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Port St. Joe commission hears proposal for citywide cloud camera system; cost estimated at $141,000 over five years
Summary
Police and staff presented a proposal to install outdoor cameras across parks, cemeteries and public assets, with a five-year licensing model and equipment ownership; commissioners and residents discussed coverage and public records handling but the transcript does not record a final contract vote.
Port St. Joe's police chief and staff presented a vendor proposal Feb. 4 to install a cloud-hosted camera and software system for public assets across the city, estimating a five-year contract totaling about $141,000 and annual payments near $29,000.
The chief described cameras proposed for parks, cemeteries, the Centennial Building and several downtown locations, and said the equipment would become city property while a software license and cloud storage would be paid over a five-year term. "We got it down to a 5 year deal for a hundred and $41,000 and it brings it to a $29,000 a year payment," the chief said.
Staff said some of the system's costs could be covered by specific revenue sources: boat-ramp fees could fund cameras at waterfront facilities, and other cameras might be paid from parks or general funds. The city already pays annual fees for an unrelated plate-reader vendor and chief said the proposed system would ultimately reduce redundancy by consolidating multiple existing camera systems.
Commissioners and members of the public asked about retention length, public-records access and coverage. The chief said the system retention was 30 days under the proposed plan but he would seek longer retention if feasible. On records access, he said the company would handle public-record requests for stored footage. "If we got a public records request, we would have to send that on to the company," he said.
Residents urged expanded coverage of active recreation sites, notably Nathan Peters Park and the Centennial Building area. "If we're gonna do this, do it," said Charles (last name not specified), who asked for additional cameras to cover gym, museum and outdoor activity areas. Commissioners discussed moving cameras between sites or adding units later as budget allowed.
Staff described warranty and maintenance terms: equipment carries a 10-year warranty, the vendor provides local technicians under warranty/maintenance terms, and certain gateway hardware has a limited service life. Several commissioners and staff said final contract terms, licensing details and public-records handling would be clarified in a written contract. The transcript records a second and a call for a motion to proceed contingent upon contract review, but does not include a final recorded vote approving the contract in the public transcript.
The board did not adopt specific ordinances or budget amendments on Feb. 4; staff said they would return with a formal contract for commission approval.
