Weather station, with camera, to be installed at Alton Bay water bandstand

ALTON — Pilots coming in and out of Alton Bay, and people interested in weather, will soon be able to view weather conditions of the area.

The selectboard unanimously approved a weather station and camera showing the conditions on Lake Winnipesaukee, which will be installed at the water bandstand at no cost to the town. It was approved on Sept. 22. Chair Paul LaRochelle recused himself for a vote as manager of the Alton Bay Seaplane Base and Ice Runway.

Selectboard member Jack Sleeper said the weather station not only comes at no cost to the town, but something he thinks will interest people from Alton, and beyond.

“It’s something that the townspeople will enjoy, and offers added information to all residents, but also anyone coming to use the runway,” Sleeper said. “I think it’s a no-brainer moving forward with it.”

LaRochelle brought the idea forward at the Sept. 9 meeting, where the board agreed to pursue it. He told the selectboard for the past several years, the Alton Bay Seaplane Base and Ice Runway Committee has discussed such a project.

“As part of the airport and ice and runway, we’ve been talking for a couple years of possibly putting out a video camera on the water bandstand, with 180 angle of video looking down the bay and up the bay,” LaRochelle told the board Sept. 9. “Putting that in, and also putting a weather station in.”

LaRochelle said people will see things like barometric pressure, temperature and wind speed in Alton Bay. He said this will not only be great for pilots in the winter, but for year-round residents who can access the video publicly.

“We don’t have anything right now, other than looking into Laconia,” LaRochelle said. “So, it would be helpful to pilots. It would be helpful for people going out on the water during the summer.”

The camera and weather station would be purchased by the Alton Bay Seaplane Base and Ice Runway Committee, through funds raised through T-shirt sales. LaRochelle said there is Wi-Fi from the community center that needs a booster, which the committee will also pay for. The camera and station will be maintained by the committee, as well.

Board member Richard Shea asked how the public would access, and LaRochelle said the code would be available at the community center. The video will also be played on the ice runway website and on YouTube.

LaRochelle said he knows of a helicopter pilot who is “very technical with cameras,” and looking into the “best bang for the buck” when it comes to both the camera and weather station.

“I’ll get the details, but it’s going to be less than $1,000,” LaRochelle said. “And again, this is going to be no cost to the town.”

LaRochelle told the board he would recuse himself from the decision.

At the Sept. 22 meeting, LaRochelle recused himself, and handed chair duties over to Drew Carter. LaRochelle then made a presentation on behalf of the committee, where he reiterated information from the previous meeting.

The camera will be mounted on the east side of the trim, and the weather station will be mounted on the bandstand roof or the windsock itself. He called them “low profile,” and said they are only inches in size. The committee discussed locating the camera and weather station in other spots, like the community center, but thought the bandstand was a perfect location.

The only cost deferred to the town would be electricity and internet, and Carter noted electrical usage is “next to nothing” for these cameras.

Carter said, at a previous meeting, someone said there could be a way to make money from YouTube views, but LaRochelle said this wasn’t explored, as there was no interest.

“It was the mere fact of having just for the pleasure of the people to look out,” LaRochelle said. “It’s not something to take into consideration of actual liability for what the weather temperature is.”

Carter asked if legal counsel has been consulted. Town Administrator Ryan Heath said there wasn’t anything alarming or concerning. LaRochelle said this is informational only, and the video will only be live, and not recorded. Heath concurred, and said no video or audio are being recorded. He also said if there was an attempt to generate revenue, and people were paying for some kind of subscription, it could open it up for liability.

Carter questioned the location of the camera, including its view of the town docks. LaRochelle said if this all works well, he suggested coming back to propose another camera for the opposite side to show more of the town docks.

“As of now, it’s a 180 camera that will shoot down the bay, heading towards Sandy Point, and down to the south end heading to the bridge,” he said. “You’ll be able to see both sides, and be able to scan that. So, you’ll be able to see the water and anything coming in, anything exiting.”

Shea said he sees no downside, and other board members agreed.

“I think this is a great community service,” Carter said.

The board approved the installation of the camera and weather station at the bandstand with a 3-0 vote.