Committee told business security camera incentive nearly exhausted; staff asks for budget refill

Community development staff told the committee on Oct. 6 that the business security camera incentive — the program that reimburses businesses for camera and lighting improvements — has a remaining fund balance of $2,138.38 and that the comptroller's office is reconciling accounts before processing applications.

"The comptroller's office has, this down to, like, almost 0. So we are going through with them to balance out this account," Barbara Brewer Watson said. She told the committee the department has held back processing new applications while the accounting discrepancy is resolved.

Watson said the program has strong business interest and that downtown merchants and other commercial-property owners have only recently learned they could receive partial reimbursement for cameras and lighting. She told the committee the city has received positive feedback from state public-safety circles and that incorporating lighting into the program has been well received.

Why it matters: businesses use these incentives to upgrade security equipment; limited funds and account reconciliation delay reimbursements and could slow new business participation.

Committee members discussed whether special service areas (SSAs) might contribute to a refreshed fund and whether the reimbursement amount per system should remain at $100 for the near term; Watson recommended the program be reviewed during the 2026 budgeting cycle and suggested staff prepare an end-of-year program review with statistics to present to potential funding partners.

No formal funding motion occurred at the meeting; Watson asked the committee for an early sense of budgeting intent so staff can continue marketing the program at community meetings in November.