By By JOHN EBY / Dowagiac Daily News
Dowagiac City Council members responded forcefully Monday night to criticism by mayoral candidate Howard Hall that they had been circumvented in the decision to install surveillance cameras and audio recording capability downtown.
O'Konski continued, "If you go into the bank, you're being video and audio recorded. If you go into the gas station, you're being video and audio recorded. Stores, movie rentals, even in Dowagiac. I had someone use my ID at one of the movie places," the former Keystone Video. "I went in to complain that I did not rent it and they looked up the date and time on the video recording and they found the person who rented it under my name."
Third Ward Councilman Leon Laylin commented, "As far as you're charging the council with not being informed by the city manager, you're totally wrong in that respect because every Friday we get a packet of information of everything that's going on in this city that comes before this council. Every council member is well aware of what is before us prior to coming to this meeting. It gives us a chance to talk to the people and find out what their issues are. We are informed, we do talk to our constituents and we do vote as directed by those who are in support of us. We will continue to do that."
A question about the cameras posted on the Daily News Web site Monday this morning showed them favored, 54 percent to 46 percent.
City Attorney Mark A. Westrate provided a prosecution perspective to the debate.
Hall said he was "very disappointed" with City Manager William H. Nelson Jr. "to make this decision on your own, without allowing people in Dowagiac to have input on it. Mr. Nelson said he gave each one of you council members a copy to review … You people were voted into office to do what the people living in your area want. If none of you speak up and ask questions … you're not doing constituents in your area fair.
Hall noted Jo Anne Wood's letter in the Daily News Monday that it seemed odd to be spending taxpayers' money buying equipment to tape their conversations.
As reported June 7, Dowagiac received a $3,500 grant from the Michigan Municipal Risk Management Association (MMRMA) for half the cost of the purchase and installation of security cameras.
Nelson said the administration was working on installation in two locations - on Front Street downtown and at Rotary Park.