Residents file petition to block automatic speed-camera ordinance; board outlines next steps

A petition seeking to overturn the Board of Selectmen’s prior motion on automatic traffic-enforcement devices was presented during the Town Administrator Report. M. Walter said the town clerk has five days to verify signatures; if valid, the board then has 21 days to schedule a town meeting where residents can vote to sustain or extinguish the motion.

Public commenters and selectmen pressed for more information about the underlying plan. Noreen Nuhfer Farrington warned that “we must avoid infringing on First Amendment rights. Volunteers retain their rights as citizens, and any policy preventing them from signing petitions or speaking at public meetings would violate free speech.” James Locke stated that the petition “was to stop the writing of the ordinance, and they received over 300 signatures,” arguing residents prefer alternate enforcement options and community-based traffic teams rather than cameras. Selectman Robert Hellstrom and William O’Brien said informational meetings normally precede votes; Hellstrom asked for procedural clarity and additional answers before the town meeting is set.

M. Walter said he will gather documentation about the process, present information on the three vendors previously reviewed by CRCOG, and present findings at the town meeting. The board did not vote on the petition itself during this session; the next formal step is verification of signatures by the town clerk and, if valid, scheduling the town meeting under town procedures.