Technology upgrades underway in Loveland City Council chambers – Loveland Reporter-Herald
The Loveland City Council chambers are getting a reboot.
On Wednesday morning, crews started installing a new audiovisual system to replace the city’s existing equipment, which has been “showing its age,” according to city of Loveland IT Manager Dan Coldiron. Planned upgrades include new monitors, improved audio controls and a video wall that will improve the in-chambers viewing experience, as well as for those watching remotely.
“The city of Loveland has been broadcasting for quite some time, and during the age of Zoom and more virtual meetings, we were starting to see some frailty in our equipment,” he said. “So we’re getting equipment without so many miles on it.”
The chambers will remain closed through April 29, moving any public meetings held there to a virtual format, including the April 26 City Council study session. When the chambers reopens on the morning of May 2, visitors probably won’t notice much difference until they see the new system in action, Coldiron said.
“We’re mostly replacing components that people won’t see,” Coldiron said. “But there will be new monitors, new functionality, and new technology for the hearing impaired.”
Coldiron is also hopeful that the new upgrades will mean a sharp reduction in disruptions due to technology issues, such as those that impacted the City Council meeting on Tuesday night.
“I’m most excited about the reliability of the new system,” he said. “These upgrades are about good governance. Technology is just a tool, and shouldn’t come between the people of Loveland and City Council meetings.”
Coldiron is anticipating a smooth installation, though the 117-year old building did need some advance wiring work. He expects the most challenging part of the project will be “configuring and tuning as we go,” and dealing with unanticipated bugs.
“It’s a custom-built system, so we’ll be tweaking as we learn about it,” he said.
The project is expected to cost $160,000. Work was originally scheduled for earlier this year, but supply chain issues delayed some equipment deliveries, pushing the schedule to late April, Coldiron said.
He also said that the City is working on equipment upgrades that will improve the city’s broadcasting capabilities, and allow it to expand to other channels, including Facebook and YouTube.
Gloss