THE deputy leader of Monmouthshire County Council became the first councillor in the authority to take part in a meeting via free internet video service Skype – from Salt Lake City in America.

Despite being 7,000 miles away in Utah, United States, Cllr Bob Greenland could be seen by colleagues, on an LCD screen, equipped with a webcam and Wi-fi, as they held a cabinet meeting in the council chamber at County Hall in Cwmbran on Wednesday.

From his suite at Park City Mountain Resort, about half an hour from Salt Lake City, Cllr Greenland was able to see and hear his colleagues clearly using Skype on his council laptop computer and webcam, in what is believed to be a first for Welsh local government.

The cabinet member for modernisation, enterprise and communication was on a ten day family holiday visiting his daughter when he took part in the afternoon meeting to present the county’s tourism signing policy he had helped draw up, and joked that at 7am his time it was the earliest he had ever attended a council meeting.

Dressed smartly in a blue shirt and light brown jacket, Cllr Greenland apologised for not having worn a tie and because the spot he had chosen for the video link was in front of the doors leading to the bathroom causing slight background noise at one point.

The Devauden ward member, who was greeted with waves from the chamber, was able to take part in the discussion and answer questions with no satellite delay and at no cost to either the council or Cllr Greenland as Skype is a free service.

“It’s great to be with you,” he told members. “I am sure this is going to be something for the future and the way that we will work.”

Going hi-tech to save

THIS is just one example of a number of technological breakthroughs pioneered by the council to save money and increase efficiency.

An on-going programme of ‘agile working’ allows councillors and staff to work from different locations across the county while cutting down on workspace. Monmouthshire has also joined forces with neighbouring Torfaen and the Gwent Police Authority to operate IT provision from the Shared Resource Service base in Blaenavon.

The council is a leader in the use of social media and has also worked with Torfaen to develop its 21st century technology suite in County Hall benefiting the education of thousands of the county’s school children. Many councillors regularly use Twitter and the council posted this year’s budget on YouTube.