IT director says integrating 'Owl' camera into county meeting system would cost tens of thousands; viewership data questioned
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Summary
Adams County IT staff told the committee that adding an Owl-style camera to allow speaker-tracking would require an estimated $30,000–$40,000 integration and is unlikely to be cost-effective given current meeting viewership and existing audiovisual infrastructure.
Rich, the county IT director, told the committee the Owl device is a standalone camera intended for small rooms and would not integrate with the county’s existing meeting system without significant additional work. He said the county spent $48,000 in 2022 to implement the current system and that integrating a speaker-tracking camera would likely cost another $30,000 to $40,000.
Rich presented YouTube analytics for the County Board livestreams, saying the March 2025 County Board meeting had roughly 5,708 views, 22 peak viewers and an average view duration of about 17 minutes for a two-hour meeting. Several supervisors said those figures did not justify the proposed expense; one supervisor noted many viewers only watch short segments to see specific remarks, which can reduce average view time.
Committee members discussed options, including additional notification of who is speaking during meetings and continued monitoring of viewership; no formal decision to purchase was made. Rich recommended against purchasing and integrating the Owl device at this time based on cost and low measured engagement.