Photo: Pixabay
By Sydney Fye, UNE Fellow
By a unanimous vote, the Sanford City Council on Tuesday moved forward with a contract for surveillance of the troubled International Woolen Mill property downtown.
Mike Santoro, a representative of LVT Mobile Security, described for the council how live view technology, or solar-powered surveillance cameras, can monitor a space ethically, without invading anyone’s privacy, while still solving the issue of not having enough police officers for 24/7 watch of the property. The area has been plagued by trespassers, many of them unhoused, in recent years.
“The unit comes equipped with three cameras per unit, a pan-tilt zoom camera with day/night infrared capabilities, and this particular proposal that we’re speaking of would also include a thermal image as well,” Santoro explained.
The LVT Live Unit system is solar and battery powered, making it more environmentally sustainable, and the unit would be directly in communication with the Police Department, allowing for quick response from patrol officers.
The data collected by LVT will never include facial or license plate recognition, tracking data, or personal information of potential perpetrators, and the data that is collected will only be accessible by the city.
Councilors voted to move forward with a contract, with the understanding that LVT’s guarantee of privacy be included in the final agreement. In a separate vote, they agreed to reopen Heritage Crossing, the road immediately in front of the mill, once the system is in place.
“I’m excited about this because it means less police presence, and we can view this whole area without constantly sending police officers down there unless something is happening,” said Mayor Becky Brink.
Also at Tuesday’s meeting:
Data center: Two people voiced support for a ban on data centers in town. Nymm Thistlewind, a member of Sanford Clean Air & Water Coalition, spoke during public participation, and City Councilor Maura Herlihy spoke at the end of the meeting. Herlihy asked councilors to begin the process of implementing a ban.
“As a city councilor, it is important to recognize what the majority of people are asking for, and the recent election both nationally and locally sent a clear message on data centers,” Herlihy said.
She added that passing a ban does not mean it must be permanent. “If the technology changes and becomes more environmentally and energy friendly, and the sound issue can be resolved, a future council can consider the revocation of that ban,” she said. “We need to have our ducks in a row before any data centers come in.”
Honor for Cote: Sanford Water District Superintendent Dave Parent presented a plaque for service to the city to Roland Cote, who recently retired from the water district board after 29 years. Cote was also a town meeting member, a park commissioner, a Sanford selectman, a teacher, and a coach for many years in Sanford. Parent said he wanted to honor Cote by awarding him before the City Council.
State help to cities: Also, the council authorized a letter of advocacy to Gov. Janet Mills, requesting that the 2026 Municipal Reimbursement Eligibility under Maine’s Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) for Packaging program be restored.
The council’s next meeting will be held on Nov. 24 at 6 pm. Tuesday’s full meeting can be found on YouTube at:
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