Eustis plans camera expansion and explores downtown Wi‑Fi; city cautions against publishing camera locations
Summary
IT staff described a multi‑year security camera rollout and proposed point‑to‑point links to bring Lakewalk cameras online; city also discussed a low‑cost downtown Wi‑Fi plan that could display event information on a splash page but warned about operational and privacy rules.
City IT Director Bryce briefed the commission on the city’s ongoing video‑security program, recent purchases (Panasonic laptops for officers, new firewalls) and a plan to expand camera coverage at key public sites including Lakewalk and the Evidence Barn.
Bryce said some recent camera installations were paid by the police department and other installations will be covered by sales‑tax funds. The staff intends to use point‑to‑point wireless links to provide Internet service to the quarter‑mile Lakewalk corridor rather than individual cellular data plans for each camera, which Bryce said would be costly. He described a phased approach: extend coverage to Lakewalk, add camera coverage to the parking garage and issue change orders to an existing contract to expand coverage.
The IT director also proposed adding a municipal Wi‑Fi network with a splash screen that could direct users to event listings and marketing. Commissioners reacted favorably to the marketing potential; staff cautioned that cellular saturation during large events can impede connectivity and that city policy should not disclose camera field‑of‑view or exact locations. The commission agreed to schedule a closed session for security planning and to work on grant or sales‑tax funding options for further rollout.
Why it matters Broader camera coverage and public Wi‑Fi are tools the city hopes will improve safety, support policing and promote events downtown, but they raise recurring trade‑offs: operational cost, network reliability during crowded events and public concerns about surveillance and privacy.
Next steps Staff will bring costed options for point‑to‑point links to Lakewalk, a plan for the parking garage cameras, and a public‑Wi‑Fi cost estimate. The commission asked for a closed session to discuss operational security policies and to avoid publishing specific camera locations in public records disclosures where legally permissible.
