Preston County Commission begins live streaming meetings on Facebook

KINGWOOD — During the pandemic shutdown, many Preston County residents rediscovered home-cooked meals, long hours with family — and local government.

Up until this point, only the Preston County Board of Education live streamed its meetings. When concerns about the virus limited the number of people who could gather, other entities turned to technology as well.

The switch was not without glitches, as organizations continue to struggle to improve video and audio quality. But meetings typically only attended by the media and employees of the government body are now being viewed by hundreds.

The Preston County Commission has begun live streaming its meetings on Facebook. After some initial hiccups when watchers’ comments and questions were hidden because of the setting the commission put on its Facebook page — which was corrected — it began to run smoothly.

The commission plans to continue live streaming meetings even after people can begin attending in person. The number of views for videos of the meetings ranges from a couple hundred for the most recent meeting to more than 4,600 of the meeting when a COVID-19 emergency was declared.

“I’ve always said I wish more people would come to meetings, because you get so many complaints about this, that or the other, but they won’t come,” Commission President Samantha Stone said.

And while she thinks local media do a good job of documenting what happens at the meetings, more and more people seem to turn to social media for information.

“I think it makes things more accessible with where people work. It seems like a lot of people work out of the county and getting back for a meeting, that’s not really a good time for that,” Stone said.

Kingwood Council, as well as the Kingwood Water Board and Sanitary Board, began meeting by phone conference but live streamed the call on Facebook.

Council has been impressed by the public participation and plans to continue streaming after in-person meetings resume, with the addition of video.

“People do pay attention and are interested,” Mayor Jean Guillot said.

Its broadcasts also have not been without blips. Council met in person recently, at a safe social distance, and the audio was spotty.
Guillot said not everyone used the microphones provided, which will be addressed.

Councilman Mike Lipscomb suggested a permanent camera be put in the meeting room to improve quality.

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