Scio explores use of speed sensors and camera enforcement

Mayor James Clark announced that the village of Scio will receive two speed sensors through a donation. Clark initially believed one would be placed on Main Street but said College Street may be a better location for one of the devices.

Clark then shifted the discussion to red-light and speed cameras, noting they were outlawed this past summer for counties and townships but that “villages and cities are still allowed to use them.”

Village Solicitor Jack Felgenhauer clarified that the state’s action reclassified the enforcement from a criminal matter to a civil one. He said townships may pass a resolution to use the devices, while counties must follow state law.

“The only place it wouldn’t apply is to municipalities,” Felgenhauer said.

Clark said the village would face no upfront costs and referenced an ODOT study showing that about 3,000 vehicles per day pass through Scio. “So, they’re technically all for it,” he said.

When Felgenhauer asked how the enforcement would operate, officials compared the process to the Ohio Turnpike system, with a digital photograph followed by a citation mailed to the vehicle owner. 

Council discussed how vehicles would be flagged for violations and why the enforcement is classified as civil. Clark said he was unsure how many devices the village would ultimately receive but noted they would “definitely” have a speed camera.

“That’s the problem,” Clark said. “When that light gets ready to turn red, the semis and other vehicles slam on their gas to beat the red light and get a run through the hill going out of town.”

Clark identified the company responsible for collecting fines as RedSpeed USA. He said the company manages all aspects of the program, including collections. According to RedSpeed’s website, it is the only vendor using “lane-specific, high-resolution pixels.”

“It is important to emphasize that our lane-specific video cameras increase the number of prosecutable violations by 25% to 50%,” the company said. “The number increases substantially on roads with heavy queuing traffic or roads used by large-scale vehicles such as tractor trailers or construction vehicles.”

Council member Doug Whiteman suggested the village further explore the issue. Clark asked whether anyone opposed doing so. When no one responded, he said he would proceed.

“I’m going to continue down that line,” Clark told council.