PRESTON – Franklin County Commissioners have been streaming their meetings since January and so far it looks like it is going without a hitch. In an effort to be transparent, the Franklin County Commission began steaming their commission meetings at the beginning of the year so residents of the county can see their government in action.
Commissioner Robert Swainston said they announced last November they were going to start the service on the first of January 2026.
“We did a web search to find a site that would allow us to begin streaming our meetings,” he said. “It is a new thing and anything new takes time to get used to.”
The number of people watching aren’t big yet, but the commissioners hope they can grow a bigger audience. With the streaming service anyone can watch their county government at work.
“We meet on the 2nd and 4th Monday of each month and we start at 9 a.m.,” he said. “Sometimes the meetings can go until 1:30 p.m. Most of the time we finish around 12 noon.”
The commission meetings are a way to become informed about what is going on in their county.
“So far, I haven’t had anyone approach me to clarify something said in the meeting,” Swainston said. “It would be a good thing if someone did ask about our meetings.”
Interested parties should go to the Franklin County website and click on the agenda of the meeting they want to visit. A pass code is given. Enter the code into the zoom browser and a visitor should be able to view the meeting.
Idaho does not require the county commission to livesteam their meetings, but they decided it would be in their best interest.
Preston City began live streaming on the city’s Facebook page in October 2019. They invited residents to be aware of what is going on around them.