Council has already received quotes ranging from $17,000 to $66,000 for installation of electronic recording equipment in the council chambers.

At a recent council meeting, councillors said they believed a system was needed, but more work was required to guarantee the recording system was worth the money.

“There have been a number of issues with council minutes where things have been omitted or deliberately left overlooked in recording, and then later denied,” Councillor Phil Yates said.

Councillor Yates said council needed to further investigate the costs and source more quotes to ensure “true and accurate records” of council proceedings.

Councillor Mike Petrie said the $17,000 analogue system option would not be money well spent.

“If we’re going to put that much money in we should get something good,” Councillor Petrie said. “I don’t agree with spending $17,000 on something that is antiquated.”

Council also believes the system would address concerns that people in the public gallery could not hear council proceedings properly.

“We need to upgrade the whole system, to get council in line with current technology,” Councillor Lawrie West said.

Quotes for the system did not include the cost of wiring in the system and the provision of electricity to all tables.

When council considered the issue earlier this year, Councillor John MacNish described the costs and equipment as “overkill”, an assessment with which most councillors agreed.

General Manager Don Ramsland said the costs were not covered in the current budgets and that council would be ‘cautious’ of purchasing out-dated technology and of any hidden costs involved with the installation. He said council would need to compare more quotes before it could come to any rulings on the issue.