No lights, no cameras, no action

The broadcast of city council meetings by MLHS students 'not a priority' for either school or city

MOSES LAKE — Contracts are unsigned, recorders are off and the broadcasts of city council meetings by students of Moses Lake High School's video operation class , which were supposed to start last year, have yet to begin.

Both the school district and the city offer the fact that they haven't heard from each other on the project as one of the main reasons why the broadcast of city council meetings is on pause. While City Manager Joe Gavinski said the city's proposal is still on the school district's hands, P.J. De Benedetti, special assistant to the superintendent of schools said he had not heard back from the city.

"What we are looking at is an ongoing commitment that covers the summer months, but it would be difficult to put together with all the things the kids are doing," De Benedetti said.

Gavinski added, "This is not a matter of one side not wanting to do it."

The idea was brought to council's attention last year by councilman Lee Blackwell, who still would like to see the meetings be broadcast, as they would benefit older citizens who cannot make it to the meetings every second and fourth Tuesday.

Myrna Anderson, executive director of the Moses Lake Senior Center, said senior citizens would really like to be able to watch and stay informed of what is going on without having to leave their homes in the evenings.

Blackwell said that the broadcasts would likely not take place, not due to a controversy but because of the school's priorities.

"The school activities are taking most of the time of the audiovisual classes," he said. "Perhaps that is the right priority."

Recording city council meetings would mean keeping students up late two school nights a month.

Bob Schroeder, instructor of the MLHS video operation classes, said he can't have students up that late on a week night. The other option would be to start meetings an hour earlier, at 6 instead of 7 p.m.

"I don't think (council) would like that idea," Schroeder said.

The school district had proposed that the city buy the tapes and the cabling necessary for the broadcasts, therefore not making it necessary for the students to set up all their equipment before every meeting.

"We are waiting for them to say something, one way or the other," Schroeder said.