Jim Thorpe Borough officials are weighing the installation of surveillance cameras along Flagstaff Road in an effort to curb illegal dumping that has persisted in the area for over a decade.

The proposed plan, highlighted during Thursday’s council workshop, includes four solar-powered cameras with SD card storage, which would capture footage of vehicles entering and exiting the area.

“When I met with Secure Technology, that was the plan he came up with,” Police Chief Joe Schatz said. “The best plan was to go solar and use the SD cards for live feed.”

Under the proposed layout, two cameras would be placed on a pole at the entrance of Flagstaff Road at West Broadway, while two additional cameras would be mounted to monitor vehicles entering Jim Thorpe from near the old Flagstaff ballroom.

One camera, Schatz said, would be positioned to capture the contents of truck beds or trailers, while a second camera on the same pole would record license plates.

“That should be enough to get the investigation started so we can see who exactly is driving that vehicle,” Schatz said.

The borough had originally budgeted $6,000 for the cameras, but the project is expected to cost more than double that amount.

“I would say get all the cameras now or wait a few more months until you budget more money and get the project all done at once,” Schatz said.

Borough Manager Maureen Sterner said council could discuss using capital reserve funds to cover the additional costs.

“I think a good plan is to get prices for the trees and everything else so we can get it all together for possible action in April,” Sterner said. “I know it’s not going to happen for next week.”

The issue of illegal dumping at Flagstaff has long been a challenge, with reports of unidentified vehicles discarding large amounts of waste.

“We’ve had reports of vehicles, unknown makes, models, and companies that have been seen in the general area with large amounts of debris,” Schatz said.

The lack of specific identification, he said, has made enforcement difficult, prompting the push for cameras.

The borough has an ordinance that imposes a $1,000 fine for illegal dumping, and officials suggested increasing the fine to $1,500 to further deter violators.

“If you catch someone, make it a $1,500 fine. That’s what I would do,” Schatz told borough council Thursday.

The cameras would require additional infrastructure, including the installation of six-by-six posts by public works personnel, SIM cards for storage, and tree trimming to ensure sufficient sunlight reaches the solar panels.

“We were told those batteries would last 8-10 days without sunlight,” Schatz said.