The Municipal Technology Committee (MTC) voted to support a Town Meeting article that would appropriate funds for an upgrade to the town hearing room’s audio-visual (AV) system, but the committee made its support contingent on getting an additional vendor quote and on MTC review and approval of the final vendor selection before any purchase is made.

Committee chair Matt (MTC chair) opened discussion by describing the procurement status and the committee’s plan to request an appropriation at Town Meeting. Jay (town IT staff) told the committee that the group had solicited bids and received one full bid configured to the committee’s stated requirements, and that a second quote was also on file. Jay said the committee could request an amount for Town Meeting that covers the preferred configuration and some padding for flexibility while the MTC and town staff continue vendor evaluation.

Jay warned the committee about the Zoom “Intelligent Director” product after vendor and Zoom contacts told the town it is not designed for the current hearing-room configuration. Jay said of Zoom’s guidance: "they highly recommend that we do not put this inside of this hearing room. They feel that it will not work correctly." He added that Zoom or the vendor might refuse support if the Intelligent Director were installed and later failed to perform in that room.

Matt emphasized the committee’s aim for an automated, low-touch system so that staff are not repeatedly called in to fix equipment. He described the Intelligent Director’s function and noted the trade-offs between automatic tracking versus fixed pan-tilt-zoom (PTZ) cameras: "Intelligent Director is sort of like that." Matt said he wants a direct conversation with Zoom and asked that the MTC require the vendor and Zoom discussions before procurement.

Orla and Angela both stressed accessibility and quality as reasons to proceed: better audio and higher-resolution video would help remote listeners, improve meeting transcripts, and increase public participation. Committee members noted the goal is a system that can be started with a single button and operate automatically without heavy human intervention.

After discussing costs, warranty/support options and potential additional microphone or camera needs, Matt moved that the MTC "support the town meeting article as is or basically with a placeholder amount that Jay will work with vendors to come up with," with the condition that the MTC review and vote on any final appropriation and vendor selection before a purchase order is placed. The motion was approved by the committee with two members recorded as voting yes and one member recorded as abstaining; committee members also agreed to seek a third vendor quote and to have MTC and town IT staff meet directly with vendor and Zoom representatives before the contract is finalized.

The committee asked Jay to pursue a third quote, to document support/maintenance costs (two- and three-year support contract pricing had been discussed by vendors), and to coordinate direct technical discussions with Zoom staff so the group could confirm whether Intelligent Director or another solution fits the town’s hearing room.

The committee also agreed that the appropriation amount in the warrant can be adjusted up to the day of Town Meeting if needed; MTC members said they would present the technical rationale and survey feedback to Town Meeting attendees to explain the request and the accessibility goals behind it.

The committee’s endorsement is intended to appear on Town Meeting warrants; final procurement decisions will await MTC review of vendor proposals, the additional quote, and follow-up conversations with Zoom and vendors.

The full MTC conversation on this item included detailed vendor comparisons, support-cost estimates, and a discussion of the room’s unique geometry, which members said makes some off‑the‑shelf Intelligent Director configurations unreliable in the town hearing room.