An information package for a public submission meeting of White Rock’s 2017-2021 financial plan amendment caused a bit of confusion as one of the listed items was $60,000 for a “city wide CCTV system.”
Resident Roderick Louis, a frequent critic of city management, brought up the expenditure at the meeting Monday, which was not detailed in the hard-copy package offered to attendees.
“What I would like to have council comment on is the provision of ($60,000) that you spent this year on citywide CCTV system,” Louis said at the meeting.
Mayor Wayne Baldwin said he did not see the item within the amendments.
“I have no idea what you’re talking about with respect to ($60,000) for CCTV,” Baldwin said.
Louis was referring to a line in the 210-page information package – under the information technology and corporate initiatives category – that said “city wide CCTV.”
“Meaning that it implies along the waterfront and other locations,” Louis said. “If that’s not the case then I’m sure the public would like to know.”
The mayor assured Louis that cameras would not be placed along the waterfront – an issue that was proposed and attracted controversy in 2012 – and asked director of engineering Greg St. Louis for clarification on the citywide CCTV.
Before St. Louis could respond to Baldwin, Louis interjected.
“The scope of the project, is facial recognition technology part of it? Will a database be kept for a day? A year? Two years?” Louis asked.
St. Louis said he’s not sure what particular project Louis was referring to, but the money could be for the city’s storm sewers and sanitary CCTV program.
“So, probably doesn’t have facial recognition,” Baldwin said.
St. Louis agreed sewer cameras do not have facial recognition, and if it’s an IT project then “I’m sure it would be for some type of cameras or something at the entrances of buildings, something for security nature.”