Sykesville's first round of public hearings over proposed speed cameras in the town proved to be a mixed bag.

The mayor and Town Council held the first hearing on the topic Jan. 25 at the Town House and will have another at 7 p.m., Monday, Feb. 8.

About 17 people spoke at Monday's hearing, with nine in favor of an ordinance allowing speed cameras in school zones, two undecided and the rest opposed.

Testimony ranged from a barrage of questions for Police Chief John Williams to comments from former town councilwoman Jeannie Nichols — who reminded residents from Eldersburg who spoke at the hearing that it's the town of Sykesville's issue to decide — not Eldersburg's.

Town resident Paul Esposito said the town should target speeders the way they do now, using radar, instead of cameras.

"Your folks need to be out there when we have a problem — not some electronic sentinel," he told Williams.

Williams noted during his presentation earlier in the evening that the town receives no revenue from speeding tickets issued by radar — all that money goes to the state, he said. Speed cameras would give the town 10 percent of the total revenue after operating expenses, he said.

Liora Robinson, who is in favor of speed cameras, said that a vehicle driven by a drunken driver struck her car and her neighbor, and that people frequently speed on the narrow one-way stretch of Oklahoma Avenue.

"I'm sick and tired being in fear to get in and out of my car," she said.

Something that could change in the proposed ordinance is the definition of a school zone and area.

As now introduced, the ordinance defines school zones by the boundaries of three schools: Ava Wanas Montessori School, Stepping Stones Day Care/Springfield Presbyterian Church and Sykesville Middle School.

Some residents were unhappy that a day care center could be defined as a school.

Mayor Mike Miller said he would be in favor of having a better definition of what constitutes a school zone and what could be included.

Pete Farnum said he does not think the town has a speeding problem on some of its roads. "I travel Harlan Lane every day," he said. "I don't see the speeders. Maybe I'm crazy."

Al McEvoy said he likes the proposal because the tickets would be approved by the Sykesville police —not the vendor.

"I don't like the nanny state either," he said, "but I do understand we have to step outside of the box to address a problem."

About three Eldersburg residents spoke at the hearing, including Larry Helminiak, president of the South Carroll Republican Club, who spoke against cameras.

In her comments, Nichols said it was a "shame" that people outside the town came to the meeting to make speed cameras more of a political issue.

Sykesville has considered speed cameras since October. A state law, approved by the General Assembly in 2009 and effective as of Oct. 1, 2009, allows jurisdictions to enact ordinances to allow speed cameras.

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