The Caddo Parish Commission has voted to join the 21st century and will fund a Facebook Live stream of their administrative sessions and Commission meetings.

Discussions swirled at the meeting today including calls to find out if streaming to public access television is already reaching the masses (it’s not, sorry KTAL). Also discussed were Commissioners feeling uneasy about people being able to comment on the live stream and Commission President Steven Jackson reminded the body that citizens have a right to speak openly to their government. Damn straight.

But why is Facebook Live needed? That’s pretty simple: Caddo Parish Commission meetings are at 3:30 p.m. on a weekday while most citizens are at work. Many times only people who have a specific stake in the outcome of an agenda item show up. And, just recently, an effort to change the meeting time from 3:30 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. or later failed to get out of discussion on the floor.

An argument was made that the meetings are already streamed to the website, but the Caddo Commission website is not mobile friendly and the web tech said it could take the better part of a year to fix it.

People need access. People need it now. The Commission needs to be transparent.

So they voted, and the measure passed. Only Commissioners Stormy Gage-Watts (District 7) and Douglas Dominick (District 1) dissented.

The decision will fund an inexpensive, but significant, upgrade to the Government Plaza video system. The monies will provide for the purchase of new equipment necessary to facilitate the streaming of Commission meetings to the Facebook platform. Items are to include a Teradek VidiU stream box, connectors, and an upgraded internet connection to handle the streaming. The budget is capped at $2,500, and if they are smart, they shouldn’t have to use even half of that.

It is expected that the system would be in place and streams could begin as soon as August of this year.

Maybe the city council will chip in and use the streaming box too. After all, both bodies use the same video equipment system.