Free Wi-Fi coming to City Hall
A local internet and cable provider proposes to help provide free equipment for live-streaming city council meetings.
The Libby City Council on Monday approved an offer from Montana Sky to set up free Wi-Fi in the chambers. The next step discussed on Monday will be setting up a camera to live-stream city council meetings.
Rob Hubbard, who regularly attends city council meetings, has live streamed the last two regular city council meetings on his smartphone attached to a tripod. The video streamed on Facebook, where members can watch the meeting from home.
“A lot of people watched his little broadcasts and I think it’s really great that he was putting it in the hands of people that might not be able to make the meetings,” General Manager of Montana Sky Jeremy Holm said.
Hubbard and a few Libby residents approached Holm to see if they could set up a camera in the chambers. On Monday, Holm proposed that idea to the council.
“Whatever the city needs, whatever the public wants here, we’re happy to help. No cost,” Holm said to the council members Monday. “We just want to find an amicable solution for the security of it, whether or not it’s changing the password everyday or turning off after business hours.”
While Holm expected to receive more resistance from the council, Holm said the council has been on board so far.
“I think it would be great for the city, for them to broadcast through their page,” Holms said. “We just want to make sure that the city is comfortable with there being a camera in there. Hopefully, they want transparency.”
Under their new Community First Initiative, Montana Sky has been working on giving back to their communities in their locations in both Libby and Kalispell. As a smaller company in a small town with an extremely vast market of large competitors, Holm said that they benefit from donating time and resources back into Libby.
“We’re a very small company, Montana made,” Holm said. “Everyone that works on the system is born and raised here. I was born and raised here. This city gave me my name and my personality. So personally, it’s a great feeling to give back.”
City Councilman Brian Zimmerman said that he’s all for the camera proposal, because it will invite more participation and discussion.
“I think it’s just fine myself,” Zimmerman said. “I don’t have a problem with it. The day and age has changed with new technology, and if [the camera] reaches more people...I’m all for that. I’m for more discussion and participation and if this invites that, I’m all for it.”