Hattiesburg City Council meetings should be televised, Ward 2 Councilwoman Deborah Delgado told city officials during a work session Monday at the council’s agenda setting meeting at City Hall.
Delgado, who said the idea had been broached in previous years, hopes to get some support for the idea this time.
“I’m going to do some outreach to the public and ask them what they think,” she said after the meeting. “I’ll ask them to contact their council representatives to see. My just saying it is not going to make it happen, so I am looking to see if I can get some support.”
Delgado said years ago, no agreement was reached when televising city council meetings were first discussed. She thinks this year can bring different opinions.
“I think that in 2020 in the interest of full transparency and allowing citizens who are not able to attend our meetings, (they) should have a representation of how we conduct our meetings,” she said. “Other communities are televising their council meetings. I have not known any community that has any negative connotations as a result of doing it.”
The broadcasts could be viewed at more convenient times for Hub City residents who are unable to attend the meetings, Delgado stated.
“I think we need to consider being able to broadcast our actions as we conduct the business of the citizens of Hattiesburg,” she said. “It would be able to meet the convenience and schedule of the people who elected us to office. I think it is a good thing to do because we are a progressive city, a 21st century city, that should be televising its meetings. Its meetings are public meetings, and I would like to see the city consider doing that and to begin doing that as soon as possible.”
Delgado said she has been looking into the costs and systems that would provide the broadcast.
“Checking has been done, and it’s not going to be an expensive process,” she added. “For the benefit to the community, I know it’s worth it. We have a cable contract that provides for a public-access broadcast. I do know streaming has been looked into as well. However it goes, I just know we need to do it. It seems so much easier to do now.”
The city of Petal broadcasts its board of aldermen meetings, and Jackson’s city meetings are also online.