Landis deviates from current livestreaming platform

Published 12:01 am Wednesday, January 11, 2023

LANDIS — Following a vote on Monday night, Landis Board of Aldermen meetings will no longer be live-streamed.

The town’s livestream service was made possible by a contract with Granicus, which the town is opting not to renew. Instead, Landis officials are transitioning to another platform to handle local government operations called CivicPlus.

By switching to the new platform, the town will save money on the annual costs of using the service, but it will come at the expense of the livestreaming feature. However, during a work session on Thursday, Landis Human Resources Officer Amber Levi indicated that Granicus has been difficult to work with, specifically when contact was needed to troubleshoot issues.

One town official remarked that while the livestream was once a necessity when COVID forced people into isolation, it now is less pressing.

“Most municipalities used it during the pandemic,” said Phil Conrad, Landis’ interim town manager. “A lot of them are returning to pre-pandemic norms.”

Conrad indicated that town staff was prepared to move in a “different direction.”

The board of aldermen agreed and voted to pursue the premium package that CivicPlus offers.

The premium package has a $1,000 one-time build fee and costs $3,600 annually.

The previous contract with Granicus cost the city $6,595 annually.

While the livestreaming feature will not be available with the platform update, the town still intends to record the meetings for documentation purposes and possibly make them available for download.

“I know there is interest in recording our meetings for minutes and a citizen archive,” Conrad said.

The implementation of the new platform could take a few months. It is divided into multiple phases, including introductions, training and final configuration.