Committee trades phased ballistic-shield purchase and IT items to prioritize oblique aerial imagery in 2026

The committee agreed to move an oblique aerial imagery purchase ($60,000) above the funding line for 2026 by phasing the planned purchase of public-safety ballistic shields and deferring certain IT projects. Committee members agreed to cut the ballistic-shield request in half to $30,000 and phase the remainder into a future year, and to move data-tagging and data-loss-prevention items below the funding line because IT had ranked them lower.

Why it matters: The oblique imagery is used citywide for mapping and planning; committee members said imagery is cyclical and delaying it would push the city’s mapping schedule back a year, while public-safety gear and IT resilience provide operational support. The committee weighed urgency against available levy funding and grant prospects.

The original ballistic-shield request was about $60,000 for 10 shields; committee discussion noted a $10,000 contingency in the request and that replacement needs are phased (five shields would replace end‑of‑life units in the first year). The committee discussed purchasing half now and half next year, noting prior phased purchases for radios and body cameras. Jerry (IT staff) confirmed IT data-tagging could be deferred. Staff indicated if the ballistic-shield vendor’s price comes in lower or contingency is unused, the city might acquire more shields in 2026. The committee asked staff to phase the shield purchase and to track imagery timing so that pushing imagery to 2027 would be explicit if deferred.

The committee did not take a separate roll-call vote on this set of tradeoffs; the adjustments were recorded in the committee’s recommended list forwarded to finance.