Senior Center Cameras

Although the idea of installing video cameras in the Senior Center dates back to the mid-2000s, the more recent push began in 2017 when Oakland's Council Chambers were closed to the public for the summer for work on the ventilation system. Council meetings were then held in the Senior Center, but they could not be televised due to the lack of cameras in the building. Even if a handful of portable cameras were brought in to record the meetings and try to achieve the same production excellence Oakland council meetings are known for, the recordings would still need to be edited for broadcast, at the cost of considerable additional volunteer time.

In 2020, when the COVID-19 pandemic called for increased social distancing, the Borough Council felt that the Senior Center could accommodate people more easily than the Council Chambers could, so its meetings moved there for several months. However, some on the Council were unhappy that the meetings would not air live on Oakland TV, restricting people from participating. Using a volunteer’s cell phone and an app enabling live streaming to YouTube (which was the solution at the time) led to several other problems, including poor audio quality, reduced video quality, and negative feedback from volunteers, Council Members, and the public.

In 2022, the Mayor and Council requested that some Planning Board meetings be recorded and broadcast to the public because of the important nature of the projects discussed at such meetings. With redevelopment potentially coming to Oakland in the next few years if sewer service expands, having the ability to provide transparency and information to residents will be paramount.

By piggybacking on the Borough’s completed fiber loop project, which runs from the police station to the Oakland Public Library with connections to Borough Hall, the DPW building, the recreation fields, and Oakland Senior Center, the Communications Commission and the Television Committee could have cameras (both permanent and movable) and other necessary equipment installed to transmit camera feeds into the Fred C. Birks Television Control Room. These cameras would permit recording and/or live broadcast of Senior Center events.

Attempts to obtain grant funding for this project have been unsuccessful thus far. The Friends of OCC hope to bring this important project to fruition through a combination of contributions and grants.