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Huntertown council weighs in-house engineering staff, data‑center concerns and surveillance cameras
Summary
Councilmembers discussed planning for an in-house engineering team and a phased transition from contracted services, debated local controls over data centers and raised privacy questions after a reported 'Flock' camera was observed on State Road 3; the police clarified town cameras are license‑plate readers, not facial‑recognition devices.
At its regular meeting the Huntertown Town Council considered long‑range staffing for engineering work, discussed steps the planning commission could take to address local data‑center proposals and heard privacy concerns after a council member reported seeing a suspected 'Flock' camera on State Road 3.
A council member said staff and one councilor met to consider creating an on‑site engineering team — an engineer plus a project manager and support staff — to reduce reliance on outside firms for routine projects. Staff emphasized larger, technically complex projects (for example, a water‑treatment plant) would likely still be contracted to outside engineering firms and described a phased handoff and staffing transition that could be coordinated with existing engineering contracts.
On data centers, the council member warned data centers can use large amounts of water and power and said the town should be proactive. Council members discussed using the planning commission to develop land‑use or temporary moratorium tools rather than drafting a stand‑alone ordinance, noting other counties and towns have taken similar, planning-driven approaches.
The same council member said they photographed a camera on State Road 3 with a solar panel and feared it resembled a 'Flock' camera (a system discussed in national reporting for automated license‑plate and facial‑recognition capabilities). The town’s resource officer, Officer Bailey, responded that the town’s units are license‑plate readers and do not perform facial recognition; he said those cameras are used to detect expired registration and vehicles associated with investigations and that he would pursue clarity with county and INDOT where jurisdiction overlaps.
Council asked staff to research funding options (including potential USDA programs) to offset start‑up costs for town engineering staffing, to consult the planning commission on data‑center language, and to investigate the reported camera on State Road 3. No ordinance, moratorium or contract change was approved at the meeting; council called for additional research and future discussion.
