Overview
- The council approved the lease after heavy public opposition, with roughly 21 speakers against and three in favor, and San Clemente becomes the first Orange County city to allow federal beach monitoring.
- CBP will install a high-powered camera and sensors on a hilltop near the Avenida Salvador reservoir to track panga boats off the coast, with thermal and long-distance capabilities described by city leaders.
- City staff and local law enforcement will have no access to the system, and while CBP has said it will configure the camera to avoid homes, officials said the agency cannot contractually promise to avoid surveillance inside city limits.
- Installation could begin immediately, with some reports indicating the system may be operational by the end of February.
- CBP will finance, install, and power the equipment under a nominal-fee site lease, though reports differ on the term length between a five-year agreement with renewal options and a lease lasting up to 30 years.