EVERETT — Next year, Snohomish County residents will be able to watch their local government from the couch.
Think something like C-SPAN on the national level or TVW for the state.
The Snohomish County Council approved $520,000 in funding last week to begin the early stages of putting “SnoCo TV” on air to stream all things county government.
Jill Scott, a project manager for SnoCo TV, said the county hopes the station will help reach more businesses and residents, encouraging them to engage with the county and its resources.
“Snohomish County TV is a crucial resource to increase the transparency and accessibility of County proceedings,” County Executive Dave Somers said in a statement. “I’m glad Snohomish County is pursuing this project and look forward to the ways we can engage more community members in the vital functions of local government.”
Most of the cash will be used to purchase and install cameras and microphones. The rest will go to configuring rooms to stream content on air. Construction is set to begin later this year.
Scott did not have an estimate on how much the project would cost per year, but the county’s plan for 2024 said the “initial project budget is minimal.”
The county hopes to be on air with Comcast, Ziply and Wave by 2025. What channel? It’s too early to say. The broadcast will also be streamed on the internet.
The government access channel will stream County Council meetings and some court proceedings, Scott said. Permanent cameras will be installed in the Jackson Board Room where County Council meetings take place and one Superior Court courtroom. The staff will also have portable cameras to stream press conferences, ribbon cuttings and grand openings.
SnoCo TV’s headquarters will be in the basement of the county courthouse in downtown Everett.
The county hopes SnoCo TV can be a resource for cities and towns within Snohomish County and also to neighboring counties.
“We want to improve information sharing and increase awareness about important government functions or relief programs, you know, park openings, Public Works projects, public meetings, all of those things,” Scott said.
Neighboring counties already have something similar. King County manages KCTV and Skagit County has Skagit21 to stream local government happenings. Mixed into council and committee meetings, KCTV often streams features on local history.
A more complete timeline of SnoCo TV’s expected showtime will be available later this year, once the county begins purchasing equipment.
Jenelle Baumbach: 360-352-8623; jenelle.baumbach@heraldnet.com; Twitter: @jenelleclar.
