The St. Charles access cable channel – StCharlesCityMO.govTV – is now available on AT&T U-verse in St. Charles and throughout the St. Louis metro area.  The St. Charles city cable channel can be accessed by selecting Channel 99 on the U-verse system and following the menu prompts to find Saint Charles City (MO), then, StCharlesCityMO.govTV.

According to Mayor Patti York, this technology enhancement has been in the making for several years, and has come to fruition at a perfect time given the city’s current strategic planning efforts.  “I had the opportunity to attend the Las Vegas International Technology show some four years ago where U-verse was introduced.  It was the hit of the show, and I knew immediately this technology was something we needed in St. Charles,” she said. 

“U-verse access provides improved, information transparency, and also gives area residents the ability to view public, educational and government access channels from communities across the St. Louis region, in addition to St. Charles city,” York continued.
 
 “This is an exciting technology enhancement for St. Charles,” added Michael Spurgeon, Director of Administration.  "StCharlesCityMO.govTV continues to be a valid resource for our residents, and provides the city with a viable opportunity for disseminating more information to more people in real time, especially before, during and after inclement weather and other emergency situations.”
 
Jerry Reese, President of the St. Charles City Council, indicated the city’s cable access channel began providing live and archived online opportunities for citizens to view City Council and other meeting videos directly via the St. Charles city website in 2008.  “This service upgrade enabled our city residents to view these meetings online without having to subscribe to a video service provider,” he said.
 
In addition to Council sessions, area residents can currently view a variety of meetings, including Board of Adjustment, Planning & Zoning Commission and Landmarks Board, along with other City video programs.

These latest changes to the St. Charles cable access channel arrive on the heels of several other technology enhancements for the city.  In 2008, St. Charles upgraded its e-mail system to Microsoft’s e-mail software, Outlook, with servers relocated to ensure a more robust and secure computer infrastructure.

“We also launched a new website – www.stcharlescitymo.gov,” York concluded.  “Developed by Quilogy, an international internet service company headquartered on Main Street here in St. Charles, our new web format represents the second major redesign of the City’s site since its inception in 1996.”
 
StCharlesCityMO.govTV is also available via Charter Communications cable via Channel 990 or 118.20.  Charter subscribers in St. Charles may be required to use a Charter-supplied converter box for this service, and should contact Charter directly at 314-543-6679 for more information. 
 
To learn more about the AT&T U-verse system, residents can access details online via:  https://uverse1.att.com/un/launchAMSS.do.