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Council approves Cary Institute camera study after staff assurances on wildlife-only use
Summary
Council approved a license agreement with the Cary Institute and Scenic Hudson to install short-term camera traps in five city locations for urban-wildlife research; staff emphasized the license prevents non-research uses of footage.
The Newburgh City Council unanimously approved an agreement permitting researchers from the Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies and Scenic Hudson to install short-term camera traps in approximately five locations across the city for an urban-wildlife study.
A city staff member explained the plan: the cameras will be active for limited periods (about three weeks in June and July, and short two-week deployments in October) and the license agreement explicitly limits use to wildlife research. "The license agreement only provides for those cameras to be used for the wildlife research and not for any other purpose," the staff member said during the discussion.
During public comment, residents raised privacy questions including whether the cameras could be used for enforcement or immigration purposes. Staff and the mayor reiterated that the deployment is limited to research and that any other use of footage would be unauthorized under the license. The council moved and approved the resolution to enter the agreement.
Staff said they will finalize installation locations, provide public notice about the study, and remove cameras after each deployment window as described in the agreement.
