Cameras Coming to Municipal Building

By Michael Ryan

WINDHAM - Security could be increased with the installation of external and internal cameras at the Windham municipal building.

Town officials, at a meeting last week, continued the process toward buying the devices, emphasizing there have been no breaches.

Concerns have arisen, however, related to incidents that should be and are being addressed, according to town supervisor Thomas Hoyt.

“We haven’t had any issues but there have been almost-issues. We found somebody wandering around downstairs in the building,” Hoyt said.

“They said they just got lost looking for somebody but we have put up signs. People have also been using [trash receptacles] behind the building,” Hoyt said.

No exact cost has been set, as yet, while negotiations take place with Mid-Hudson Cable about undertaking the job.

“Their proposal is a little higher than we were thinking,” Hoyt said. “On the other hand, there might be a lot of advantages, going with them.”

Mid-Hudson Cable would own the equipment and keep it updated, financial and technical responsibilities sparing the town countless headaches.

The company would handle all I-Cloud storage. “If we need to access the system, it will be much easier because this is what they do,” Hoyt said.

“If we bought our own system, the warranty would wear off and the support system would be gone,” Hoyt said, a scenario that would not occur with Mid-Hudson Cable maintaining proprietorship.

Cameras have already been installed at the local highway garage, visually monitoring the onsite fueling station used by multiple departments.

“Mid-Hudson didn’t have [their current capability] when we put in that system. They have totally updated with fiber optics,” Hoyt said.

“Technology is changing so fast, it might be more reasonable for us to go this way,” Hoyt said, noting highway superintendent Bj Murray will be comparing prices and all the gizmos, reporting back to the board.

The so-called fisheye lens is capable of capturing much greater detail than in the past, Hoyt noted, saying, “it used to be that you would look at the video or whatever and ask, ‘Is that a cow or a horse?’

“Now, because the lens can move in different directions, if somebody is wearing a ring you can ask, ‘Is that one or two diamonds?’” Hoyt said.

Cameras, if installed, will not be placed in employee work spaces, such as the town clerk’s office or bookkeeping, billing, etc.

“They will be in public areas, like hallways, the room where we have town meetings and outside the building,” Hoyt said.

“We’re doing this for basic security, to protect our staff and our town investments. It’s the way the world works now,” Hoyt said.

In other matters:

—Council members held their annual reorganization meeting, making all the designations and appointments needed to keep town government functioning like a finely-tuned instrument.

There were very few if any changes, indicating satisfaction with the people performing public services on behalf of local taxpayers, as follows:

—POLICE DEPARTMENT (offered by police chief Richard Selner), special patrol officer Michael Harte, patrolman/sergeant David Sherman Jr.;

Patrolmen James Scarey III, William Scarey, David Sherman, Peter Varelas, James Fitzmaurice, Greg Thorp and Stephen Bence;

Councilman Stephen Walker will again serve as liaison between the police department and the local court. The police chaplains are Pastor Ryan Dempsey and Pastor Cliff Cool;

Deputy town supervisor (councilman Wayne Van Valin, to serve in the absence of the town supervisor), working foreman for the highway department (Troy Aplin);

Town attorney (Tal Rappleyea), town historian (Patricia Morrow), health officer (Dr. Nikolay Samedov), medical director (Dr. Craig Stanger).