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Council hears follow-up on school-zone camera vendors; staff to schedule workshop for deeper review
Summary
After prior vendor demonstrations, staff revisited school-zone speed-camera programs and vendor data. A Redspeed representative apologized for past presentation errors; the vendor and a local representative said cameras can significantly reduce speeding in some areas and recommended close coordination with police and school schedules. Council asked staff for a workshop and more local data.
Staff reintroduced the school-zone camera program for council consideration after earlier demonstrations by multiple vendors. A vendor representative from Redspeed (represented by Eddie Metzger of Coastline Strategies) apologized for incorrect addresses in a previous presentation and said corrected data had been sent to police and staff. Metzger, who said he lives in the city and represents the vendor, argued that cameras change driver behavior and cited examples from other jurisdictions.
Council members asked for evidence of safety benefits and data about off-hours billing and net revenue for municipalities. Metzger said some jurisdictions report dramatic reductions; he noted that in one rural Georgia example a 90% reduction was seen in one year, while acknowledging Fort Myers has a more transient population. The police chief said traffic enforcement and citations are rising and that the department supports efforts that demonstrably slow drivers. Council asked staff to bring a follow-up workshop with fuller data (including local projections, vendor follow-up, and potential policy controls for hours and refund procedures) before advancing procurement.
