With costs

going down, the Peachtree City Council is looking into what it would take

to televise its twice-monthly meetings.

Kenny Faust

of AT&T Broadband has already committed to put the necessary equipment

in council chambers free of charge. Back in 1998 when the idea was first

brought up, that cost was tabbed at $17,000.

Another cost-prohibitive

factor back then was an estimate that it would cost $1,000 to videotape

each meeting. But that was for a complicated setup, Mayor Bob Lenox said

at last week's council meeting.

Council discussed

using a simplified broadcast format with a stationary camera that would

remain focused on council for the entire meeting. The audio could pick

up all the other dialogue in the meeting without having to put each individual

speaker on screen, the mayor added.

It was also

said that having the camera solely focused on council could discourage

"grandstanding" by citizens, council members and other participants.

Councilman

Dan Tennant brought the idea up, saying he'd like to bring the council

meetings to people who can't come because of health problems or other

reasons.

"The important

thing is that the citizens can tune in," Tennant said, responding

to questions of how many citizens would actually watch the meetings.

Even if it

would cost the city $1,000 a meeting to tape each one, it would be worth

the cost, Tennant said. He also suggested that the city could solicit

sponsors to offset the costs, but City Attorney Rick Lindsey said the

city may not legally be able to do that.

Councilman

Robert Brooks suggested that the citizens be polled through the monthly

Update newsletter the city sends to each household. That way, council

could determine whether there has been renewed interest in watching the

televised council meetings.

A survey was

conducted back in 1998 and 80 percent of those responding said they weren't

interested, Brooks noted.

"To me,

it's a valid question," Brooks said.

Councilwoman

Annie McMenamin said she wondered how many citizens would be interested

in watching the meetings, and she also was concerned about how citizens

watching at home wouldn't be able to speak and have input at the meetings.

Council decided

to direct city staff to research the potential costs of televising the

meetings. Council voted to have the matter put on the agenda for its first

meeting in January.