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HUBBARD -- City residents who cannot make it to future council meetings will have the chance to catch them from wherever, thanks to a camera that was purchased years ago.
Council President Mike Mogg said before Monday's meeting that a camera has been set up and is working, making its debut during caucus and the meeting that followed.
Mogg said the camera was initially purchased during the COVID-19 years because officials had plans to stream meetings so people could keep in touch with the city's activities.
"It never got activated; finally, somebody brought it up about a year ago, and we said, 'Well, let's dig it out,' so we did dig it out," Mogg said.
Mogg said the city has an account set up through YouTube, which will send a link to Facebook -- allowing anyone to watch the meetings.
"That will be effective the first of September; we're running a test run tonight," Mogg said.
Mogg said residents also will be able to pull up the previous recorded meetings and watch at their own convenience.
Dale Alfredo, a Sunset Drive resident, thanked Mogg during public comments for helping her and her husband get the camera together, which she said was "waiting endlessly, collecting dust" in city council's backrooms for four years.
Alfredo, who asked about the camera at a July 7 meeting, emphasized the camera's value then, noting the residents who can't attend the meetings because they were homebound, but helped bring the city to where it is today.
"My husband and I are doing it (operating the camera) free of charge -- it's not costing anybody a cent," Alfredo said.
DATA CENTER UPDATES
During his report, Auditor Michael Villano said he's received the data center ban petitions from the Trumbull County Board of Elections, which certified 612 valid signatures -- meeting the 370 verified signatures organizers needed.
"Tomorrow, I'm going to meet with Attorney (Mark) Villano and Mr. (Jim) Frederick, just to make sure we've got the ballot language buttoned up to everyone's approval," Villano said. "I will certify that back to the board of elections, so that will hopefully be done by the end of the week."
Regarding action since a 12-month moratorium on the construction, placement or operation of a data center within the city was enacted June 1, Councilwoman Robin Zambrini, D-2nd Ward, said the moratorium committee, formed July 7, hasn't met yet.
Councilwomen Bonnie Viele, D-1st Ward, Zambrini, Lisha Pompilli-Baumiller, D-3rd Ward, and Councilman Jerome Crowe, D-At Large, agreed to join upon the recommendation of its formation.
"We are going to meet, and we are very aware of what the public wants and what the needs are in the city," Baumiller said.