TO: Committee of the Whole - Finance, Administration, and Communications
FROM: Mayor Angela Birney
DEPARTMENT DIRECTOR CONTACT(S):
|
Executive |
Lisa Maher |
425-556-2427 |
DEPARTMENT STAFF:
|
Executive |
Zach Houvener |
Deputy - Equity & Strategic Services |
TITLE:
title
Approve Contract for Fully Managed Video Production for Public Meetings
OVERVIEW STATEMENT:
recommendation
Staff are seeking approval to contract with Granicus (Swagit) for a fully outsourced video production service supporting multi-camera broadcasts of public meetings in council chambers, including City Council meetings (Regular Business Meetings, Special Meetings, etc.), Committee of the Whole, and Commission meetings.
body
☒ Additional Background Information/Description of Proposal Attached
REQUESTED ACTION:
☐ Receive Information ☒ Provide Direction ☐ Approve
REQUEST RATIONALE:
• Relevant Plans/Policies:
N/A
• Required:
Per Bidding and Signing Approval levels, Council provides authorization for the Mayor or Designee to sign contracts over $50,000.
• Council Request:
N/A
• Other Key Facts:
Following the retirement of the communications staff member who managed A/V for public meetings, we see an opportunity to streamline operations and reduce complexity, ultimately making it easier for the community to stay engaged with their local government.
OUTCOMES:
Staff Capacity: Would eliminate the need for Communications staff to manage A/V for public meetings, freeing time for higher-value work and existing service gaps following a staffing retirement.
Accessibility compliance: Meets ADA and WCAG 2.1 Level AA requirements, including live captions, captions for pre-recorded video, and audio descriptions, ahead of upcoming compliance mandates. Additional translation services are also being rolled out.
Improved broadcast quality: Professional multi-camera switching, live remote directing, and direct integration of agendas with video segments. These capabilities are unavailable among other vendors.
Seamless workflow integration: Direct compatibility with Legistar, which supports Agenda Memos and existing workflow processes.
Editing/Troubleshooting: Post-production editing is included, which our City Clerk currently performs to make recorded sessions available to the public with timestamps for easy navigation. The system also includes multiple redundancies to ensure recordings remain accessible even in the event of a power loss, supported by dedicated UPS battery backup for the equipment. Staff also have direct access to the production director by phone and email for any needed adjustments to the production.
COMMUNITY/STAKEHOLDER OUTREACH AND INVOLVEMENT:
• Timeline (previous or planned):
N/A
• Outreach Methods and Results:
N/A
• Feedback Summary:
N/A
BUDGET IMPACT:
Total Cost:
• One-time implementation/installation fees, including equipment: $81,579.34
• New Subscription Fees (Annual): $98,996.78*
*Due to having an existing contract with Granicus for non-fully managed video production services, the new net annual amount is $81,895.01
Approved in current biennial budget: ☒ Yes ☐ No ☐ N/A
Budget Offer Number:
0000293
Budget Priority:
Strategic and Responsive
Other budget impacts or additional costs: ☒ Yes ☐ No ☐ N/A
If yes, explain:
Annual service fee will be included in the 2027-2028 budget.
Funding source(s):
General Fund - One time
Budget/Funding Constraints:
N/A
☐ Additional budget details attached
COUNCIL REVIEW:
Previous Contact(s)
|
Date |
Meeting |
Requested Action |
|
N/A |
Item has not been presented to Council |
N/A |
Proposed Upcoming Contact(s)
|
Date |
Meeting |
Requested Action |
|
9/15/2026 |
Business Meeting |
Approve |
Time Constraints:
Council Chambers’ A/V upgrades are scheduled for December 2026. This integration will occur concurrently with that work, avoiding additional configuration costs, repeat chamber downtime, and a second disruption to meeting broadcasts. Additionally, upcoming WCAG 2.1 compliance deadlines make timely implementation important to avoid a compliance gap.
ANTICIPATED RESULT IF NOT APPROVED:
We would revert to the previous model of a Communications employee managing A/V for public meetings. This approach would divert staff capacity away from core communications work. The City would also face increased staff time demands to meet WCAG 2.1 accessibility requirements without vendor support, and would miss an efficiency window to integrate during the December council chamber’s upgrade.
ATTACHMENTS:
Attachment A: Scope of Work
Attachment B: Consulting Services Agreement
Attachment C: Sole Source Certification
Attachment D: Granicus Master Services Agreement