In a 3-2 vote, the Woodstock Selectboard approved a new $27,407 security system for Town Hall during Tuesday evening’s meeting. Chairperson Susan Ford, vice chairperson Norm Frates, and board member Dick Sweeney supported the initiative, while board members Gay Travers and Cliff Johnson were opposed.
Before voting, Travers contended that, while this issue was mentioned at the last selectboard meeting and was scheduled for a vote on Tuesday evening, the board did not afford time for a proper town-wide discussion.
Another point of contention came when the municipal manager, Eric Duffy, stated that if the board failed to vote that evening, the cost of the software and installation would increase by 11 percent. Duffy explained this was because the town exceeded the number of extensions afforded by the security company. Both Travers and Ford expressed concern that the timeline was not brought to their attention prior to the vote.
Duffy explained the necessity and cost breakdown for the security system. “This is something I’ve been working on probably since around [when] I first started [in Woodstock] three and a half years ago,” he said.
Duffy said that during his time at Town Hall, he has witnessed former employees leave without returning their keys and cited occasional issues coordinating with Pentangle Arts when they are hosting a late-night art event or film screening, or the inability to lock down Town Hall in the event of an emergency.
Therefore, Duffy and his staff chose to move forward with Safety Systems of Vermont’s quote for $27,406.99, which would cover a three-year contract and would include the installation of a cloud-based access control system, two intercoms at each exterior door, and an access control panel. Security cameras will also be placed at Town Hall, Duffy mentioned.
The contract has the option to be renewed for another two to three years, with an average annual renewal rate of $2,500 to $3,000. According to Duffy, this was the lowest quote Town Hall received, and Safety Systems of Vermont came highly recommended by five other municipalities in the state.
For more on this, please see our June 18 edition of the Vermont Standard.
