Shelton Council discusses school bus stop-arm camera enforcement; directs staff to draft ordinance

The Shelton City Council discussed developing a local ordinance to permit automated enforcement of school bus stop-arm violations using roadside cameras and a contracted processing firm.

Councilors reviewed examples from other Connecticut cities and an outline provided in the meeting packet. A staff speaker explained the typical model: an outside firm supplies cameras, captures images of vehicles passing stopped school buses, and forwards potential violations for municipal review. The city would need a local legal framework that establishes how citations are reviewed and processed, and a municipal citation officer or hearing process to adjudicate contested citations.

Councilors raised practical and legal questions: how images would be handled, who reviews them, whether the municipality or a contractor collects fines, and potential costs. One councilor said he had spoken with a contact who estimated vendor costs at “a thousand to 1,200 a month” but the remark was flagged in discussion as not substantiated and should not be presented as confirmed expense figures.

Members emphasized the need for a properly drafted ordinance and a public hearing before adoption. The council agreed to move the project to the law department and to develop an ordinance for future public hearing and discussion; no enforcement program or procurement contract was approved at the meeting.