that Comcast provide a high definition (HD) channel (Channel 880) in addition to the SD channel (Channel 8) at no charge if the City can provide an HD signal. The upgrade will allow the City to produce an HD signal and residents will be able to watch the broadcast through either the SD or HD channel. Staff also asked firms to include equipment that would enable the City to provide closed captioning, which it currently does not offer Channel 8 viewers or web streamers. As part of the Americans with Disabilities Act and Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (ADA), Section 508 requires that government agencies provide individuals with disabilities equal access to their programs, services and activities. While the act is specific to federal agencies, it is likely to affect local governments in the future and is now considered a good business practice. CITY COUNCIL COMMUNICATION 56