Sunbury residents press council over camera system and undisclosed audio access; city says audio disabled and will investigate

During public comment, resident Troy Rosencrantz sharply questioned the city about its camera program and alleged audio recording capability that had not been publicly approved. "There was never a public vote to approve audio," Rosencrantz said, accusing the council of failing to properly disclose audio functionality and warning he may pursue the Attorney General if the matter is not addressed.

Council responded that audio access at City Hall had been disabled since the last meeting. A council representative said a separate company had removed audio capabilities from the in‑building camera system and reset passwords so that only council members can access the footage. The representative said the chief would investigate how audio was enabled and report back to council.

Council and staff also acknowledged there are documents and vendor bills under legal review related to installation and contractor work; one council member said those items were being reviewed because litigation is pending and therefore could not be released at this time. Another council member proposed assigning the Attorney General’s office or a common investigator already working on related camera matters to handle the inquiry.

Why it matters: Residents and several council members described a transparency gap: camera locations, vendor bills and whether audio had been enabled were raised as public‑interest questions. If audio or other surveillance features were activated without proper authorization, the issue could have legal and civil‑liberties implications for residents.

What the council said it would do: Council reported the city has disabled audio on the internal camera system, reset access credentials, and will pursue an internal and/or external investigation; legal staff indicated some materials are being withheld from public release because of ongoing litigation or legal review.

Representative quotes from the meeting: Troy Rosencrantz: "This council is okay with violating our civil rights" (displaying his concerns about undisclosed audio). A council representative: "We brought a separate company in to disconnect the audio from all of the cameras inside city hall... and the new company reset all the passwords."

Next steps: Council said it will investigate the technical and procurement history of the camera system, coordinate with the solicitor on legal review and, if necessary, refer aspects of the inquiry to the Attorney General’s office or an external investigator.