HOULTON, Maine — The town of Houlton is moving ahead with getting its controversial $130,000 video surveillance system running again after getting locked out of it when its licensing expired.
This week, the town secured a 10-year licensing deal that will cut the annual fee for the online storage of video nearly in half.
Town officials had considered downgrading the surveillance system after they lost the ability to log in when the license expired and they faced an unexpected $7,000 annual licensing fee. But following a May 16 Bangor Daily News article on the town’s plight, several camera licensing vendors reached out to Town Manager Cameron Clark offering better rates.
Initially, one of the vendors for the Verkada cameras contacted Clark and said that the $7,000 fee was incorrect and it was actually $8,900, Clark said during the Houlton Town Council meeting on Tuesday night.
But that company then “came back with a $3,300 quote after I negotiated with them and told them I was not interested in paying $8,900,” Clark said on Wednesday.
The town had previously budgeted $3,300 for the surveillance system licensing that includes cloud storage.
Earlier this year, following public backlash, Clark decided to temporarily deactivate the system until officials could evaluate its compliance with Maine law. Since that time, the town has drafted a camera policy that the council will vote on at its next meeting in June.
“Once the policy is adopted, I will pay the $3,300 licensing fee and ask for the council’s support to turn on our cameras,” Clark said.
The new policy addresses the use of facial recognition technology, which is limited by Maine law.
Clark’s early February decision to turn off the cameras came after residents publicly questioned the cost and legality of the surveillance cameras, which are equipped with facial recognition technology.
In 2021, Maine’s Legislature passed a law that sharply limited the ability of governments, schools and public officials to use facial surveillance technology for all but the most serious investigations.
On Tuesday night, Clark made it clear that when the cameras are turned back on, facial recognition would be disabled by system administrator S.J. Rollins.
The new town policy, if approved, prohibits any local official from reinstalling or enabling the technology once it is disabled except as authorized by Maine law.
Houlton Police Chief Tim DeLuca had first announced in early 2024 that the town was preparing to install 50 Verkada surveillance cameras purchased for $130,000 with federal American Rescue Plan Act funds. It wasn’t until a court hearing this year that he testified he was aware of the camera’s ability to discern people by clothing and facial characteristics.
According to Clark, the town has actually acquired 53 cameras, and 28 were reportedly installed last year on town buildings and in downtown locations. There are 25 additional cameras that have not been installed, and Clark said there is no immediate plan for those cameras that had been planned for areas with no internet connection such as parks and cemeteries.
During Tuesday’s Town Council meeting, councilors discussed purchasing new cameras and disposing of the current system, but decided it would be best to continue with it because the licensing fee was reduced.
“The irony is that the whole conversation about cameras started because we needed cameras down on the riverfront,” said Council Chair Jane Torres. “We don’t have cameras on the riverfront.”
Clark explained that because the cameras need to be connected to the cloud, they must have internet capability that is currently not available at the downtown park. He said he would explore how the town might resolve that issue.
“I will look into a way that we can better protect Riverfront Park,” he said.
