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Residents voice opposition to proposed school-zone speed cameras during Live Oak hearing
Summary
During a public hearing on proposed Ordinance 15-35 about speed detection systems and school-zone cameras, residents raised concerns about enforcement, hours, fairness to parents and children driving parental vehicles, and whether cameras serve the public interest.
The City Council of the City of Live Oak opened a public hearing on Ordinance 15-35, a first-reading ordinance related to placement and use of speed detection systems in school zones, including rules, hours and penalties.
During public comment several residents opposed installing automated speed cameras in school zones. Linda Williams told the council she frequently drives through multiple school zones and questioned how camera hours would be set, who would be cited when a student drives a parent’s vehicle, and whether the cameras primarily generate revenue for a private vendor. She said she has followed school buses that she believed were exceeding posted speeds and said she had not observed officers ticketing motorists in school zones. Other commenters raised similar concerns about fairness to parents, the potential financial burden of automated fines and whether the systems would meaningfully improve safety.
City staff opened the public hearing for comment and confirmed the council was at the first-reading stage for Ordinance 15-35; the transcript excerpt does not record further council discussion or a vote on the ordinance in this segment.
The public record in this hearing contains suggestions the council consider clearly posted enforcement hours, define how citations would be assigned when a vehicle is registered to a parent but driven by a student, and evaluate whether the equipment’s cost and vendor arrangements serve the city’s public-safety objectives. No decision was recorded in the excerpt provided.
