Is Delaware County Council ready for prime-time television viewing?
Council members aren't so sure.
But some members of the public think they ought to televise their proceedings, held weekly at the county government center in Media.
"This is a new day and age," Lillian Fitzpatrick told the council at the regular meeting Tuesday, "and I have to question why County Council is not on television."
Fitzpatrick, who is Springfield Democratic chairman, added, "It's not that we don't trust you, but we don't know what you're doing. You could have it televised, and then shown at different times."
County Democratic Chairman Dianne Merlino agreed that it "would be nice," for the council to be on TV, although she added that it would be more important for the council to have at least one meeting a month at night, so that "90 percent of the working women and men could come."
"I don't want to go on TV," Councilman John W. Taylor joked at the news conference following the meeting. "I'm not too photogenic."
County Public Relations Director William A. Lovejoy Jr. said cable television stations had been contacted about 10 years ago on the possibility of airing council meetings, but "nothing ever came of it."
Asked what she thought of council members becoming TV stars, Council Chairwoman Mary Ann Arty replied, "I don't care." Later, she said, "We'll inquire about it."
Lovejoy remembered that council members and guests had appeared on taped programs about six years ago to discuss various issues.
But he said the shows, designed to be informative, "just petered out."
Some local government meetings are shown on cable television.
There are a half dozen cable TV stations in the county, Lovejoy said.
It was the second straight council meeting that four Democrats had shown up at the news conferences following the meetings as outside observers, without incident.
A controversy developed two weeks ago when Arty ejected Deborah A. Thomas, one of three Democratic Council candidates, from the news conference. But the council reversed its position last week.
In other action, the council planned final passage next week of an ordinance that would reduce the required property and liability insurance for small trash haulers who deliver trash to the county's transfer stations.
County officials said haulers with five or fewer trucks would have to carry only $500,000 insurance, while larger haulers with six trucks or more would still be required to carry $1 million insurance.
