Wellington staff recommend Genoptic for school-zone speed cameras; enforcement start aimed for school year

The Village of Wellington staff recommended awarding a five-year contract, with renewal options, to Genoptic North America for automated speed detection in school zones, and told the council the program’s projected implementation date is the first day of school, Aug. 11, 2025.

The recommendation came as staff summarized a competitive procurement. "Our selection committee's recommendation is to award a contract to Genoptic North America," a staff presenter said, noting the evaluation used qualifications, approach and fees. The scoring placed Genoptic first among six proposers.

Village staff told councilmembers the system would run in designated school zones beginning 30 minutes before school (or breakfast program) through the school day and 30 minutes after dismissal; staff will confirm whether aftercare hours extend the enforcement window on a school-by-school basis. Speeds exceeding 10 miles per hour over the posted limit would be eligible for photo enforcement.

Captured alleged violations will be reviewed by a village traffic enforcement officer before a notice is issued. Notices would carry a $100 penalty with no driver license points; failure to pay may lead to a uniform traffic citation with points. Staff described the expected distribution of a $100 notice: $49.98 to the Village of Wellington, $10.02 to Genoptic, $20 to the state general fund, $12 to the local school district security program, $5 to the school crossing guard program, and $3 to the Criminal Standard and Training Fund.

Staff said the selected vendor will install Flock Falcon license-plate-reader (LPR) units at school locations at no additional charge and that the vendor’s proposed schedule supports the target start date. Wellington High School was noted as having been warranted as a school zone and is under design; once it is formally a school zone, the system can be deployed there as well. County-jurisdiction schools such as Palm Beach Central would require coordination with Palm Beach County and FDOT.

Council discussion focused on hours of enforcement and the distribution of fines. A councilmember asked whether the enforcement period would include aftercare hours that run later into the evening; staff said they would confirm whether those hours will extend the enforcement window for affected schools. Another councilmember asked whether the portion of fines intended for the school district could be earmarked for Wellington schools; staff said that would likely require a local agreement with the district and that staff would pursue that coordination but could not guarantee it by the next meeting.

The procurement’s scoring and committee membership were identified in staff materials. Committee members included Wagner, Silliman, Coats, Juckett and Rheinsvold. The vendor ranking listed Genoptic as first, followed by Ultimate, Blue Line Solutions/Red Speed (tied), Verra Mobility and Novoa Global.

Staff recommended council approval of the contract award. No formal council vote on the award appears in the transcript; the item was scheduled for action at the council meeting the following day.

Implementation questions remaining include confirmation of the enforcement window for aftercare hours and a local agreement with the school district if council wishes to earmark the district share to Wellington schools specifically.