Chamber wants to install downtown cameras
Will big brother be back in town to watch local residents? The Chamber of Commerce would like to install two live Web cameras downtown. The request was made to McMinnville?s Street and Sanitation Committee.
Once installed, anyone who would like to view downtown could go online at the Chamber?s Web site and view live images of the area. Along with seeing the area live, delayed pictures could also be seen.
The cameras could have several benefits, according to the request:
? Encourage tourism ? Allowing people to view the area online could encourage them to come visit the area in person.
? Attract businesses ? The same way the cameras encourage tourism, they could be used to entice businesses who might be interested in starting a business or relocating a business to the area.
? Deter thefts and vandalism ? Because the cameras have the ability to record, this might deter illegal activities. If illegal activities do occur, the camera?s recordings could be used to catch the person(s) responsible.
Although everyone would be allowed to use the Web site to see downtown, only a limited number of people would be allowed to control the cameras. Making sure this is the case was the biggest concern of Mayor Royce Davenport who added, ?I would suggest that we make sure who will be allowed to control the cameras.?
Pictures of the cameras were not sent with the request. Because of this, Public Works director Bill Brock would like to see what the cameras will look like before any agreement is made.
?I told them I wanted to see what the camera would look like before it was even suggested,? said Brock. ?I haven?t seen anything. I want to see everything that will be on the pole. I don?t know if it?s big or small.
Although not much is known about the cameras, one thing is: The cameras are 24 volts and the city will be expected to pay for the electricity.
Before a decision is made, Brock will have to work with McMinnville Electric?s general manager and CEO Rodney Boyd to figure out if the city owns the poles, what the cameras will look like, and exactly where the cameras will be placed.