The Rehoboth Beach commissioners have decided to take more time to debate the idea of livestreaming city meetings over the internet after one commissioner raised objections to the practice.

Commissioner Stan Mills opposed the idea at the commissioners’ Jan.8 workshop. He said livestreaming meetings would lead to fewer people attending meetings and possibly sending texts or emails to commissioners or the audience while the meetings are in progress.

“I think we should be encouraging people to come to the meetings, not sitting at home,” he said. “I’m not for this right now.”

Mills said if the commissioners stream the meetings, it should be on an hour delay to prevent the potential for abuse, via people sending in texts or emails to the commissioners offering comments while the meeting is ongoing.

Mayor Paul Kuhns said listening to meetings is helpful for people who cannot attend, although he was on the fence about livestreaming. He said people who have public comments during meetings should make their comments through normal channels - either by email or commenting in person.

Commissioner Lisa Schlosser supports livestreaming, saying it is a modern way to increase engagement, participation and transparency in government. She said people prefer livestreaming to recorded audio and that most of the city’s residents do not live in Rehoboth full time. Schlosser said livestreaming would open up access to meetings for people who live elsewhere but want to participate. She said right now people can text or email commissioners during meetings.

“I can’t see the downside to opening up meetings to more public participation, more engagement,” Schlosser said.

Commissioner Kathy McGuiness also supports livestreaming, but she agreed the commissioners should not be interacting with people watching online.

Information technology director Max Hamby told the commissioners cameras for livestreaming meetings could be up and running quickly.

“We’re ready to move forward,” Hamby said.

Livestreaming capability was installed in the new City Hall complex, which also features better microphones, television screens to better display presentations to the audience, and microphones at the podium and in the center of the room for audience comment and presentations. Livestreaming meetings is currently in place at Sussex County Council.

Schlosser said installing equipment to livestream but not using it is a waste of taxpayer dollars.

“We’re doing what 80 or 90 percent of the world does now, which is livestream,” she said.

Hamby said livestreaming would be one-way communication with video and audio, but he could not stop people from texting in during meetings. That brought Mills back to his original point.

“To allow someone at home watching it live to text one of us up here or to email one of us up here to engage us in conversation or so they can contribute to the meeting is wrong, and it’s going to happen,” he said.

Kuhns said with all the commissioners not on board, it would be better to continue discussion at a future meeting.