I went to the APS School Board Meeting yesterday. Upon entering the John Milne Community Board Room, I noticed that the alcove in the far back of the room had been re-purposed. The alcove's previous purpose had been to allow people with tripod mounted recording devices to place their equipment out of the way.
The purpose now; to accommodate a single tripod mounted video camera, small desk and APS Computer Technician Salvador Gonzales.
Another person whom I believe to be Technician Russell Reid, but definitely the nearer of the two technicians in the photo below, was standing in the raised alcove and at what amounted to a rope barrier between them and the great unwashed.
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| Hard to imagine - all this equipent to record a school board meeting? |
I asked him what "it" was. The question was accompanied by hand gestures indicating the space in which he stood; the alcove.
Misunderstanding, thinking I was talking about the rope line itself and concluding that I had never seen a crowd control device before, Reid told me; it's a crowd control device.
Either that, or he was just being a wise ass.
Finally understanding my question, he said he "didn't know".
Taxpayers pay Russell Reid $21 an hour during our exchange.
He decided to refer me to APS Police Chief Steve Gallegos.
You pay him $51 an hour. We established that Gallegos had
already told me that he wasn't going to answer my questions
and if I asked him any more questions it would be harassment, link.
Next in line, the person who appeared to be in charge in alcove, Computer Tech Sal Gonzales. He finally offered that the alcove was now for "meeting administration". You paid him $24 an hour for his begrudging service.
I asked a few questions of a $17 an hour board service specialist, about the movement of the media from the alcove, the previous "designated area", and was told, I needed to talk to recently raised; $53 an hour, APS Executive Director of Communications Monica Armenta. I declined any assistance involving her.
Armenta's decision to move the media to the SW corner of the room had created a genuine trip and safety hazard. The always alert Chief Gallegos was oblivious to the problem. With the arrival of the KOAT videographer the situation became so bad, APS Director of Communications Rigo Chavez came over to tell KOAT they had to move to the other side of the room. Apparently, there are now two "designated areas" for the media.
On my way out of the meeting, I stopped to ask Sal Gonzales, what was the purpose of their new camera - I mean they already have at least three cameras covering the meeting.
He decided that the best interests of students were would be served by refusing to answer the simple question, and insisting I ask Rigo Chavez who makes $35 an hour.
Chavez's response will be cc'd to Armenta, (probably) Brad Winter, making $96 an hour, and a few lawyers making $130 an hour.
And then, maybe, we will find out what they need a fourth camera for.
photo Mark Bralley
2 comments:
Well it certainly isn't working very well, their cameras I mean. For the last 3 board meetings I tried to watch live on Wednesday evenings, it works for the first hour or so then either freezes or just stops. Then I have to wait and see if they will repost it on their website.
What a mess!
They have been aware of streaming problems for a long, long time.
They remain unfixed because the people who are responsible are either or both of; corrupt or incompetent.
They don't want to fix the problems, and or
they are unable to fix the problems.
Realistically it could be either or both.
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