The times, they are a changing on the Valley Medical Center’s Board of Commissioners, at least in terms of videotaping the meetings.

A major shift came this week after a couple of months of battles over the issue between commissioners Dr. Aaron Heide and Anthony Hemstad, who supported taping, and Chair Sue Bowman, Carolyn Parnell and Don Jacobson, who had voted it down.

The change came following a few hot and hostile meetings. Jacobson made a motion at the April 19 meeting directing the staff to bring back a report in 30 days on the process involved in taping meetings. The motion passed unanimously.

At the Monday, May 24, meeting the staff presented a plan for a two camera video system, which will include posting the videos to the website.

According to the staff document, the cost of the technology, “is anticipated to not exceed $24,000….”

The plan is to try the system for six months, beginning in July.

During the presentation Rich Roodman, hospital superintendent, gave a series of reasons not to record the meetings, including taping may “reducing the amount of candor.”

Roodman said lawyers from other hospitals advised against it.

He went on to state Valley could “lose some competitive advantage.” Roodman pointed to MultiCare’s proposal to build a 24-hour free standing emergency department in Covington. Valley is also proposing to build 24-hour emergency department in Covington.

Roodman added taping could cause “political grandstanding.”

Despite the issues raised against it, the staff presented a plan for video taping the meetings and the commissioners approved the staff proposal unanimously.