• Council returned on Wednesday, September 11, following the 2024 summer recess.
  • It was the first public meeting to use new audio, visual, and procedural equipment upgrades in Stouffville’s Council Chambers.
  • Improvements include an automated camera and production system, as well as recorded votes.
  • The Town has also transitioned to a more accessible platform for residents to access meeting recordings and agendas.
  • Mayor Iain Lovatt commented on the upgrades and upcoming fall budget process in a recent conversation with Bullet Point News.

 

“This is the first official meeting using our new system, so please bear with us as we get used to it…we’ll work out the glitches as we go,” Mayor Lovatt said as he opened Council’s first meeting after the summer recess.

In the past, Council’s live stream and meeting recordings offered one wide-angle view of all seven seated members. Council Chambers’ technology upgrades, completed this summer, provide an improved viewing experience with an automated video recording system and multiple camera angles.

“Oftentimes, the public couldn’t see how Members of Council were voting, and they certainly couldn’t see how Members were reacting,” Lovatt said in comments to Bullet Point News. “There are now multiple cameras around Council Chambers that dynamically zoom in on whoever is speaking.”

This includes members of the public wishing to present, who were previously only seen from behind in the Town’s recording. “When more than one individual is speaking at a time, such as during dialogue between a Member of Council and Staff or a delegate, you will see all their faces,” Lovatt added.

The Mayor also highlighted the addition of recorded votes, which are displayed following Council decisions. “We put a motion on the floor, discuss it, and then I call the vote,” he explained. “There are buttons for voting yes or no, and that vote then goes up on the screen for the public to see.”

Earlier in the year, Stouffville transitioned to the eScribe meeting management platform. For residents interested in viewing Council agendas and Staff reports, eScribe brings them together alongside video recordings for convenient review of each item and Council’s consideration of it.

Wednesday’s meeting proceeded without major hiccups as Councillors adjusted to the new system, and Lovatt is now looking ahead to a busy fall. On top of his agenda is the 2025 budget process, which will be the second conducted under Strong Mayor Powers.

“I’ve given direction to Staff to prepare the budget, and I’m working with them on their priorities,” Lovatt told us. “I’m also meeting with all Members of Council over the next couple of weeks to hear what their priorities are.”

The Town plans to hold a public budget consultation meeting and offer a survey to gather input from the community, both expected in mid-October. Lovatt hopes residents will use the opportunities to detail where they receive the most value from Town services, identify gaps and needs, and even suggest possible budget cuts.

“Taxes are really the only revenue source that we have other than income from investments, user fees, and grants,” Lovatt noted. “So getting the community’s input is going to be really important to me.”

Beyond the budget, Lovatt is predicting an uptick in development applications. “I think that we are starting to see a bit of a turnaround in the economy. As interest rates come down, we are seeing more pre-consultation applications coming in, as well as applications that have been waiting in the wings.”

Residents can expect Public Planning Meetings to follow, which will also benefit from the new technology upgrades. Council’s next meeting will be held on Wednesday, September 25, at 1 p.m.