By Erin Smith
The Clarkton town board is mulling its options regarding the security camera system installed by the town last year. The system is still not fully functioning.
Clarkton Town Clerk Kentrina Woods told the board she had researched the cameras, and the town entered into the agreement with Johnson controls on March 1st, 2018.
Town Attorney Cliff Hester said, “I can’t get the guy to call me back.”
Public Works Director Chris Hall said, “They have been here and they did some work. They got everything back going except for what was damaged in lightning in Hurricane Florence.
“Those pieces of equipment will require us to pay for the damaged equipment and the labor to install it because this outside of the original agreement,” said Hall.
Hall said the cost for the remaining repairs to the system will be $4,400. “I told them to quote it first, since this has been dragging on so long.”
Hester said, “This guy, when I’ve talked to him before, he’s been willing to deal with us.”
He continued, “Part of the reason we spent this money was to have cameras that could identify people.”
Town Commissioner Lawrence McDougald said the town also does not have the help to repair the equipment when it is needed.
“We need to get something resolved,” said Hester.
Hester advised the board to not make a decision on the matter just yet. He requested the board to go into closed session to discuss the contract surrounding the camera system. The board voted to enter closed session and met for almost 30 minutes. When the board resumed in open session, no action was taken by the board on the matter.
In a discussion in the January meeting, Hester told the board then he felt there was a misrepresentation to the board regarding the camera system that was purchased.
The town voted in 2017 to install the camera system which was purchased from Tyco in Raleigh at a cost of $150,000. The system, which is supposed to consist of 16 cameras, was to also be monitored at an additional cost of $25,000 per year.
About Author
