Weirton officials making a switch in meeting broadcasts
Council meetings will now be streamed on YouTube
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WEIRTON - The City of Weirton is making a change in how residents can watch city council meetings and keep up to date on other municipal activities.
"Beginning Oct. 13, the city council meetings will now be broadcast on YouTube," explained City Clerk Kimberly Long, announcing the departure of the long-time use of the Facebook social media platform to stream meetings.
The move is an effort by the city to make the meetings more accessible, officials explain, as a resident doesn’t need to have an account set up on YouTube in order to view any videos or livestreams, allowing anyone who wants to watch to do so.
"They can go onto the Internet and pull up the channel," Long said.
The city’s new YouTube channel can be found by searching "City of Weirton WV" and already features the seven videos produced for the city by CGI Digital through the assistance of the National League of Cities.
Links to the YouTube broadcasts will still be posted on Facebook for those still wishing to use the platform.
In addition to making it more accessible, officials explained having the videos on YouTube will allow them to be archived for a longer period of time.
"Facebook changed its policy," Brian Stewart, the city’s information technology administrator, said, explaining the platform, owned by Meta, now only allows replays of live streams to remain for 30 days before they are deleted. "Right now, YouTube keeps it."
In addition to the YouTube channel, the council livestreams also will be archived on the city’s website - www.cityofweirton.com - in the Agenda Center section.
The new channel is expected to provide a new avenue, and more opportunity, for city officials to inform residents.
"We hope to be able to utilize it in a greater way," Assistant City Manager DeeAnn Pulliam said, adding the channel also may provide ways to better promote the city with an expanded digital reach.
Long explained other cities in West Virginia, including Fairmont, Wheeling, Morgantown, and Elkins already have YouTube channels established.
Pulliam noted the city will continue using its other social media outlets to notify residents of various events, as well as road closures, boil orders, and press releases.
(Howell can be contacted at chowell@weirtondailytimes.com)