Residents press Sunbury for clarity on camera installation and audio recording; solicitor advises restraint

Residents told the council on Nov. 8 they are concerned about where city‑owned cameras are installed and whether the building’s audio recording is authorized by policy.

Resident Victoria Rosencrantz pressed the issue during public comment, saying: “So you do understand regardless of this being a public building, that's a 2 party consent state. And this municipality is really opening themselves up to a lawsuit.” She said signage was inconsistent and asked whether the council had voted to allow audio recording.

The council solicitor responded on the record: “I do not believe it is illegal. However, my advice to counsel upon, honestly, just learning about the audio recording is that we would use it only at the times of necessity, such as if somebody is losing their mind in the vestibule... I don't think it's probably necessary to use it at all times if we can separate it from the video.” Council discussed removing audio at the skate park and ice rink and flagged the need to check whether audio is present in other parks.

Council also discussed that parts of the camera project were previously approved and that bills for installations had been paid; residents asked for clearer public information about camera locations and monitoring responsibilities. Staff said some camera installations remain to be completed and that Alert Enterprises’ role in monitoring may change as the city transitions equipment and vendors.

What happens next: Council indicated staff and legal counsel will review recording policy and hardware configuration; councilors suggested separating audio from continuous monitoring and restricting its use to specific safety incidents.