Charleroi council considers technology improvements

A plan to create digital billboards in the borough was also discussed.

Charleroi council will consider options for technology upgrades inside council chambers and potentially advertising throughout the community.

Councilman Larry Celaschi placed both items, audio/visual equipment for council chambers and digital billboards in the borough, on last week’s agenda for discussion.

Celaschi said in warmer months when the air condition unit inside council chambers is running, it can be difficult to hear for members of the audience or anyone who is conferenced into the meeting.

He wants council to take initial steps to see how much it would cost to get professional audio/visual equipment for council chambers.

“I think it’s long overdue we bite the bullet and get us up to standards,” Celaschi said. “If you look at these other council meetings, they are equipped with the proper communication technology and we are still operating in the stone age.”

Council discussed a few ways to go about it — considering linking a system to the current TV they have in council chambers or possibly using cameras that will be installed in council chambers through a separate security systems project that is upcoming.

Borough Manager Joe Manning said audio would be different than anything council currently has or that would be feasible through the security system.

“Audio is a separate thing,” Manning said. “We are talking more microphones and speakers for each member.”

Celaschi said having a system that ties everything together could help the borough with its business meetings and other matters.

“I think in the future it would be a benefit to us. We could meet with our insurance company, whoever, and right now we don’t have that. They are staring at a screen and can’t see us, it’s just not professional,” Celaschi said, adding that he had not looked into pricing yet. “I don’t have any idea what it would cost.”

President Kristin Hopkins- Calcek suggested starting out by getting some quotes.

“Let’s get an idea of pricing,” she said. “If you think back to the original facilities grant, if we would have gotten that, it would have updated the audio and visual in here.”

There could be grant funding available, but Celaschi doesn’t think the borough can wait potentially a year to start the project.

“I think it is something that can be done now,” he said. “There will always be grants, but it’s a grab shoot.”

Council decided to start with the basics, making sure the borough has zoom capabilities and microphones, and going from there.

“It would be nice to tie in the laptop to the TV and microphones, reconfigure it somehow,” Councilman Paul Pivovarnik said. “So we need to look at ways to at least start the project.”

Celaschi also wants to the borough to consider purchasing digital billboards down the line that could be used for advertising and revenue.

For years, the borough had been working on a partnership with Mon Valley Signs to install digital billboards, but the process was cumbersome as it needed the proper permits and zoning as well as approval from PennDOT.

The partnership won’t move forward, Celaschi said last week.

“He has a business venture out of the country and looks like this is going to fall flat on its face,” Celaschi said. “So this leads to a discussion about taking a look at the same thing. Maybe not as large, but in the same location. It’s been PennDOT approved, there is a lease agreement with the MMVTA to use their property, so we could go forward with our own, generate income, sell ads and the borough would have control.”

Pivovarnik said the project has been in the works for a long time.

“This has been going on for two years if not longer,” he said. “So he never purchased them?”

Celaschi wasn’t sure, and didn’t want to speak out of place, but said there has been no contact for six months.

“The bottom line is, it’s a disappointment this did not come to fruition,” Celaschi said. “Maybe this is better, maybe the borough can generate income on its own digital billboards and bring awareness to community events.”

Celaschi doesn’t expect a decision to made this week, but wants it to be considered moving forward.

Hopkins-Calcek, who brought up spending about $3,000 last month to upgrade the borough’s website, isn’t sure spending a lot more money on a billboard is in the cards.

“Last meeting, I brought up about updates to our website, to get information out to our community in a better way and it was not something to the pleasure of council, and this week we are talking about signs that are not budgeted for and video equipment?” she said. “I think this needs to go in phases, especially since the majority of council was against spending $3,000 to update our website.”

Pivovarnik said there are different ways to go about upgrading technology and informing residents.

“I think we need to look at some options,” Pivovarnik said. “With renovation of the Market House, I think there would be some way to put signage in there. There are options to look at.”

“I agree, there are so many ways to use that space,” Hopkins-Calcek said. “I think it needs to be a subject we continue to discuss.”

Celaschi didn’t disagree, adding that upgrades to technology within council chambers should take priority.

“Council chambers is more important,” Celaschi said. “We need to get it done.”

Charleroi will also consider options to enter into an agreement this week to install new security cameras throughout the borough.