Chico council clears way for red light cameras; Verra Mobility selected

The Chico City Council voted unanimously to proceed with a red light camera program after staff and police presented the results of a request-for-proposals and recommended a single vendor.

Chief of Police Michael Aldridge told council the city received two proposals and that engineering staff graded the submissions. “Verra Mobility came out quite a bit ahead of Genoptic,” Aldridge said, reporting an overall score of 93 for Verra Mobility versus 78 for Genoptic. The chief described the vendor selection as the result of a combined police and public-works evaluation.

What the contract would do - If council directs staff to move forward, the city would issue an award letter, negotiate a contract with Verra Mobility, then finalize an implementation schedule that includes a business-rules phase (what constitutes a violation, exemptions for emergency vehicles, allowable grace periods), insurance and construction planning, and a public outreach campaign. - Aldridge and staff described several operational points: the vendor funds installation and maintenance; the vendor guarantees a share of revenue (the proposal model holds the vendor financially responsible if revenue falls short relative to contractual guarantees); the recommended contract term is five years; and the city would program an initial warning period (Aldridge said the first 30 days would be warnings).

Enforcement and staffing - The police presentation proposed adding community service officers (CSOs) to the traffic unit to process citations and manage administrative review. Staff said three CSOs were budgeted in initial cost estimates (chief framed this as an option to grow traffic safety capacity); later council discussion noted one dedicated CSO might be sufficient for reviewing camera citations but the department proposed three to also support other low-level traffic tasks.

Public safety and fiscal points discussed - Aldridge and staff emphasized the primary goal is safety — reducing red-light running and collisions — not revenue generation. They showed how vendors identify intersections using crash and volume data and how camera placement is justified by analytical criteria. - Council asked how the vendor handles right-of-way easements, damaged cameras, and revenue shortfalls. Staff said Verra Mobility would pay installation and replacement costs and would absorb revenue shortfalls on guaranteed months; any excess revenue above contractual costs would return to the city’s general fund under the terms staff proposed to negotiate.

Council decision - After questions about contract length, exit fees and enforcement staffing, Councilmember Van Overbeck moved and the council approved sending the city’s award letter and moving into contract negotiations with Verra Mobility. The motion passed 7-0.

Next steps: Staff will return with a draft contract, recommended business rules and a public outreach plan before final contract execution.