Merriam City Council approves police mobile computers, accepts county cost-share for street drainage and clears option to bond utility undergrounding

MERRIAM CITY — The Merriam City Council on Tuesday unanimously approved three separate measures that the city said will support public safety, street repairs and future financing options for undergrounding utilities.

The council voted 8-0 to approve the purchase of 12 mobile data terminals for patrol vehicles, accepted a Johnson County agreement to reimburse up to half of construction costs for a 2025 street and storm drainage project, and adopted a resolution of intent that preserves the city's option to reimburse utility undergrounding costs through future debt issuance.

The purchase of mobile data terminals (MDTs) covers 11 semi-rugged laptop-style units and one fully ruggedized tablet configured differently for training and ride-along use. The police chief told council the total package is $1,500 over the 2025 budget because the tablet must be fully ruggedized; the department said funds are available in the budget to cover that overage.

"We replace them around every five to eight years depending on how much technology has advanced," the police chief said, explaining the difference in the twelfth unit's configuration. Councilmember Silvers moved approval;…