"The Chesterburgh Parks Department entered into a contract on March 2, 2024, with GreenTech Solutions LLC for the installation and maintenance of smart irrigation systems at a cost not to exceed $48,000 annually." This line, lifted directly from a town purchase order, might not seem like much, but it opens the door on a new chapter for our town’s green spaces—and a few eyebrow-raising details.

Back in early March, I stumbled on this contract during my routine scan of the town’s procurement records. The Parks Department has decided to upgrade its aging irrigation systems with what they call "smart technology"—sensors and automated controls aimed at conserving water and lowering costs. If it sounds like just another eco-conscious initiative, don't be fooled; the contract reveals nuances worth parsing.

The company behind the tech, GreenTech Solutions LLC, is a small outfit incorporated just under two years ago, registered out of a PO box in Chesterburgh’s industrial district. The contract, under Municipal Contract #1524-23, outlines annual payments almost hitting $50,000 over five years, with unspecified additional fees if maintenance requirements exceed normal wear and tear. What caught my eye was a clause buried in Section 4.3: "All collected data shall remain the property of GreenTech Solutions LLC and may be used for analytics and marketing purposes.”

Why would irrigation sensors in a public park collect data for marketing? That question pushed me to dig deeper—not through hearsay but through documents and FOIA requests. I pulled sensor specs from GreenTech's product datasheet, which the company uploaded to its website last fall. These sensors measure soil moisture, temperature, and sunlight—but they also track device locations and network connectivity metrics. The latter raised flags about potential data sharing beyond what the town would typically expect.

Next, I requested a copy of the public input sessions referenced in the Parks Department’s meeting minutes from January 2024. These sessions mentioned water conservation benefits but omitted discussion about data privacy or third-party access. No local advisory committee was convened regarding surveillance or data collection on public property. Residents were not informed that their presence or usage patterns could be indirectly tracked via network data from these devices.

Then came the most revealing document: an email exchange obtained through FOIA between the Parks Director, Mr. Alan Jenkins, and a GreenTech account manager. Dated February 10, 2024, the emails confirm that GreenTech planned to use anonymized data for “behavioral marketing insights” and possibly to sell aggregate trends to landscaping firms or local businesses. The email stated, “All personal information is scrubbed, but the location data tied to device clusters offers valuable insights.”

So, what does this mean for Chesterburgh residents? Put simply, while your footsteps in Lion’s Den Park might not be tracked individually, the presence and activity patterns on park trails could be used to create profiles about when and how people use these public spaces. That information, sold or shared, could influence marketing strategies targeting our community without us ever knowing.

On a purely fiscal note, the contract obligates the town to pay nearly $240,000 over five years, with options for renewal stretching payments potentially much longer. However, detailed cost-benefit analyses or independent water savings assessments don’t appear anywhere in public records. Minutes from budget meetings don’t show any discussion of alternative irrigation vendors or cost comparisons either. It’s a classic "take it or leave it" deal—with little transparency.

In response to my inquiries, Parks Director Jenkins replied via email: “The smart irrigation system is a step forward in environmental stewardship for Chesterburgh. Data collected helps optimize wat