The Audio recorder would accomplish several things…

1. Provide an archival record of the meeting and support the secretary in accurate transcription of official minutes. Often times in meetings things can happen quickly and details can get missed with a recording you can review if needed to ensure you get all the facts and figures.
2. Residents can listen to the recordings and learn what occurred at the meetings to stay informed even on their busy schedules. Audio sizes tend to be small and efficient allowing anyone with an internet enabled computer or phone to download and listen to them.
3. Town employees do not require any special training, software, or processing methods. Simply press record and stop, then store and upload just like placing official document minutes online or in an archive today.
4. Inexpensive cost for equipment, ease of management, ease of archival, small file size.

In the short while since this websites been in existence and I started recording, the traffic and activity over the meeting audio and video files has increased dramatically and is popular. A large percentage of residents also still are unaware of this site and the service. If the town was doing recordings and publishing to the residents itself the residents would be even greater served.

Many towns record their meetings in such a manner. Lebanon would simply need to purchase a recorder like the Zoom H2 for example $163.00 and set it on the meeting table. This recorder does an outstanding job, does time stamping and has high quality directional microphones. I is highly regarded for sound quality and simplicity of operation.

Alternatively a video camera could be used but lets face it although nice to see there isn’t a lot of action at a meeting…it’s the audio that is really important. Audio is simple to record, easy to manage, and likely the best way to go.

I don’t believe this improvement should require a referendum to enact and start doing. It should be as simple as change in policy with an official policy dictating how the audio archives are to be managed and who is responsible. The expense could be budgeted across the four committees for the upcoming year at a one-time cost of less than $50 each.

I have sent this simple request to the Selectmen and would like to know what your opinion is…..care to share?