By Linda Dean Cooper
This is not opinion. It is documented in the public record.
During Commissioner Comments at a 2025 meeting, Commissioner Charlie Kennedy asked the County Manager to get with IT about what it would take to get livestreaming going, as documented in the minutes and transcript.
That request came after a full, step-by-step livestreaming plan had already been formally presented to the Board on August 6, 2024 (Agenda Item 9). That plan included feasibility steps, ADA considerations, and implementation direction and was placed in county records.
In plain terms, the County already had a livestream plan on file before Kennedy raised it during Commissioner Comments. The question is why the plan had not been implemented.
The Plan Was Already in Front of the Board
By 2025, Desiree Mills was presiding as Chair over meetings with a full 2024 livestreaming plan already on file and in front of the Board.
This was not something being started from scratch. The plan had already been presented and placed in county records well before the press release.
Given that a full livestreaming plan was already on file while she was Chair, a fair question to ask Commissioner Mills is why the plan never moved forward under her leadership.
What the Minutes and Transcript Actually Show
During the November 4, 2025, meeting, while Mills was Chair, the official minutes reflect that Commissioner Kennedy wanted the County Manager to get with IT to see about getting live streaming going for meetings.
The transcript provides the full context.
During his Commissioner Comments at that meeting, Kennedy raised livestreaming and clearly stated the need for faster records response, getting more county information out to the public, and better audio and livestream access.
The record shows he asked the County Manager Mary Ellen Harper to get with IT about what it would take to get livestreaming going. No other commissioner spoke up in that segment about livestreaming.
Public Access, Records, and Livestreaming — On the Record
This was not an isolated comment about video. During his Commissioner Comments at that meeting, Kennedy raised livestreaming as part of getting more county information out to the public.
Livestreaming was publicly stated during his campaign as an objective, putting it on the record long before it ever showed up in a press release.
The Timeline Is Straightforward
2024: A complete livestreaming plan was formally presented and archived.
2025: Mills was serving as Chair while that plan was already on file.
2025: Kennedy is documented in the minutes and transcript asking staff and IT to get livestreaming going during Commissioner Comments.
That is the documented sequence.
The Record Speaks for Itself
- The framework already existed.
- The issue was raised again in an open meeting.
- Kennedy is the commissioner on record asking for coordination with IT to get livestreaming going.
A press release is not the official record. The official minutes, transcript, Kennedy’s on-record comments, and the archived 2024 plan show what is on the record.
————————
There are two Spotlight FB pages, one is private, and the other is public @https://www.facebook.com/groups/3911325592491482
Posted February 24, 2026 | Spotlight on Levy County Government
