Wellington to activate school‑zone speed cameras Sept. 15; violations carry $100 fine, staff says

Nicole Coates, the Village of Wellington’s emergency management and public safety director, told the Public Safety Committee that the village’s school‑zone camera program will begin civil enforcement on Monday, Sept. 15, 2025, with a $100 fine for qualifying infractions.

Coates said cameras began operating in a non‑enforcement mode on Aug. 11 and that three weeks of data showed an average of about 3,700 infractions (roughly 740 per day) during the restricted school‑zone periods. She said the cameras enforce during posted school‑zone times defined by the state and that signage and public notices have been distributed; she directed residents to wellingtonfl.gov/schoolzonesafety for program details and hours.

Coates explained the equipment timeline and enforcement mechanics: temporary trailer units are currently in place; the vendor will relocate cameras to permanent mounts on school‑zone flashing signs after required utility (FP&L) and placement work is complete. When permanent cameras are installed they will trigger at the flashing sign entry point for a school zone. Infractions captured by the cameras will be issued to the registered vehicle owner and include high‑resolution video and infrared plate imagery, Coates said. The village will retain roughly half of collected fines per state law; other statutorily required distributions include payments to FDLE and the school district. Coates said the village had not yet decided specific public‑safety uses for retained funds.

Committee members asked operational questions about contest hearings and enforcement. Coates said contested notices may be heard by a local special magistrate in village chambers; magistrates are paid positions and hearings will be scheduled separately from regular code‑enforcement hearings. She said hearings for early tickets were likely to be scheduled in November/December given the statutory timelines for notice, payment and contesting.

Coates confirmed that the cameras include license‑plate‑reading (LPR) capability and that the village already uses perimeter LPRs; internal LPR coverage will be an investigative tool for law enforcement, she said. She noted the cameras do not enforce speeds outside school‑zone hours and said registered owners may submit an affidavit of defense if someone else was driving the vehicle at the time of an infraction; unresolved nonpayment can result in escalation to a uniform traffic citation processed through the Palm Beach County Clerk of Court.

Coates emphasized the program’s safety goal and said the village hopes enforcement will change driver behavior so enforcement is no longer needed in the long term.