By Lee Weyhrich
CLAY — The Clay City Council on Monday discussed the possibility of installing cameras at key intersections, such as Old Springville Road and Chalkville Mountain Road.
The cameras would not be used for catching speeders, but rather for tracking suspicious vehicles used in crimes.
The city of Center Point in 2011 placed traffic cameras at several intersections after state legislation allowed it. In 2012 a lawsuit was filed over the cameras, claiming the ordinance initiating the enforcement process was invalid due to the procedure for appeal for issued tickets was unconstitutional. The use of the cameras was suspended the same year after the lawsuit was filed. 
The council continues to expand police service for Clay residents. The council discussed acquiring three lockout kits, one breathalyzer and an additional radar gun for officer use in three police cars the city recently acquired.
One Clay resident, Bruce Seward, who is the president of the Highland Trace Homeowners Association, addressed the council with a petition to install speed bumps in his neighborhood.
“On any given day, several vehicles can be seen driving at high rates of speed on Highland Trace Drive as well as Highland Trace Circle,” Seward said. “This is in spite of our posted 20 mph speed limit sign.”
Residents of more than 30 homes out of the 52 in the neighborhood have signed the petition. The neighborhood already has a sign warning drivers that a blind child is in the area, Seward said, but people continue to speed. Councilman Ricky Baker felt that the Public Safety Committee would likely approve the request for speed bumps at the next Public Safety Committee meeting.
