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Council approves consent agenda; staff explains $12,000 event-data software purchase and emergency recloser procurement
Summary
Morgan City approved its consent agenda, including warrants from Aug. 11 to Sept. 5 and meeting minutes. Councilors asked about several line items: a $12,000 annual contract for event-attendance tracking software, purchases tied to a recalled electrical recloser and typical law-enforcement/fire/animal-control payments.
The Morgan City Council unanimously approved the consent agenda at its Sept. 9 meeting, including minutes from Aug. 12 and warrants covering Aug. 11 through Sept. 5, council members said.
Councilors raised questions about several warrant entries. A staff member described a $12,000 annual contract for a software service that analyzes aggregated cell-phone location data to estimate attendance at public events and usage of parks and trails. "It's a software program that tracks cell phone data ... we had 2,002 people on the street," the staff member said, describing a preliminary test run the city used for a holiday event and for a Front Street Festival comparison.
Another line item discussed involved the electric utility's procurement of a used recloser after new equipment was recalled. Staff explained the city had ordered replacement reclosers but received one that was then recalled; the city purchased a used unit to restore service at a substation while new equipment remained on order.
Councilors also asked about recurring monthly and annual payments listed in the warrants, including law-enforcement, fire and animal-control charges. Staff clarified that some items were monthly recurring amounts while others, such as the fire expense, were annual charges recorded in the warrants.
After questions were answered, Council member Dave Alexander moved to approve the consent agenda; the motion was seconded and approved by unanimous voice vote, the mayor pro tem said.
