The audio system in the Cortez City Hall council chambers has been upgraded just in time for the first City Council meeting of 2019.

Before the upgrades, General Services Director Rick Smith said it was difficult for audience members to hear. The old microphones could not be turned off individually, causing feedback issues. Now, City Council members and department heads who regularly speak at public meetings can turn their individual microphones on and off with ease. They are also more mobile.

“We had all these mics and it was causing all this interference,” Smith said. “So now, when we get ready to talk, we can just push this button and that way it eliminates a lot of the interference.”

The installation was complete on Tuesday morning. Before the City Council meeting later that night, City Manager John Dougherty informed City Council members that the new microphones are very sensitive and can pick up anything they say if the microphone is on.

“If it’s on, it’s really good,” Dougherty said.

The $12,000 upgrade also includes two mobile microphones for presentations and four assisted-hearing devices, Smith said. Audience members can request these devices, which can either fit over the ear or attach to a hearing aid. Smith said the upgrades would also improve audio quality for the streaming video of City Council meetings on YouTube.

sdolan@the-journal.com