HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 0335.008 1998-2000 ~Y OI
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AL KONISHI ~ DONALD IKEDA
County Clerk Deputy County Clerk
CONSTANCE R. KIRIU
Legislative Auditor
OFFICE OF THE COUNTY CLERK
County of Hawaii
Hawaii County Building
25 Aupuni Street
Hilo, Hawaii 96720 cry
Telephone: (808) 961-8255 7 c.o
Facsimile: (808) 961-89]2 O,-~ o
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Memorandum . , o '
TO: Council Memb _
FROM: Al Konishi
DATE: November 30, - ~
R.E: Captioning Meeting Broadcasts =
Yesterday, I met with Peter Nakamura, Kauai County Clerk, to discuss the issue of captioning meeting
broadcasts. I learned that Kauai has acost-effective process for providing captioning. The same
arrangements aze possible here with just a minor modification of our present contract. Also, broadcasts
of meetings would have to be deferred about two days after each meeting.
Process
Council, Council committee, Police Commission and Planning Commission meetings on Kauai aze
broadcast approximately two days after each meeting. The County spent about $8000 and purchased
equipment for the public access organization which has the contract to videotape and caption meetings
for about $80,000 per year (Hawaii County presently spends approximately $20,000 per yeaz for its
uncaptioned broadcasts.) Thy public access organization on Kauai uses off-the-shelf dictation software
to create the captions. A member of the organization listens to the raw tape and repeats what is spoken.
A computer produces a first draft of the captions. The member then reviews the captions and makes
corrections (especially local names and acronyms.)
Compromise
Although it would be ideal to have meetings broadcast on a live or "same day" basis, captioning may
render that option financially non-viable. Kauai's minimal broadcast delay eliminates the need for a
court reporter to create captioins at great expense to the County. Please note that the Kauai process
came about in response to a 18wsuit. The members of the hearing-impaired community on Kauai
apparently have appazently adcepted the process.
cc: Peter Nakamura, County Clerk, County of Kauai
Norm Olesen, County of Hawaii
Comm. Na ~
File No. ~ O V
Ref, To: rC
Ref. Date ~ 3 1.900