Public, Education & Government Access Oversight Board

PEG Access TV Oversight Board meeting Sept. 9, 2021 Via Zoom Board members present: Mary Rozak (chair), Don Hyman (vice chair), Dale Getto (treasurer), Ron Lesko (secretary), Aprecia Cabey, Scott Jarzombek, Jim Matteo, Mary Alice Molgard, Zachary Simpson, Cathy Taylor, Jessica Wilcox. Also present: Kirk Daniels (studio coordinator), Laura Gulfo (corporation counsel) Board members absent: None Called to order at 5:34 p.m. Review of June minutes  Matteo moved acceptance  Hyman second  Approved unanimously (Wilcox abstaining) Public comment  There was no public comment. Chair’s report  There were no responses to the RFP for a studio coordinator. The RFP has been reposted; due date Oct. 14. Daniels’ current term ends Oct. 31. He is willing to continue month-to-month but we need to discuss what to do if we don’t get any proposals from the reposted RFP.  Additional equipment is needed as the Common Council installation moves forward. Rozak authorized that (just more than $4,400) as the total was less than $5,000. Gulfo asked for an addendum to the contract to account for this additional expenditure. She received the quote today and will work on that addendum. o Getto asked for confirmation that the amount will come from the equipment budget line. Gulfo agreed, noting these funds should come from the board’s cable franchise funds. Rozak also agreed.  This will be Taylor’s last meeting as the state has approved The New School’s full move to New York City. The board will be losing one of its stakeholders with The New School’s departure. City code will need to be updated, as will our bylaws. Rozak noted s he is not certain what the Common Council will do. They could cut the board down to 10 members, or they could want to add a new stakeholder, or maintain 11 members and determine a different process for filling Taylor’s seat on the board. After that decision is made and code is changed, our bylaws will need to be changed to reflect that. https://channelalbanycom.wordpress.com/by-laws-2/ o Code:  Members: The mayor and Common Council find and declare that it is in the public interest of the citizens of the City of Albany to establish a board to oversee implementation of PEG Access, the cable television public access facility/studio in the City of Albany and to promote public awareness of the public access in the city. The PEGAOB consists of seven members who serve three-year terms. The mayor appoints two members, the Common Council appoints four members and there are five members who represent community stakeholders. o Rozak thanked Taylor for all she has done throughout the years to support Channel Albany and the events that we have held, including last year’s work on Free Speech Week and Community Media Day. For many years, The New School hosted the server and did the programming. Thank you also to Tom Brownlie for helping to get PEG TV launched in Albany. Their hard work is appreciated and you will be missed. Studio coordinator’s report  Daniels noted that a lighter schedule of public meetings has been updated, as there were technical difficulties with the equipment in Common Council chambers.  New content has been uploaded recently. o One producer of a new program asked about video-on-demand capabilities. o Two additional new programs also launched recently.  Daniels noted the need for a digital hard drive in the studio, with an estimated cost in the $450-$500 range per unit. Two or three would be necessary. o Rozak noted that funds are available for those equipment purchases.  Cabey asked how has the request to complete programming increased or decreased since the studio reopened. o Daniels noted that it started slowly but has started to pick up, with the three new programs he mentioned and three additional programs under consideration.  Getto asked about “The Hair Show.” o Daniels noted that he worked with Hyman on that project. Getto thanked them both for a great program, a partnership with the Cosmetology Program at Albany High’s Abrookin Career and Technical Center and teacher LaQuita Love.  Jarzombek noted that the studio is functioning as well as it has been in his memory. He thanked Daniels for all he has done to organize the studio and how well run it is. Treasurer’s report  Getto noted that the salary budget line is fully up to date, but the equipment budget line has not yet been fully reconciled. She is working with city officials on that. o Wilcox moved approval o Jarzombek second o Approved unanimously   Gulfo noted that the city’s Purchasing Department might take over the equipment portion of PEG’s budget line. Announcements  None New business  Rozak initiated a discussion about the studio coordinator RFP and what the board would like to do if we continue to have no proposals in response. o Getto asked if there would be an opportunity for the city to add benefits to the position in addition to the salary – to turn it into an official city position. o Jarzombek noted that the library has had a similar situation, getting one response to an RFP position. They reposted it as a job posting and got significantly more responses. He noted that many people in the public don’t understand what an RFP position is. He agrees that it needs to be promoted as a job to get more interest. o Molgard agreed with Jarzombek’s assessment. She said the RFP was confusing. o Rozak indicated she would have a conversation with Gulfo about how to proceed along those lines. o Cabey asked if we are able to make proposals for COVID-19 emergency funds to be used for Common Council equipment or training?  Rozak said we need to spend the money we have for equipment through the franchise agreement. We did discuss some of the COVID-19 funds being used for expenses like cleaning and sanitization. Gulfo noted that that possibility will be revisited, and Rozak indicated that the additional ask of using COVID-19 emergency funds for equipment would be included.  Rozak noted that Cabey has suggested streaming our board meeting via Facebook Live. Rozak indicated it increases transparency and adds opportunities for the public to view the meetings. o Simpson noted that CANA meetings are streamed to YouTube and shared to Facebook. o Cabey said she would communicate with Simpson to make sure we avoid technical difficulties with the plan to stream live with the October meeting. Next meeting  Thursday, Oct. 14, 5:30 p.m. Motion to adjourn  Getto moved adjournment  Taylor second  Meeting adjourned at 6:28 p.m.