Trending
MARTINS FERRY -- Martins Ferry officials hope they have finally solved the technical problems that have kept City Council meetings from being livestreamed consistently, giving residents who cannot attend in person another way to stay informed about city government.
Second Ward Councilman Spencer Echemann, who serves as council's public relations and communications chair, told council Wednesday that the livestream system should be back online after city officials worked with Forefront Technology to resolve problems with the equipment.
"Last week, I was able to get a hold of Forefront Technology," Echemann said. "They were able to switch some things around with the laptop. The problem at first was that we had no laptop that was working. Without a laptop, we had no camera."
The city obtained a new laptop, but Echemann said another problem prevented the livestream from immediately working.
"At first, somehow, I managed to record it but the button itself, like the main button that you push to that says 'create broadcast and livestream' wasn't working," he said. "So Forefront Technology was able to come in and get things working, so we should be back online as we speak."
Wednesday's meeting was livestreamed on the city's YouTube channel for the first time since the Aug. 5 meeting. Before that, the last livestream had been in April.
Echemann said there is still an issue with the sound quality.
"Also, to comment on that, the sound isn't the best," he said. "I am not so much worried about the sound, so for those of you who may be watching on YouTube, right, if you can't hear us very well, I do apologize. That's where we are on that."
The city previously streamed council meetings on Facebook before transitioning to YouTube. Once the system is fully restored, meetings are expected to remain available through the city's website and official YouTube channel.
The livestreams are particularly important for Martins Ferry residents because of the early starting time for council meetings.
Regular council meetings now begin at 5:30 p.m., a time that can make attending in person difficult for residents who are working or have other evening commitments. For some residents, the livestream may be their only opportunity to follow council discussions and stay informed about city politics and happenings.
Council permanently moved its regular meeting time to 5:30 p.m. beginning in March, changing it from the 4:30 p.m. schedule that had been in place since February 2025.
The 4:30 p.m. start time had been adopted to accommodate Echemann's college class schedule. Before that, regular council meetings began at 6 p.m.
Council meetings are held on the first and third Wednesday of each month.
Echemann said city officials are aware of the importance of getting the livestream functioning consistently.