Montgomery County Board of Supervisors meetings are open to the public and videotaped. These are broadcasted Thursdays at 8 pm, Saturdays at 3 pm and Tuesdays at 1 pm via WTOB Channel 2 in Blacksburg. The Town of Christiansburg has not negotiated for this type of service for its citizens via the cable provider it issues a license to.
So if you don't get this WTOB cable signal, what's a Cburger who wants to track county government to do? Well, these videos can be borrowed by calling the Public Information office at 394-2120, ext. 4031 or e-mailing valluzzoct@montgomerycountyva.gov. The county also has a happening presence on YouTube. Meeting agendas and minutes are available via the county's website.
Town of Blacksburg council meetings are also taped, being made available via WTOB and provided in MP3 audio formats. The town actually produces a wide variety of video programs, promoting area recreational activities (including county's BHS football games), the town's museum, and a historic lecture series among other topics. These are accessible via cable, video and the town's website.
Christiansburg residents may continue to have technology envy as they patiently await a functional town website. (More on that project can be learned if attending Monday's council meeting.) Town citizens can also now visit a citizen provided (and paid for) resource link to hear audio tapes for many of Christiansburg's public meetings. The town's police department has a rockin' My Space account, too. These are good steps, but light years behind what could be offered, even if only using Blacksburg and county government long time practices as examples.
Being patient for "ten year plans" with routinely extended timelines -- while being decades behind in providing many basic programs -- becomes unacceptable. Tax rates are very similar for Christiansburg, Blacksburg or county residents -- yet services are very different, especially where citizen input or feedback is involved. Does this contribute to why so many Christiansburg citizens feel disengaged? You betcha. Time to step up to the plate and get with the programming, council.