By Terry Witt – Spotlight Senior Reporter
Levy County Commissioners aren’t enthusiastic about the idea of live-streaming their meetings through YouTube to allow the public to see and hear them without actually attending the board meetings in person.
The subject came up again at Tuesday’s board meeting when several residents pointed out that some people can’t make the regular morning meetings either due to physical handicaps or because they work during the day. Others don’t like to drive in the darkness to night meetings.
Resident Maria Wise said the county held a zoning meeting Monday night and there were several senior citizens she knows that wanted to participate but they are homebound.
Commissioners allow their regular board meetings to be broadcast through an internet phone hookup but they don’t allow anyone to call in to interact with the board by asking questions and residents can’t see them. Commissioners often don’t have an answer when asked why they don’t livestream their meetings to let people watch and listen to county commission meetings and participate from their homes.
“I was wondering if we ought to pay closer attention to those citizens who cannot physically be here but want to participate in our government and if there is an easier, better way that people can not only call in and hear things, but people who are homebound can participate as well. Just challenging you to look for something we can do for them because there are a number of people who cannot leave their homes for a meeting,” Wise said.
Spotlight Founder Linda Cooper agreed with Wise and said it’s time for the county commission to follow in the footsteps of the City of Williston that uses YouTube to broadcast its council meetings live and permits listeners and viewers to ask questions from their homes when the council president calls for public comments.
“There’s absolutely no excuse for the large county government to not have this available, especially with the cost of gas,” Cooper said. “People could watch it and stay home after dark. It’s time to step up and make this happen. We’ve asked for this for years. I’m sure if Williston could do it there’s absolutely no excuse why this board could not make it happen. It’s the 21st Century. I’m old and I’m tired of driving. I don’t like driving at night, but I want to listen and I want to watch. I don’t want to just hear something. I want to see body language. I think it’s time when we have new board members to look into this and make it happen.”
Acting Commission Chairman John Meeks didn’t respond to the comments of Wise or Cooper about making it easier for homebound people to participate in meetings. Chairman Rock Meeks was absent. But Commissioner John Meeks did respond to a written public comment that was posted on the county website by a resident who wondered why the board didn’t have at least a half dozen night meetings that would allow working people like himself and his wife to attend.
Meeks said the county does hold a half dozen night meetings every year, usually after a Monday holiday. On those occasions, the board holds a Tuesday night meeting. Those Tuesday night meetings held after a Monday holiday always conflict with the City of Williston’s regular meetings on Tuesday night and always conflict with Bronson’s council meetings which are moved from Monday to Tuesday for holidays. People can’t attend all three meetings. Meeks suggested one alternative would be for members of the public to contact their commissioners and let them bring concerns to board meetings.
“We are a representative Democracy here in Florida and in the United States, so you don’t have to come to the meeting and voice your concerns. You can voice them to your representative, so I encourage (the resident who complained about the lack of night meetings) to reach out to me. He is in my district and I would like to address whatever his concerns are. If it’s something that can be brought to this board level, it will be brought to this board level by the duly elected board representative.”
“We do have night meetings multiple times a year and there does not ever seem that attendance at those meetings ever picks up. Usually, it’s less attendance and it’s more of an inconvenience to staff and to law enforcement,” Meeks said. “If we had night meetings and dozens and dozens and dozens of people showed up, then that would be a sign that night meetings would be desirable.
“At the end of the day, I think we are doing a great job – pat us on the back for that – but secondly people typically are not interested in government or these meetings unless it’s something that affects them directly, and then they’ll show up for it and they’ll make the time,” Meeks added.
Commissioner Matt Brooks said the online comment forms the public can fill out on the board website is another avenue for public participation in board meetings. The man who commented on the lack of night meetings made his comments known through the county website.
“While we haven’t progressed yet to video and phone interaction which I think is tricky if you have people participating from home, it’s something to look at,” he said. “I think it’s been delved into but people are able to public comment through our website.”
Meeks said people can also call the county commission office and tell one of the employees that answer the phones what their concerns are. The county employee will fill out the public comment form and it can be read at the board meeting.
Cooper agreed that attendance at night meetings is probably poor, but that’s all the more reason to stream the meetings live to let people see, hear, and watch commission meetings.
“That’s really the answer to this,” she said.
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Levy County Commission Contacts
310 School Street
P.O. Box 310
Bronson, FL 32621
Phone: (352) 486-5218
Fax: (352) 486-5167
John Meeks, Vice Chair – District 1: district1@levycounty.org
Rock Meeks, Chair – District 2: district2@levycounty.org
Desiree Mills, Commissioner – District 3: district3@levycounty.org
Tim Hodge (Nov. 22, 2022), Commissioner – District 4: district4@levycounty.org
Matt Brooks, Commissioner – District 5: district5@levycounty.org
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Board of County Commission Regular Meeting November 8, 2022. Posted November 8, 2022
