As previously reported based on action at April’s Committee of the Whole meeting, all future regular Committee of the Whole meetings will be televised on the City’s TV site, Channel 12.  The first televised COTW meeting will be this Thursday, May 20, 2010.

COTW Chairman, Councilman Don Ahart, stated “We want to be as open to the residents of Hopkinsville as we can.  Televising these meetings allows for better public relations and supports our efforts to be transparent in conducting the City’s business.”

The Committee of the Whole is comprised of the entire body of City Council—all 12 legislators—and is chaired by a councilmember annually elected by that body.  This Committee serves as the lone, standing committee of the Council and reviews and deliberates the majority of items that are forwarded to City Council for action.  COTW meetings are scheduled on a regular basis, on the Thursday following the third Tuesday of each month, normally beginning at 6:00 p.m.

Mayor Dan Kemp said he was also supportive of televising the Committee of the Whole meetings.  “Public relations are so important to spreading the word about everything we are doing in the City,” he stated.  “Oftentimes, the majority of the work Council conducts is during their work sessions, which in reality is what the Committee of the Whole meetings are; these meetings are often full of informational reports, updates from department heads, and question-and-answer periods where Council can be brought up to speed on proposed legislation and policies.”

While COTW meetings have not been televised in the past, recent requests by some council members and the public led the local legislators to discuss and vote on the issue in April.  Following the positive vote to televise the meetings, City administration immediately made plans for a member of the City’s Information Technology department to staff the camera and computer operations necessary to broadcast the meetings.

The regular COTW meeting schedule for the remainder of 2010, all on Thursdays at 6:00 p.m. follows:

• May 20th
• June 17th
• July 22nd
• August 19th
• September 23rd
  
• October 21st
• November 18th
• December 23rd (often rescheduled due to Christmas holiday)

City Council meetings, which are already televised, are regularly held the first and third Tuesdays of each month.