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Finance committee recommends approval of police invoices, EOC audiovisual upgrade and replacement cameras
Summary
Somerville finance committee recommended approval of paying $12,430.19 in prior police invoices, accepting a $35,300 UASI subgrant to upgrade the Emergency Operations Center audiovisual system and a $61,301.89 UASI subgrant to replace and relocate surveillance cameras; one camera grant was approved by roll call earlier in the meeting.
The Somerville Finance Committee on May 6 recommended approval of three items affecting the Police Department: payment of prior invoices totaling $12,430.19, acceptance of a $35,300 grant from the Boston Office of Emergency Management for Emergency Operations Center (EOC) audiovisual upgrades, and acceptance of a $61,301.89 UASI subgrant to replace and relocate surveillance cameras.
The $12,430.19 covers two Motorola invoices (repairs and radio accessories), training services billed by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, billing corrections from Cambridge Health Alliance for drug testing and physicals, and a small balance to CareWorks for workers' compensation adjustments, Emily Wisdom, Director of Finance and Administration, said. “It appears as though these invoices did fall through the cracks during employee turnover,” Wisdom told the committee.
On the EOC upgrade, Wisdom said the $35,300 UASI subgrant will replace aging audio-visual equipment with larger monitors and an improved sound system “to enhance situational awareness by providing better communication and coordination among our public safety partners.”
The $61,301.89 UASI award will fund replacement of 11 cameras, relocation of two cameras (one from a decommissioned boathouse asset and one from Somerville Avenue Cemetery) to North Street, and installation of two new cameras to monitor police department detective parking lots. Wisdom said 39 cameras in the UASI system are funded regionally; 10 were replaced last year.
Councilors asked whether cameras that once monitored boats were shared with the fire department and whether moving cameras would require updates to the city—s surveillance impact reporting. Wisdom said she would follow up with the fire department about any shared monitoring and that staff reviewed the surveillance impact report; legislative liaison Yasmin Udassy of IGA said the replacement work did not require an update, and the information remained consistent with the annual report.
A roll call vote on the camera grant (item 25-0683) recorded four votes in favor and one absence; a subsequent combined motion to recommend several items including the invoices and grants was recorded at the end of the meeting with four votes in favor and one absence.
The committee laid the items on the table to recommend approval and the chair noted staff would return with any requested follow-up information.
The matters were advanced for council recommendation; the committee discussion included privacy and interdepartmental coordination questions but no substantive opposition.
