IT staff said the most recent camera proposals would not work at problem parks because of limited network bandwidth and integration issues. "The proposed cameras ... aren't going to work," Xander Johnstone, the city IT staff, told the Ocean Shores Parks Board on Dec. 10. He described three options: a temporary cellular (LTE) camera system that can stream to a vendor app and be moved as needed; small non‑network trail cameras that store footage on SD cards for later retrieval; and a longer‑term fiber upgrade that could support more robust, integrated cameras.

Johnstone said cellular units can be deployed quickly and accessed through vendor applications and that resource‑protection officers in neighboring jurisdictions use cellular trail cameras effectively. He cautioned that non‑network trail cameras require periodic manual retrieval of SD cards and careful maintenance (battery changes and storage management). "You have to be really diligent about pushing the maintaining that data manually," Johnstone said.

Board members asked practical questions about real‑time access, costs and operational burden. Johnstone said the cellular option can provide near‑real‑time alerts via vendor apps and that initial procurement and setup are "actually pretty quick" through carriers such as Verizon. He noted, however, that any purchase or configuration will require approval from the police chief and city administration before deployment.

The board did not vote on a procurement plan. Members framed the trail and cellular options as interim measures to reduce recurring vandalism and maintenance costs at parks until a permanent fiber upgrade could support fully integrated cameras. The board asked staff to continue technical follow‑up with administration and the police chief and to report back on costs and recommended deployment locations.

The board’s next meeting is scheduled for Jan. 14; no final camera procurement decision was recorded on Dec. 10.