Lake Santeetlah – The Town of Lake Santeetlah council turned down an offer by the Graham County Sheriff’s Office to participate in a video surveillance program, concerned about cost, privacy issues and whether the town has enough crime to justify the cost.
The Graham County Sheriff’s Office is promoting a security camera system that will record vehicle license plate information and transmit that data to local government and law enforcement. The office has reached out to the towns of Lake Santeetlah, Robbinsville and Fontana Dam to see if they would like to participate in the program.
Atlanta-based Flock Safety provides the public safety operating system that helps communities and law enforcement in over 1,500 cities work together to eliminate crime, protect privacy and mitigate bias, according to the company’s website.
The company manufactures devices that capture objective evidence, and use machine learning to detect and deliver unbiased investigative leads to law enforcement.
Flock Safety communities have reported crime reductions of up to 70 percent using video surveillance cameras, the company claims.
Each camera is $2,500. There is also a $350 set-up fee and $2,500 yearly contract and monitor fee.
The town had attempted its own system several years ago that required Wi-Fi service and provided ineffective, This system would be solar powered and use cellular data.
The town would need at least two cameras — if not more — for full coverage of its street entrance and exit, but some residents pointed out that some thefts in the town have occurred on its lakefront from boaters, while the camera system they were discussing would only cover street access and focus on vehicle license plates.
Alan Davidson, who attended the Aug. 11 Zoom meeting of the council, described the surveillance system as a “money grab” and said the town could put together its own system for less money, but there is the added issue of privacy and the intrusion of civil rights where local government would be spying on its own citizens.
Mayor Connie Gross wondered how much the town really needs such a system and wondered whether the benefits justify the price. The town already pays off-duty sheriff’s deputies about $9,000 a year to patrol the town after hours.
Councilmember Tina Emerson said the system is used mainly to monitor drug trafficking and suggested that if the Graham County Sheriff’s Office needs help funding the system, it could seek grants.
The council voted unanimously to reject participation in the program.
Donation error
At a barbecue event sponsored by town Mayor Connie Gross and her husband Jack Gross last month, Mayor Gross presented a check for $4,500 to the Santeetlah Volunteer Fire Department, this year’s contribution in gratitude for services.
During the Aug. 11 meeting, councilmember Diana Simon reminded the mayor that the council had budgeted a contribution this year of $5,000, saying the town has another $500 to contribute to the volunteer fire department. Mayor Gross said she will correct the discrepancy. The town paid the volunteer fire department $4,500 in June for the 2021-22 fiscal year, $4,500 in July for the 2022-23 fiscal year, and will be forwarding the extra $500 plus another $950 in donations from citizens, for a total of about $10,450.
The Santeetlah Volunteer Fire Department is seeking to raise $80,000 to build a new building adjacent to its existing facility off Tapoco Road to house a larger pumper/tanker the department recently acquired.
Challenge
Simon used the public comments session at the beginning of the meeting to update the council on her effort to challenge some votes in the November 2021 election that put Gross, Tina Emerson and Ralph Mitchell into office.
The challenge contests voter registration eligibility in Graham County for several town property owners — including Emerson and her husband — and is working through the local board of elections. Simon said that some of the people whose voter registration was contested have since registered in other counties.
“Without those votes the representation in this town would be a lot different,” Simon said.
Mayor Gross admonished Simon for bringing up the topic during public comment, saying that public comment should only be used for items on the agenda, a contention that several people disputed later in the meeting.
“It is important for public comments to be free,” said resident Susan Robinson, who attended the meeting. “I think you want people to bring up topics that aren’t on the agenda.”
Other news and notes
* A survey asking residents and property owners whether they prefer the 5:30 p.m. Thursday meeting time for the town council, or a 10 a.m. Saturday meeting time. No other options were provided and write-in suggestions were rejected.
The vote was 32 for Thursday meetings, 27 for Saturday meetings, and four ruled as invalid.
Surveys were distributed via water bills, with some residents on well water complaining that they didn’t receive surveys.
* Councilmember Emerson voted against a resolution in support of the Smoky Mountain Regional Hazard Mitigation Plan. The resolution was included in the council information packet, but not the actual plan and Emerson said while she supports emergency services, she was uncomfortable voting on something she has not read. The plan is submitted each year for review and approval, but members on the council admitted that none of them had ever read the plan.
The resolution passed on a vote of 4-1, with Emerson casting the lone no vote.