News Flash

Waxahachie, Texas, April 12, 2014 – Ellis County Commissioners Court will begin to stream live feed of its meetings beginning Monday, April 14. The Commissioners voted unanimously to invest in video streaming technology and equipment provided by Swagit Productions located in Plano, Texas. Ellis County Judge Carol Bush said, “We are very pleased to provide the community with even greater access to the Commissioners Court proceedings. While our live audience and public participation has never been considerably large, this broadens the scope of possibility. Those with an active interest in local government have an alternative means of staying informed.“
Users with access to the internet can log on to http://www.co.ellis.tx.us, and watch entire scheduled court meetings from the camera mounted in Commissioners Court courtroom. Residents will be able watch the recording, as well as view the indexed agenda. Indexing an agenda provides the ability to watch a specific part of the meeting by clicking on the agenda item number.
The county’s information technology department and Swagit Productions quickly began the process of integrating video streaming software, and installing hardware to provide a seamless, functional experience for users. IT director Teral Crawford elaborated, “The audio and video streaming solution installed by Swagit is a great example of deploying new technology in a major historic landmark while preserving the historic nature of a building over 115 years old. We were we able to integrate the physical hardware with our existing audio system and easily link the video stream to the County website.” Bush lightheartedly added that although she doesn’t anticipate the live stream winning any Academy Awards, the county should be applauded for take this step to engage the public.
The Ellis County Commissioners Court meet every second and fourth Monday at 10:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. on the second floor of the historic courthouse located at 101 West Main Street in Waxahachie. Responsibilities of the Commissioners Court include: Setting the yearly property tax rate, adopting the county budget, establishing financial and law enforcement needs including the Wayne McCollum Detention Center, setting the employment and benefit policy, overseeing maintenance and construction of county roads and bridges, setting precinct boundaries, establish working relationships with other entities, calling and certifying elections, and more. For more information about Ellis County, please visit www.co.ellis.tx.us.