ORANGE — The Orange Board of Selectmen could decide this week whether to keep the town’s Flock license plate reader cameras. The agenda for the board’s Wednesday, Nov. 4 meeting lists a closed-door executive session “concerning Flock Contract renewal,” followed by a “possible vote on Flock Contract renewal” once the board returns to open session.
The meeting starts at 7 p.m. in the lower-level meeting room of Orange Town Hall, 617 Orange Center Road. The agenda was filed with the town clerk on Oct. 30.
How Orange got here
The contract has been on the board’s radar since the summer. At the selectmen’s Aug. 12 meeting, First Selectman James Zeoli told the board the town’s contract with Flock runs out in December and that the board would have to revisit it in executive session in November, because the contract requires 30 days’ notice to terminate, according to the approved minutes.
Zeoli also noted that Gov. Ned Lamont had urged municipalities to pause installing any new equipment until a safety review of automated cameras and license plate reader technology is finished.
After discussion, the board voted 5-1 that night to approve “pausing the Flock technology” and to let the first selectman discuss the matter with town counsel “to make sure the town is protected going forward.” Selectmen Zeoli, Carangelo, Kraut, Goldblatt and Smith voted yes; Selectman Shanley voted no.
What residents said
The August meeting drew a long line of speakers during public participation, and most spoke against the cameras. One resident said she likes Orange’s small-town feel and opposes them; another raised concerns about how the data could be used in the future, and a third compared the situation to George Orwell’s 1984.
Not everyone was opposed. Jodi Dietch of Harborview Road spoke in favor, saying the benefits outweigh the concerns, according to the minutes. Kevin McNabola of Currier Drive said the cameras could be useful on the town’s major roads to help solve crimes regionally, but he doesn’t want to see them in neighborhoods.
The topic came up again at the Sept. 9 meeting, when a resident asked the board about pausing the cameras.
What else is on Wednesday’s agenda
- The board’s 2027 regular meeting schedule.
- A request to waive medical benefits for 29 town employees.
- Authorizing the first selectman to execute an Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant to buy a Skydio X10 Patrol LED drone as a “Drone as First Responder” kit.
- A repair proposal and request for additional funding for the gazebo at Silverbrook Estates.
- Tax refunds totaling $951.83.
- Approval of the Oct. 14 meeting minutes.
How to weigh in
Public participation comes early in the meeting, before any votes, and speakers get two minutes each. The executive session itself is closed to the public, but any vote on the contract would happen in open session afterward.
Milford Voice has followed the debate over Flock cameras in Milford and Orange. We’ll report what the board decides.
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