East Zorra-Tavistock holds first virtual meeting in new headquarters

By Lee Griffi, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

It took 11 months after the township’s new office was open, but the first virtual East Zorra-Tavistock Township meeting was broadcast online last Wednesday morning.

While the event was available for anyone to watch, the township didn’t alert residents via social media or any other communication channel.

“Welcome to the Nov. 6, 2025, council meeting,” said Mayor Phil Schaefer as the meeting started at 9 a.m. “Please note this meeting is being livestreamed and recorded. By entering council chambers, you are consenting to be recorded. As I indicated, this is our inaugural livestream so, please bear with us if there are any glitches as we work our way through our new equipment and our new process, but I think it’s something the public will enjoy.”

Despite the meeting being livestreamed, the township did not alert residents via social media or its website and isn’t planning to do so.

“There is no specific intention to announce the livestream separately but rather it will be part of the agenda access through the software on the council calendar,” said CAO Karen DePrest.

DePrest added the eScribe software, which allows the township to record and livestream, cost in the neighbourhood of $30,000 and was part of the new building’s project budget. 

“The software itself imbeds the livestream link onto the council calendar so there is no separate link to promote but rather when a person goes to the council meeting, the livestream and then the recording shows up there,” she added.

“The AV equipment was also part of the building budget and was funded from the modernization funding we had received from the province in addition to funds allocated from the technology reserve. I believe when it was completed it had an overall cost of just over $300,000.” 

Deputy mayor Brad Smith said he would have liked to see the livestream feature completed sooner, but added the township wanted to get it right.

“There was a protocol to follow. The township was required to pass a bylaw to allow livestream, recording and attending meetings virtually. We all needed to be comfortable with the format. Obtaining and setting up the equipment were also delayed by the supplier,” he said.

Once the meeting management software was installed, council was given a course on the technology.

“Not all of us are tech savvy, including me, but I like the program. If you go to our website and click on the agenda and minutes, you can access specific areas instead of having to watch the whole meeting. It is timestamped to match up with the video,” Smith said.

Smith added there are a few more issues that need to be addressed in council chambers, including improving lighting and sound.

“We need to improve the lighting on my side of the horseshoe. The shadow with the backlighting from the windows during daytime meetings needs improvement. I’m sure we will do our best to make it better.”

He explained the township is working with the vendor on sound quality for both in-person and remote access.

“The acoustics will be improved as we had to have the equipment installed so we knew what sound issues we were dealing with. When I watched the video today, I thought the sound was decent. The cadence and flow of the meeting was much better than I expected. I think it will get even better as we get used to being on camera.”

Smith added reaction from residents has so far been mixed.

“I am personally telling everyone that has shown an interest in what council is doing that we are livestreaming. The response I have received is anywhere from ‘great’ to ‘I have better things to do.’  I will be curious to see how much actual attention this will get.”

Both Smith and Schaefer expect the township will alert residents that meetings are being livestreamed in upcoming communications.