The expanding Clarkston411.com web site includes safety tips from Independence Township Fire Department, upcoming Parks and Recreation activities, and other township programs, courtesy of Clarkston Public Access Center.
Township Board meetings were included until last week, when Supervisor Dave Wagner pulled the plug.
‘We are already the laughingstock of Oakland County because of our board meetings and now we’re going to broadcast it all over the world,? Wagner asked. ‘We’re going to look like Taiwan when they’re throwing stuff at each other and people are going to take small little tidbits out and run them all over Youtube and everything else.?
Wagner said it requires board action in order for Andy Reish, CPAC access coordinator and program director, to upload meetings to Clarkston411, owned by The Clarkston News, or any website. CPAC programming is posted free of charge.
Asked if anyone requested meetings not to be on the site, Wagner said ‘absolutely not.?
‘This was my decision,? he said. ‘More than likely our board would vote to place it on there, but until there’s been discussion and a vote, that will be that.?
Trustee David Lohmeier said he sees no reason why meetings shouldn’t be allowed on the website and he doesn’t see a need for the board to vote on it.
‘I hate voting on stuff that’s not required,? he said. ‘The only reason why they haven’t posted on the township website is because we’ve been told we don’t have enough bandwidth.?
Lohmeier said he thought it was better to be posted on Clarkston411 because, ‘it’s a nice impartial journalistic way of doing it.?
‘I love the fact we can point somebody to a site and on demand, they can see it,” said Lohmeier, who said he would bring it up at the next township meeting. “If we had something that was important, we could say ‘go to 411, hit the button and you’ll see. Then they can see just the thing that was important and not have to wait through two hours to get to that part of the meeting. I don’t know why we wouldn’t do this.?
Trustee Mark Petterson agreed.
‘I don’t see a problem with it personally,? Petterson said.