Putnam Commission Chambers Upgrade Audio Equipment And Setup Future Growth

The Putnam County Commission Chamber getting an upgrade to its audio system, though it has not always been easy.

County IT Director Jeff Rami said the installation gave them plenty of problems to solve. The tall ceiling at the County Courthouse meant scaffolding had to be erected to run cables.

“The ceiling is very tight up there,” Rami said. “There isn’t much room to move. You have to scoot across the top of the wall to my understanding. Maintenance can attest to this a lot better, you have to scoot across the top, which is all concrete, run the cable through a tiny hole they drilled a long time ago. It’s a fiasco.”

An outside firm began installation last Wednesday. The Chamber got new microphones for commissioners and new speakers. Rami said the challenges are worth it as the system needed upgrades.

“The equipment that is currently in there was well before my time, and I got here in 2015,” Rami said. “It was almost 20 years old. We felt that, one, we were already looking at getting a new one because technology moves rapid quickly. Two, the (sound) board was having some issues electronically.”

Rami said the changes might not seem like a lot, but he said the new equipment has set the Chamber up for future growth.

“It’ll hopefully give it a more clean look,” Rami said. “You can actually control it with an iPad. Sooner or later, in the future, we will integrate it with Zoom for remote people that may not be able to make it there if the Governor allows remote again if we hit a pandemic.”

Rami said he has heard the audio and it sounds “crystal clear.” He said on the old microphones there would be a lot of static and popping on recordings, and he expects the new microphones will get rid of that problem. There are no other tech upgrade planned for the County at this time.

“It was a push to get this through this year due to the budget constraints, so I was very happy that the commission was able to pass it for us to do it,” Rami said. “I’m grateful that they were seeing the pros for it.”

Rami said he hopes in the next few years he can upgrade the video equipment in the chamber.

“I would want a more intuitive system, a better angle, a little bit more clarity,” Rami said. “Maybe, if possible, when a commissioner hits a button on a microphone it’ll focus on them.”

BIS Digital Installation installed the system. The company also did the audio in the Putnam County courtrooms.