Disturbing Incident at Planning and Zoning Meeting: A Community Responds
On April 7, a public hearing conducted by the Planning and Zoning Department (P&Z) for the Hamlet project in Saugatuck was disrupted in a shocking manner. Attendees experienced what has become known as a “zoombombing”—a situation where a video conference is hijacked to broadcast inappropriate and often offensive material. This incident has raised concerns about digital security and community safety in virtual meetings.
Michelle Perillie, the P&Z Director, expressed her dismay following the event. "It’s just very disturbing that people would disrupt the meeting and put effort into causing such a disruption," she remarked. The traumatic nature of the incident left many participants, including Perillie herself, deeply unsettled. "Having it be thrust upon you was very disturbing," she added, highlighting the psychological impact of viewing such disturbing content unsolicited.
At the meeting, which attracted over 100 Westport residents, a significant number had gathered to hear more about the Hamlet project. During a presentation delivered by John Fallon, the attorney representing the Fairfield County Hunt Club, distressing images were suddenly displayed on the screen, including violent sexual content, videos featuring Nazi insignia, and graphic images of beheadings. This chaos erupted at approximately 6:45 p.m., catching the attendees off-guard.
An anonymous attendee described the experience as “awful,” mentioning the P&Z’s efforts to manage the situation were commendable but ultimately ineffective. "The P&Z was scrambling to try to take care of the situation, but I left the meeting because it was overwhelming," he stated in a reflection shared on Dan Woog’s 06880 blog.
As the meeting hosts worked to shut down one offensive video, the cyber intruders managed to immediately re-enter the meeting under different aliases. The lack of a waiting room in the initial setup permitted these hackers to infiltrate the virtual space repeatedly. To regain control, P&Z commissioners swiftly decided to implement a waiting room, allowing only recognized participants into the meeting. Michael Cammeyer, a P&Z Commissioner, even contacted the police, who soon arrived at Town Hall to discuss the incident with IT staff.
Chairman Paul Lebowitz found himself deliberating whether to proceed with the meeting or cancel it entirely. "We’re trying to decide if it’s safe to continue the meeting, or if it needs to be canceled," he stated, reflecting the gravity of the situation as reported by the Westport Journal. There was a prevailing concern that canceling the meeting would prevent residents who planned to offer public comments from doing so. However, following recommendations from Police Chief Foti Koskinas and Town Attorney Ira Bloom, it was decided that the meeting would be rescheduled for a later date. This choice was made in consideration of the emotional state of the attendees after witnessing such offensive material. “People were upset, and they were disturbed about what they saw, so [cancelling the meeting] was probably the best thing,” Perillie noted.
In the wake of the incident, local law enforcement launched an investigation. The police began analyzing the videos to track down the hackers, aware that such incidents frequently lead back to IP addresses linked to a VPN, often located overseas. However, Westport Police Lieutenant Eric Wood remained hopeful, stating, "However, if we get lucky and can identify someone locally, we will work with our prosecutor’s office to discuss the appropriate charges."
Despite the unsettling events during the April 7 meeting, the Hunt Club’s application continued with another online meeting scheduled for April 21, which fortunately proceeded without complications. However, to ensure community safety and foster a more secure environment for future discussions, the public hearing regarding the Hamlet project has been slated to occur in person at Town Hall on April 28. This new arrangement will afford residents the opportunity to share their thoughts and concerns directly.
In the aftermath, P&Z members began to evaluate their digital protocols to thwart future disruptions effectively. Moving forward, they plan to implement a waiting room for all virtual meetings, disabling screen-sharing capabilities for participants and ensuring that microphones and cameras are turned off by default upon entry.
Lebowitz highlighted the severity of the issue, cautioning that "there is someone targeting our town." He expressed the collective sentiment that if such an attack occurred once, it could certainly happen again. This incident serves as a clarion call for municipalities everywhere to bolster their digital security measures and remain vigilant against potential threats to community engagements. The P&Z leadership is committed to fostering an environment conducive to public participation while ensuring that meetings remain safe and respectfully conducted.