SCOPE OF SERVICES

 

Newtown Township seeks a video production fi rm that is experienced and equipped to provide the following services, including but not limited to:

 

• Advise the Board and Manager or his/her designee on all matters pertaining to broadcasting information on cable television and YouTube feeds to the public for information purposes.
• Prepare broadcasting equipment prior to each meeting in conjunction with agenda items.
• Attendance at Board of Supervisor meetings (generally, 2 nd and 4th Wednesday of each month, starting at 7pm)
• Produce a visual and audio production using the Township owned audio visual equipment. [This may be a tough hurdle. There has been repeated problems with the equipment - even the new equipment - and in some cases the wrong equipment has been ordered. Applicants should request a list of the equipment. Still, it's a difficult hurdle for a new AV company to work with equipment ordered by the current AV company (Video Gold), which, IMHO, is very inept and unqualified..]
• Ability to work with Township Staff to achieve a high quality end product.
• Ability to recommend upgrades and improvements to the Township owned AV equipment. [See above.]
• Ability to troubleshoot and manage technical difficulties with Township owned AV equipment, and to resolve issues in a timely , satisfactory, manner. [See above.]

 

ALL PROPOSALS MUST BE RECEIVED BEFORE 4:00 PM ON MONDAY, MARCH 10, 2025. 

Newtown Township Bucks County
100 Municipal Drive Newtown, PA 18940
Proposal Submittal: Proposals must be submitted to Newtown Township, Attn: Township Manager, per the Submittal Instructions Section of this RFQ.

Subscribe to my #YouTube channel: "Your #NewtownPA Voice" to keep up with issues before the township Board of Supervisors and more... bit.ly/Mack-on-Youtube

Newtown Gun Show, Walk-Friendly Newtown, Brixmor Shopping Center Traffic Study, North Sycamore Street Pedestrian Safety, Streaming Youtube Video for BOS Meetings, How to Spend American Rescue Funds, More...

This is my personal summary of the February 9, 2022, meeting of Newtown Township Board of Supervisors (BOS). This is not a complete nor an official summary. 

 

Agenda items:

• Public Comments - Comments on the Newtown Gun Show
• Reports of Committees, Boards and Commissions
  • Walk-Friendly Newtown
  • Electric Vehicle Charging Stations
• Engineer's Report
  • Brixmor Shopping Center Traffic Study Status
  • North Sycamore St Pedestrian Safety Update
• Solicitor’s Report - Resolution designating all American Rescue Plan Funds as “lost revenue”
• Online Streaming of BOS Meetings

 

 

Guest Opinion: By Scott Bomboy

 

One of the lessons learned during the COVID-19 era is that more citizens want online access to local government meetings. But the Pennsylvania state law designed to make that happen is badly outdated and needs a digital overhaul.

 

In Perkasie, where I am a borough council member, we saw a notable increase in video views for our live and recorded Zoom and YouTube meetings during COVID-19 compared with in-person meetings held at borough hall before the pandemic. Neighboring towns probably saw the same increase.

 

The video meetings were held using temporary rules passed by state lawmakers to supplement the Pennsylvania Sunshine Act of 1998. The Sunshine Act doesn’t account for local government meetings that are livestreamed to digital devices.

 

However, during the pandemic, the temporary rules were simple. Local governments had to post advance notice online including the date, time and technology used for the meeting, and how public could comment “directly through the teleconferencing or videoconferencing system used to hold the meeting, via email and/or via postal mail.”

 

...live video meetings allow more citizens to participate in the process, especially those who face physical barriers attending in-person meetings, increasing civic engagement. And unedited video recorded meetings also would benefit the free press and allow for a broader public discussion of issues.

 

The state Office of Open Records also issued advisory guidance about the recorded video of virtual local government meetings, with a strong recommendation that “any agency holding a remote meeting record the meeting and proactively make the recording available (preferably online) so that a full and complete record of the meeting is easily accessible by the public.”

 

That said, those guidelines expired when Pennsylvania’s state of emergency ended. With the rules gone, local governments providing live or recorded video to residents now must rely on outdated laws or make up rules on the fly — risking a lawsuit.

 

The Sunshine Act ensures residents and taxpayers have a voice on “matters of concern” at local government meetings. But without a revised act, these governments are stuck in limbo when it comes to live or recorded video. It is in everyone’s best interest to update the Sunshine Act for the digital age.