Pinelands board agrees to resume public meeting recordings and return to livestreaming next month, without live interactive comments

The Pinelands board discussed whether to resume livestreaming public meetings and how to handle public interaction in real time.

The board heard from Phil Holman, the tech staff member who manages recordings, that the district currently records meetings locally and must convert video files to uploadable formats; after conversion and YouTube processing the recording would typically be available the next morning. Legal counsel advised that interactive public comment via livestream is problematic — hard to vet, difficult to stop people from hijacking discussion, and potentially disruptive — and recommended either no public interaction on live streams or embedding clear policy language if the board decides to permit interaction. Several trustees argued live streaming improves transparency and accountability and can increase access for those who cannot attend in person. Others expressed concerns about the spread of misinformation and the loss of in-person engagement. The board decided to resume livestreaming next month and to post videos on the district’s YouTube channel following meetings, with no live interactive comment function; counsel recommended embedding the practice in board policy or bylaws and staff agreed to pursue a policy review.

Tech operational note: Holman said uploading and processing can take one to two hours and that the district would likely post recordings the morning after meetings.

No change to public-comment rules was adopted; the board directed staff to begin posting recordings and to draft any needed bylaw/policy language for future approval.