The Overlook HOA Board, in collaboration with Association legal counsel, has adopted an official Community Surveillance System Policy governing the use of surveillance cameras within the community. This policy outlines the purpose of the camera system, camera locations, data storage practices, access to recorded footage, monitoring procedures, and resident requests for footage review.
The policy will be added to both the FAQ section of this website and the Documents section of the Braesael Management website for future reference.
You may review the full policy below:
Overlook Owners Association
Community Surveillance System Policy
Overlook Community Surveillance System Policy
Summary of Key Provisions
- Surveillance cameras are installed in designated common areas, including community amenities, entrances, exits, parks, sports courts, boat storage areas, and waterfront access points.
- Cameras operate continuously, 24 hours per day, 7 days per week.
- The system is not actively monitored in real time and serves primarily as an investigative tool.
- Recorded footage is retained for up to thirty (30) days.
- Access to footage is restricted to the Board of Directors, Braesael Management, and law enforcement as permitted by law.
- Residents may submit written requests to review footage related to a specific incident involving their person or property.
- The Association is not obligated to release footage and may limit, redact, or deny access as necessary to protect privacy and comply with applicable laws.
- Tampering with or damaging surveillance equipment is strictly prohibited and may result in enforcement action.
Adopted May 23, 2026
By the Board of Directors of the Overlook Owners Association
Overlook Surveillance System Policy 6.23.26
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Dear Members of the Board,
I want to start by acknowledging the work you put in on behalf of the community, and to be clear that this note is offered constructively. I’m writing about the new Community Surveillance System Policy, and about a broader concern that I, and I believe others, share.
On the cameras themselves, I want to be fair: I understand the reasons for limiting who can view recorded footage. Allowing open access to areas like the playground, pool, and waterfront would raise real privacy and liability concerns, and I’m not asking for residents to be able to view the feeds. I recognize that restricting viewing to a designated custodian reflects standard practice for good reasons.
My concern is different, and I believe it’s a reasonable one. The community paid for this system, yet the policy places sole custodial control with the management company and the Board, with no visibility into how that control is exercised. There is no log of when footage is reviewed or why, no member representation in the process, and the policy expressly allows footage to be used to enforce the governing documents against residents. The issue isn’t who gets to watch — it’s that the people who funded the system have no way to know it is being used appropriately and fairly. A few measures would go a long way toward that assurance:
– An access log recording each time footage is reviewed, by whom, and for what purpose
– A single named custodian rather than open access for the full Board and management
– A clear written statement of the circumstances in which footage may and may not be used in matters involving residents
– A periodic summary to the community so owners have confidence the system serves everyone
More broadly, the surveillance policy is one example of a pattern that concerns me and, I believe, others: significant decisions being made and implemented without advance notice to the homeowners who ultimately pay for them. I am not asking the Board to relinquish its authority to manage the community. I am asking for greater transparency around the decisions it makes — advance notice of major expenditures and policies, an opportunity for member input before they are finalized, and openness about the basis for those decisions. When the Association enters into a contract or obtains a legal review on a matter of community importance, sharing that information with the membership would go a long way toward building trust. Fairness, openness, and honesty are well served when the people footing the bill can see how and why decisions are reached.