The Parks & Recreation Commission on Tuesday discussed available options to finalize the installation of security cameras at EMC Park.

Parks & Rec Director Jon Lewitus led the discussion, explaining that he had discussed available options for camera installation at the park with the town’s IT Department. He noted that the initial goal was to install a hard-line connection.

“The hope was to use the doghouse [snack shack] and get it wired … so we can get high-quality security footage of EMC Park, specifically the skate park and the lower baseball fields,” said Lewitus.

The IT Department reported to Lewitus in a recent email that the wired connection at the park was not possible. According to Josh Grossetti, the town’s director of information technology and innovation services, neither Verizon nor Comcast can provide the hard line. However, Verizon proposed an LTE/5G option that would use a cellular router to connect to the cameras.

In his email to Parks & Rec, Grossetti explained that the solution would rely on upload bandwidth. To avoid buffering, video quality from the security cameras would have to be reduced. 

“We have the capability of getting security cameras there, but the feed will not be clear enough to really make out license plates or even ID faces,” Lewitus summarized.

Parks & Rec received Community Preservation funds to install the security cameras at EMC Park. Lewitus reported to the Community Preservation Committee last June that camera installation was delayed due to the installation of the Hank Fredette Skate Park and needed upgrades to the baseball fields.

No cameras were operational when taggers spray-painted the new skate park back in November.

Commission members reviewed available options. Vice chair Kyle Smith wondered whether local storage could be implemented at the park, and the footage could be pulled from an SD card when needed. He also expressed concern over putting up cameras that would not catch meaningful data due to video quality.

“I think that just doing it to check a box that accomplishes none of the objectives of having them is very wasteful,” he said. “That doesn’t make sense to me.”

Added Smith: “We might as well put ones out there that are fake.”

Chair Dan Terry pushed back, noting that even a low-quality video could offer more information than nothing. “I get that we don’t want to check the box, but knowing whether it was a pickup truck or a moped that was in there at 2 a.m. is useful info,” he said.

Terry also questioned whether Verizon had considered creating an access line from one of the nearby schools. Marathon School is about 1,000 feet away from EMC Park.

Members agreed more information was needed before a decision could be made. Smith clarified with Lewitus that should the commission choose the 5G option, the cost would be absorbed by the town’s IT Department.

Lewitus agreed to follow up with Grossetti and report back to the commission.

Hopkins gym redesign ‘unfortunate’ for Parks & Rec

During his director’s report, Lewitus informed the Parks & Rec Commission that the Hopkins Elementary School gym renovations were complete. However, the new basketball hoops installed there pose a problem for Parks & Rec programs.

“The hoops don’t lower [below 10 feet], and that’s where we had our [kindergarten/first grade] program,” Lewitus said. “It’s unfortunate.”

Members discussed ways to ensure the needs of the Parks & Rec Department are made known to the town on future projects. In particular, members focused on the ongoing Charleswood School project and whether its gym could accommodate some of the department’s needs.

“How do we facilitate a warm invitation into friendly discussions about what could be beneficial to members of the town who use Parks & Rec services and programs that would ultimately be run there?” asked Smith.

“We’re not asking to change the layout or add a gym or something like that, which seems reasonable,” he added.

Lewitus agreed. “Even if the grade doesn’t call for lower hoops, who else uses this gym?” he said, adding that advocating for a hoop system Parks & Rec could use likely would not change the cost of the multi-million dollar project.