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Home My WebLink About2006 NS Manager - Authorization to Enter into Technical Agreement to Support Livecasting BOCC Meetings from SouthernORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS ACTION AGENDA ITEM ABSTRACT Meeting Date: August 22, 2006 Action Agenda Item No. ~-y SUBJECT: Authorization to Enter into Technical Agreement to Support Livecasting BOCC Meetings from Southern DEPARTMENT: County Manager PUBLIC HEARING: (Y/N) No ATTACHMENT(S): Technical Equipment to Enhance Livecasting Capabilities INFORMATION CONTACT: Gwen Harvey, 245-2300 Pam Jones, 245-2650 PURPOSE: To request BOCC approval to entering into an agreement with David Guthrie, Systems Integration Specialist, to acquire, install, certify, and train County and The People's Channel representatives on technical equipment necessary to enhance capabilities and outputs in preparation for planned livecasting of BOCC meetings. BACKGROUND: As part of the cable television franchise renewal process, Time Warner Cable (TWC) agreed to fund the installation of technical equipment to enable live casting of BOCC meetings from its two meeting locations -Chapel Hill (Southern) and Hillsborough (F. Gordon Battle Courtroom). The Cable Advisory Committee, The People's Channel, and County staff (including the Manager's Office, Clerk's Office, Purchasing & Central Services, Public Works, IT, and Planning) has consulted at length with TWC and its retained technical production advisor, David Guthrie, to develop and negotiate the initial specification of technical equipment. The proposed technical equipment list was shared with the BOCC as an appendix to the approved franchise agreement. The group decided to proceed with the "activation" of Southern Human Services Center first, to be followed by the F. Gordon Battle Courtroom, in close coordination with the Justice Facility expansion project. TWC Engineering has completed the requisite infrastructure to livecast at Southern, and installation of the equipment inside the meeting room has been occurring over the course of the BOCC summer break. Under the new franchise agreement, the installation of the technical equipment inside the building is a "turnkey project" whereby TWC covers the cost of the equipment, installation, testing, and training; no County funds are needed. In reviewing the contents of the technical equipment package provided by TWC, County staff learned there was an opportunity to further enhance the video product and audio output experience for the BOCC, the meeting room audience, as well as the home viewing audience, by the inclusion of some additional equipment at Southern. This equipment -outlined on the attachment - is estimated to cost up to $21,674, including system documentation design, shipping and handling, and installation. This technical equipment and related paraphernalia lie outside the scope of the new franchise agreement but is advisable to add now to achieve these results: • The two mounted plasma display monitors would allow the full meeting room audience to see presentations made from the speaker's podium by simply looking overhead. • The home viewing audience would see the same presentation on their home screen, versus a picture of a picture on a screen being filmed. • BOCC members -using the LCD monitors -could better see and analyze presentations at their individual places. • The mounted, automated light projector would eliminate the need for staff and outside presenters to provide their own separate light projector to hook up for meetings. • The system operator (The People's Channel) would have more precision in monitoring and controlling the level and quality of sound for live and broadcast output. • Recording and playback equipment would allow the system operator to produce and edit opening and closing segments at broadcast quality. • The County ultimately saves time and money by factoring these enhancements in at the same time the basic TWC package is being installed and readied for activation. County staff has met to review the supplemental package of technical equipment for livecasting BOCC meetings from Southern and recommend approval. County staff also recommends the purchase of a mobile professional presentation podium with a standard edition desktop computer with monitor permanently stationed. These additions would provide a mobile, self- contained, automated center for staff and outside presenters to employ all forms of media (Power Point, maps, plans, videos, DVD) in