By ANDREA POTEET
Sunday Times Newspapers
WYANDOTTE — To lure people to downtown businesses, the Downtown Development Authority is starting at their homes.
DDA Executive Director Brandon Wescott announced plans at a recent City Council meeting for a webcam that would stream live feed from its proposed perch on Biddle through the city’s Website.
The camera, which will run 24 hours a day every day, is designed to draw people to the area’s stores, bars, restaurants and events, he said.
Mayor Joseph Peterson, who is on the DDA’s board, told council members he thought the project was a great idea to advertise the city’s events, including its monthly Third Friday functions.
“You could go right on your computer and get up the webcam and watch the city of Wyandotte right from your little desk and decide, ‘You know what, I’m gonna get up and go to Wyandotte.’” Peterson said. “‘There’s a lot of people down there, and it looks like a good night.’”
He called the project was a creative, unique way to bring people to the city.
“It’s a small price to pay to bring people to our city,” he said.
Wescott told council members the webcam would not exceed $4,000. It would record everything it captures and also can be used for security purposes, if it happened to catch a crime in the area, Peterson said.
“It’s a nice little tool to have for investigation,” he said.
The camera is to be mounted on a pole on Biddle. A date for the project’s completion has not yet been set.
A company has yet to be chosen to handle the project, but Wescott said if possible, he would like to stay with Wyandotte Municipal Services.