MIDLAND CITY COUNCIL, BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS

MEETINGS NOW VIEWABLE ON THE INTERNET

Streaming video has come to Midland City Hall!

Citizens can now view Midland City Council and various boards and commissions meetings via the Internet with the implementation of streaming video. With just the few clicks of a mouse, web users with a broadband connection to the Internet such as DSL, cable modem or other high-speed connection can watch Council meetings as they occur, or watch archived meetings, from the comfort of home. Users with a dial-up connection may receive an audio-only stream.

“This new service meets a top goal of City Council, which has been to make local government more accessible to citizens,” said City Manager Karl Tomion. “We are excited to be on the cutting edge of this type of user-friendly technology.”

To access the streaming video option, go to the City’s website at www.midland-mi.org, click on the Streaming Video link located in the right-hand column on the home page. From this web page, you will be able to access current and archived meetings.

Streaming video is a digital version of audio and video that is sent (streamed) over the Internet in compressed form in real time for viewing on a computer. A viewer does not have to wait until a large file is downloaded to a computer before viewing the video.  Instead, the media is sent in a continuous stream and is played as it arrives at a user’s computer.

A key benefit of streaming video is that videos can be archived and accessed simultaneously by more than one computer at any time of day. The contents of the video are indexed, which allows the viewer to skip directly to a desired point in the video without having to fast forward or rewind as required when viewing a videotape on a VCR. 

Another feature is a keyword search capability that allows one to search all archived meetings using a keyword.  The results provide links to specific agenda items in all meetings that contained the keyword.

This new service to Midland citizens has been designed to be compatible with most computers, including those that have Microsoft Windows and Macintosh operating systems.  Streaming video requires that your computer have a recent version of Internet Explorer, Safari or Netscape Navigator. You must have Windows Media Player 9 or above to view the video. 

In addition to City Council meetings, viewers can watch the following boards and commissions meetings:

· Aviation Advisory Commission

· Cable Access Advisory Commission

· Downtown Development Authority

· Library Board

· Parks & Recreation Commission

· Planning Commission

· West Main Street Historic District Commission

· Zoning Board of Appeals

For more information about this new City service, contact the City Manager’s Office at 989-837-3301, or visit the City’s website at www.midland-mi.org.

-30-