Council reviews capital asks: body cameras, police cars, a fire boat and park dollars included in draft budget

City staff presented a capital summary during the FY2026 budget workshop that included a request for Axon body-worn cameras and cloud evidence storage, replacement police vehicles, a proposed fire department boat and carry-forward funds for park work.

Finance Director Adam Thompson said the Axon package would be about $100,000 for devices and the cloud service and noted the cloud component covers long-term storage and periodic replacement cycles. The police chief described operational benefits: automatic cloud upload of vehicle and body-camera video, faster evidence processing and the ability for command staff to view live camera feeds in major incidents. The chief said the change would reduce downloading time per incident and improve oversight and transparency.

Police vehicle replacement is budgeted for three cars in the coming year, and staff discussed the possibility of adding up to six more vehicles depending on council direction. Thompson said retired police vehicles are stripped of specialized equipment and typically sold at auction; proceeds are modest because of vehicle wear. A $100,000 line item is in the capital plan for a fire‑department boat; staff said there may be a leasing/buyout option and that they had contacted the leasing company to confirm whether an upfront purchase could avoid finance costs.

Staff also noted about $300,000 has been carried forward for improvements at Nick’s Park. Thompson said some capital items were deferred in the draft to prioritize essentials such as safety equipment and vehicles.

Ending: Staff will provide department-level capital business cases at the next budget meeting so the council can weigh project merits and financing choices before final capital authorizations.