Sturgis expands transparency efforts, resumes city commission live-streams

The City of Sturgis is taking a significant step toward furthering its transparency with citizens. Starting mid-September, all city commission meetings will be live-streamed on YouTube.

The move, which was initiated during the commissioner comments section of the July 23 meeting by Commissioner Aaron Miller and seconded by Commissioner Marvin Smith, follows earlier discussions about bringing live-streaming back after it was discontinued post-COVID.

City Manager Andrew Kuk said the motivation is to give residents another way to stay informed.

“The big why behind it is really to offer another option for residents to stay in touch with the content of commission meetings,” Kuk said in an interview with Watershed Voice. “Obviously, it’s not a perfect substitute for being at a meeting — but it is an option if someone just wants to stay in touch with the information, they can watch from the comfort of their own home.”

Kuk noted the livestreams won’t include options for virtual public comment, but emphasized they are intended as an additional access point for residents.

“We have the Open Meetings Act, which we’re required to abide by. The doors are open for any citizen to attend our commission meetings. I think this just offers another avenue for someone who may not want to physically come to a meeting, but still wants to understand what’s going on.”

The city already had a camera and much of the technical equipment from the COVID period, meaning the new system required minimal investment. The livestreams will be broadcast and archived on the city’s YouTube channel, with presentation slides and exhibits shown alongside video of commissioners.

“Really, when it came down to dollars, it was a fairly minimal investment for us to make this happen,” Kuk said. “From a citizen perspective, it’ll function very similar to how we had it available during COVID.”

Looking ahead, the city may consider expanding live-streaming to other boards.

“Initially it’ll be the city commission meetings,” Kuk said. “The next logical one for us to consider would be our planning commission.”

Kuk added he hopes residents will use the livestreams to stay informed and, when they feel moved, to participate more directly.

“I’m hopeful that if there’s a topic of interest, residents can listen in, understand what we’re doing as a city government, and maybe it sparks a question or desire to provide feedback,” he said. “The more tools we can offer people to keep them informed, the better off we all are as a community.”

The change comes as part of a broader push to improve communication. The city’s updated website, which launched this week, now features a direct link to the livestreams.

Maxwell Knauer is a staff writer for Watershed Voice