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Council weighs BlueLine school‑zone camera amendment as mayor urges legal review and possible referendum
Summary
Police Chief Michael Mansour presented an amendment to BlueLine's school‑zone camera agreement to comply with new state law; he reported citations dropped 77% during the cited period. The mayor and several councilmembers expressed concern the vendor's proposed auto‑renewal language could avoid a voter referendum required by OCGA 40-14-19; city counsel and staff said the amendment could be enacted now while staff seeks further guidance.
Police Chief Michael Mansour summarized changes to the city's BlueLine school‑zone camera agreement required by recently enacted state law and described the program's stated safety impact. "From April 25 to '26, the goal of this camera system is to slow people down... citations decreased decreased from by 77%," Mansour said, presenting the amended language and the city's attorney's suggested edits.
The mayor and other councilmembers questioned whether the vendor's recommended restructuring — a series of one‑year terms with renewals that could continue for extended periods — effectively bypasses a referendum requirement they understood to be included in the new statute (cited in session as OCGA 40‑14‑19). The mayor said she had discussed the statute with state legislators and worried the amendment could be "slipping in" language that avoids local voter review.
City Attorney (Nicole) and staff responded that the amendment would be enacted prior to the statutory change taking effect in 2027 and that staff could present the legislation and seek additional guidance; counsel noted termination provisions and that a future council could cancel auto‑renewal with notice. Council asked staff to provide the relevant legislative language, a legal summary and, if appropriate, a written legal opinion so the council could decide whether to proceed before the statutory effective date or to defer and pursue a referendum timeline in 2027.
After extended discussion about calibration, appeals and operational hours, the council agreed to place the BlueLine amendment on the consent agenda while staff compiles the requested statutory guidance and legal analysis.
