HISEVILLE, Ky. - Videotaping council meetings and showing them later on local cable television is a common practice. But not in Hiseville, a Barren County farming community of 224.

        Hiseville City Council members say they face ridicule because the tapes highlight minor habits such as the mayor taking his glasses off, shuffling papers or tapping a pencil.

        “A lot of people will tell you it's the best show on TV as far as entertainment,” said resident Joey Mills. “They'll see how many times Bill (Phillips, the mayor) shuffles the papers in front of him or puts his glasses on or takes them off.”

        But some residents maintain that the cable broadcast helps them keep up with city business.

        “I like to know what's going on.” Said Shirley Owens. “If they are taking money out of the treasury to pay for this or that, that's interesting. The cemetery, I like to keep up with that because we just lost our daughter a year ago.

        “It's definitely not a joke,” Ms. Owens said.

        On Thursday, when the camera started rolling, the four council members made a break for the door, bringing official city business to a halt.

        “It's hard to carry on business with a camera in your face. And maybe there's some things we want to discuss among ourselves and don't want the whole world to know,” Councilwoman Judy Page said.

        Mayor Phillips began videotaping the meetings in May so the city's residents could see their government in action. By July, the council members voted unanimously to end the taping.

        Mr. Phillips, who pays $30 a month out of his own pocket to have the meetings taped, refused to stop. Ms. Page said council members decided before they walked in Thursday that they would cut the meeting short because of the video camera.

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