a seamlessly efficient manner. The new podium and computer carry an estimated cost of $1,653. Approval of this enhancement package at Southern does not obligate the BOCC to duplicate the same package at the Gordon Battle Courtroom. The requirements at that location, above and beyond the basic installation funded by TWC, would at the appropriate time have to be reviewed and evaluated in context of the Justice Facility Expansion project. The actual date on which BOCC meetings would "go live" instead of being videotaped for rebroadcast is a decision to be made by the BOCC. This project implementation will enable the BOCC to be capable of livecasting by the first meeting in December, if so desired. FINANCIAL IMPACT: As outlined in the Background section above and on the attachment to this agenda abstract, the estimated cost of the technical equipment at Southern Human Services Center totals $23,327. The County's Equipment and Vehicles Capital Project has funding sufficient to cover the cost at Southern. Staff will update the Board as improvements for other facilities, such as the F. Gordon Battle Courtroom or Justice Facility, develop. It is important to note that additional funding in future years beyond the County's current Capital Investment Plan allocations will be necessary to equipment other facilities. RECOMMENDATION(S): The County Manager recommends that the BOCC approve entering into an agreement with David Guthrie, Systems Integration Specialist, in an amount not to exceed $21,674 for system enhancements for livecasting at Southern with authorization for the Manager to sign; and authorize staff purchase of ancillary equipment (presentation podium and desktop computer) as described. .7u1 26 2006 9:30RM NP LfiSERJET 3330 Gwen Harvey July 26, 2006 Assistant C..ounty Manager Orange County, NC ~i1V EQUIPMENT PROPOSAL FOR SOU'THERN~HUMAN SERVICES ]2EVI~SIQ~T III Hello Owen, The list enclosed with this latest revision encompasses all that you had last indicated to include. I checked into the LCD monitors in a larger size and they were way too expensive. The plasmas that I originally proposed are your best deal in the 42" size. The package inchules ell the support equipment to display the devices at the podium. In its current configuration, this will be switched from the control room and displayed on the monitors in the room and screen At present it does not include a dual switching system to be switched at the podium .However, we may be able to utilize the H inputs on the plasmas that could be used for such a dual purpose. I realize this is quite confusing and a tot to keep up with, so if you need fiufher clarification we can discuss over the phone pe~aps. The other items that are. listed are related to distribution and monitoring. If you have any question about any such line item please let me know, If you feel we need to revise this yet again, lets confer and I will reshuffle until we get a good frt. Think that's it for now. I:.ook forward to hearing iroa3 you soon. David Guttuie Systems Irrtegration Specilist a~~s Hight ltd. Oxford., NC 275b5 (919) ?30-5485 4 .lul 26 2006 9:30F1M HP ~RSERJET 3330 A/V EQUIPMENT PROPOSAL FOR ORANGE COUNTY SOUTHERN HUMAN SERVICES CENTER APPENDIX TO ADDITIONAL ITEMS QTY DESCRIPTION UNIT COST TOTAL COST 2 Sylvania 42" Plasma displays $1623.00 $ 3246.00 2 Wall Haunts for above $ 260.00 $ 520.00 1 Ceiling projector $ 1734.00 $ 1734.00 1 Projector mount $ 300.Q0 $ 300.00 2 5X1 Aux video switcher S 477.00 $ 954.00 1 ST-DA3 audio DA $126.25 $ 126,25 1 ST-UMX audio mixer $122.00 $ 122.00 2 PS 24V Bower supplies $ 21.25 $ 42.50 5 1X2 video DAs $ 105.00 $ 525.00 1 1X10 video DA $ 749.00 $ 749.00 1 24 channel audio mixer $ 2500.00 $ 2500.00 5 7" LCD monitors $ 184.00 $ 920.00 S LCD power supplies $ 13.00 $ 65.00 1 DVD play back machiae $ 95A0 $ 95.00 1 10" 3VC moaitor $ 475,00 $ 475.00 1 XGA DA $ 211.00 $ 211.00 i Toa arr~plifier $ 210.00 $ 210.00 8 Atlas ceiling speakers $ 27,00 $ 216.00 1 DVD/VHS playback unit $ 130.00 $ 130.00 5 Jul 26 2006 9:30RM HP LRSERJET 3330 1 Control room audio Power amplifier $ 188.00 $ 188.00 1 pair of control roam speakers $ 201.00 $ 201.00 1 table for mixer $ 300.00 $ 300.00 1 System documentation Design $ 1500.00 $ 1500.00 1 Lot of additional cable Hardware 8c corms. $ 700.00 $ 800.00 Sab Total for the above items $ 16,129.75 Shipping & handling $ 350.00 T~ $ 1153.58 Total $17,63333 Estimated installation $ 3500-4000 Total with upper end of es#imate far installation $ 2I ,633.33 6