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Sykesville council adopts ordinance authorizing school-zone speed monitoring; vote 5–1
Summary
The Sykesville Mayor and Town Council adopted Ordinance 2024-06 to authorize speed monitoring systems in school zones on a 5–1 vote; the measure requires a traffic study, vendor selection and state approval before any camera issues fines.
The Sykesville Mayor and Town Council on Oct. 15 adopted Ordinance 2024-06 authorizing the use of speed monitoring systems in school zones, voting 5–1 after a brief public hearing with no public commentators.
The ordinance amends Chapter 165 (Vehicles and Traffic) to add school-zone provisions and to authorize speed-monitoring systems. Town staff described a multi-step process that must follow adoption before any camera issues fines: a third-party traffic engineering study to define exact zone boundaries and hours, a vendor selection and contract negotiation, a signage plan, and final submission to the Maryland State Highway Administration for approval. Town staff said a 30-day warning period would be used after any camera is installed before citations are issued.
Councilwoman Guroff moved to adopt Ordinance 2024-06 “as written,” and the council opened and closed the public hearing without attendees speaking. Council debate centered on whether the camera should be a first or last resort. Councilman Grassley said he preferred delaying action and trying low-cost measures first, saying, “I personally would like to see us just, table this.” Town Manager Joe said adoption does not automatically deploy cameras: “If this ordinance should pass tonight, we would go through a process by which a traffic study would be conducted… [and] signage plan that would all be put together,” and staff would return to council with those results.
Mayor announced the final tally and gavelled the ordinance adopted. Council members emphasized that the ordinance grants authorization only and that any camera deployment would be the subject of subsequent, narrower decisions about location, hours and enforcement procedures.
Next steps outlined by staff include commissioning the traffic study (the town said it expects to tailor the study to a half‑mile radius around Springfield Avenue and school walking routes), negotiating a vendor contract (which could specify calibration frequency and operating windows), and submitting the plan to the State Highway Administration. The council recorded the ordinance adoption and then moved on to reports and other business.
