Council approves services agreement with Novoa Global to update traffic-safety cameras and equipment

The council voted unanimously on April 2 to approve a services agreement with Novoa Global, Inc., to update equipment and operations for Bremerton's automated traffic safety program. Contracts Administrator Melinda Munro presented the award; Heidi Traverso of Novoa Global described implementation steps to minimize downtime and the vendor's work to integrate with court and payment systems.

Munro said Bremerton currently operates nine automated enforcement cameras (installed in 2008) and that vendor and legislative changes prompted the procurement. The new agreement would update equipment at existing locations (the system can serve up to 11 sites), perform a location analysis, and maintain current pricing through a cooperative purchasing contract. Traverso described the vendor's transition work, emphasizing that cameras are configured and ready to swap so that paid enforcement would resume quickly after the contract start; she also said the system captures rear-of-vehicle images only, consistent with state law.

Staff noted a recent 2024 change in state law that 1) allows park speed zones in addition to school speed zones and 2) provides an equity allowance for qualifying individuals (a 50% fine reduction for those who later qualify). Munro said the city will evaluate current sites and consider future locations, including the ability to add speed-zone cameras where appropriate. Staff also said one existing location is Warren and 11th, among others, and that updated equipment will provide better analytics (ZIP code analysis) and image quality than the legacy hardware.

Council moved and adopted the services agreement to authorize the mayor to finalize and execute the contract on substantially the same terms. The vote was unanimous.

Votes at a glance: the council approved the Novoa Global services agreement and authorized the mayor to finalize and sign. The roll call vote was unanimous.