Town government to receive better equipment for recording meetings

The Eatonville Town Council voted to authorize the town be reimbursed $2,679.21 from its share of the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 funds to pay for two video conferencing system Meeting Owls, a Bluetooth projector and a projector screen.

Eatonville’s total allocation of ARPA funds was $844,702.
The reimbursement for the equipment purchase at the Oct. 25 meeting is meant to improve coverage and recordings of Town Council meetings “… So that everyone can hear us no matter where they live,” Councilperson Emily McFadden said, citing the sometimes uneven audio coverage of meetings, which makes it difficult for people joining remotely or listening later to hear what is taking place.
The council passed two first-readings of ordinances having to do with levies, including an increase in the property tax levy for the 2023 tax year in the amount of 1.67 percent, or $12,509.68.
The other levy is an increase in the property tax for the town’s emergency medical services of 50 cents per $1,000 of assessed value as authorized by voter approval on Aug. 2.
The first reading of an ordinance imposing an additional .25 percent tax on the selling price on each real property sale within Eatonville’s limits did not pass. According to the ordinance, this additional real estate excise tax was estimated to generate $100,000 annually in new revenue to be deposited in a special revenue fund to be used for capital projects.