In response to a security breach that happened over a year ago, security cameras will be installed in Orion Township hall.
The breach was a file that was discovered missing from the township assessor’s office. As a result, the board has been looking for ways to improve security at the hall on Joslyn Road.
At the May 16 meeting, buildings and grounds director Reenae Tulip presented the board with two options: Installing security cameras, and/or changing the locks on the departmental doors.
Trustees voted to have Tulip have cameras installed, at a cost not to exceed $5,817.
They asked her to meet with the supervisor and come back with a written policy regarding possibly replacing the door locks with dead bolts, and bring it back to the board within 90 days.
‘I think it’s important we get cameras on the main doors,? said trustee Michael Gingell, who made the motion to approve the installation of cameras.
Oakland County Sheriff’s Department Lieutenant Bruce Naile, commander of the Orion Substation, agreed.
‘I’m in full support of this camera system,? he said, adding that the OCSD substation is open 24 hours a day in township hall, and gets a variety of different people visiting it.
‘Every type of person you can imagine,? Naile added.
He said the OCSD would be happy to help the township decide which areas need to have cameras installed.
Supervisor Jerry Dywasuk asked if the technical support for the cameras would be something the township could handle in house.
‘They set up the system and they train you (to maintain it),? said Tulip.
One of the companies Tulip is considering purchasing the camera system from is ADT. Their cost is $3,983, with $500 additional for one month of media storage, and $49 monthly cost for technical support.
‘I have ADT security at my house, and they do a great job,? Gingell said.
Tulip is also looking at purchasing cameras from a company called IDS, at a cost of $5,217, with $600 additional for flash cards for media storage (costing $100 each).
‘We’ll get a hard drive (with the initial purchase) that holds a week’s worth of storage,? said Tulip.
Trustee John Steimel said the flash cards were something the township could probably purchase on its own.
‘You can keep as many of those flash cards as you want,? he said.
Trustee Matthew Gibb asked Tulip if she thought one month was sufficient amount of time to store the tape if there was a security incident.
Tulip said she had spoken to Naile about that and he agreed it was.
‘I want to go on record that I think this is way more than we need here,? said treasurer Alice Young. ‘I think we have a people problem, not an equipment problem. I’d like to see the money spent right here in this room.?
Young referred to some problems that speakers were having with portable microphones used for presentations in the board room.
‘You’ve seen the problems we’ve had here tonight,? she said.
Regarding the door locks, Dywasuk wanted to know what would happen in the event of an emergency.
‘The three full-time officials have had master keys (in the past),? he said.
Tulip said there is a fire box on the outside of the building with keys in it, that the fire department has access to.
Dywasuk said he became concerned about the key situation, when he found out there was a master key kept in the treasurer’s office, and the seal of its envelope was found broken.
‘Do we keep a log of who has these keys,? he asked.
Tulip said it’s currently on ‘the honor system.?
‘I’m not sure how to address the after hours issue,? she added.
Building official Tom Berger suggested the dead bolts, because he said he had one on his office that he had to lock with the key, so he couldn’t accidently lock his key inside.
‘That’s an answer, that’s a solution,? he said.
Gingell wanted Tulip to come back to the board with a proposal for dead bolts, and Dywasuk said he could authorize himself anything that was under $5,000.
Tulip said dead bolts would be more costly. Her original option just to change the locks on departmental doors was $350.
‘Five months after this incident supposedly happened, the board found out about it,? clerk Jill Bastian said of the original security breach in the assessor’s office. ‘I’m hoping if we go forward with this, it will eliminate what happened.?
‘How disappointing it is we have to spend money on this,? Gibb said.