Hartford council approves automated traffic enforcement plan after striking clause that named camera sites

The Hartford City Council voted Nov. 10 to approve the city's automated traffic enforcement safety device (ATESD) municipal plan, adopting the plan as amended after removing a clause that listed 11 specific speed camera locations in school zones.

The amendment to strike the fourth "whereas" clause was proposed by a councilmember and seconded; the maker said the change came at the request of the mayor's office and after consultation with corporation counsel to avoid tying the city to specific locations. "Eliminating the fourth whereas clause would not tie us into specific locations," the speaker said, noting the city could expand beyond the 23 ATESDs referenced in the original language.

The council conducted a roll call vote to approve the amendment; the amendment passed. The council then voted to approve the ATESD municipal plan as amended. The votes were recorded by roll call and the clerk announced the motion passed.

Council discussion on the floor focused on the scope and flexibility of the municipal plan rather than technical camera siting. One councilmember asked the maker to explain the rationale; the maker reiterated that removing the clause preserves administrative flexibility and reflects guidance from the mayor's office and legal staff. No individual camera locations were approved by the council during the meeting.

The action moves the municipal plan forward under city control with the struck clause removed; further administrative or staff steps will be needed to select or expand camera sites and implement the program. The council did not, during this meeting, adopt a separate item allocating funds or specifying an implementation timeline.

The council approved the amended ATESD municipal plan by roll call during the Nov. 10 meeting.