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Winooski council approves emergency purchase of stairwell cameras for Cascades parking garage after reports of people living in walls
Summary
Council approved an emergency, single‑vendor purchase to install security cameras in stairwells of the Cascades parking garage to reduce hazardous behavior and the structural risk from wall damage; councilors pressed staff for warranty, use guidelines and alternatives including attendants or bathrooms.
Winooski City Council approved an emergency purchase on Monday to install security cameras in the stairwells of the city‑owned Cascades parking garage after staff reported repeated hazardous behavior, structural damage and escalating cleanup costs.
City staff described the stairwells as attracting people overnight who used the space for sleeping, drug use and other activities that at times damaged walls and exposed voids in the building’s fire separation. Staff said hazardous cleanups by contractors have cost the city more than $26,000 for 16 cleanings over the past 28 months and that recent damage included removal of interior wall material, creating a potential fire risk. For those reasons the city manager determined the purchase qualified as an emergency under the city’s purchasing policy and asked council to approve an immediate procurement estimated at about $90,000.
Staff said the $90,000 figure reflects a roughly $70,000 vendor quote plus additional conduit and installation costs and an allowance for installation unknowns. The vendor under consideration previously installed the garage’s existing cameras on the parking decks and staff said compatibility and the existing server would likely make that vendor the practical provider even in a normal bidding process.
Council debate focused on effectiveness, costs and alternatives. Some councilors described cameras as a “band‑aid” that would not address underlying homelessness and mental‑health needs; other members stressed immediate safety concerns for residents who live in adjacent wrap‑around housing and for staff exposed to biohazards in stairwells. Councilors asked staff to provide warranty details, to return with clear guidelines on how footage would be used and to involve community outreach partners and the Howard Center in follow‑up. Several councilors also asked staff to analyze alternatives — for example, attendants or supervised restroom access — and the comparative costs of those responses.
The council approved the emergency purchase and authorized staff to proceed with the installation. Staff said dispatch monitors the city’s cameras 24/7 and that real‑time monitoring would allow police to respond to escalations rather than using continuous patrols. Staff cautioned that installation could take months.
Council members emphasized that cameras were intended to reduce immediate structural and public‑safety risks and were not a long‑term solution to homelessness or mental‑health needs; several asked staff to return with additional options and operational guidelines.
