DeSoto council approves budget amendments including police license‑plate cameras, AI tools and a utility truck

The DeSoto City Council on April 1 approved a package of budget amendments that add equipment and service spending across several city funds, including three Flock license‑plate cameras and a portable radio for the police department, a two‑year contract for Placer.ai analytics in parks and recreation, and a fleet truck for the public utilities division.

The items were presented on the consent agenda as amendments to the fiscal year 2024–25 budget. After council members pulled three consent items for separate consideration, the council approved the remaining consent items by voice vote and then voted individually on the pulled items. The motion to purchase the new fleet truck (consent item F‑1) passed 6–1; other pulled items passed unanimously.

Why it matters: The amendments direct one‑time and grant funds toward public‑safety technology, recreation analytics and vehicle fleet needs. The council vote formalizes purchases and allows staff to proceed with procurement and deployment.

The council packet listed specific adjustments. Among them: - Public Utilities Fund (05/2002): $50,000 to purchase a truck for a newly created assistant manager of utility services position. - General Fund (010/2001): $29,519 for increased costs tied to the NeoGov human‑resources software platform. - General Fund (101): $30,000 to cover a $10,000 contribution each from Lancaster, Cedar Hill and Duncanville toward DeSoto’s 2025 Juneteenth Festival. - Recreation Revolving Fund (227): $360,000 for Placer.ai software, consultant fees, equipment and repair/maintenance costs for a two‑year period; the parks director said the fund is an enterprise account generated by program revenue. - Police Grant Fund (229): $12,067 referenced for equipment purchases using previously received grants; the police chief said separately that funds from FY22–23 produced $19,179.76 that will buy three Flock cameras and one portable radio. - Southwest Regional Communication Center Equipment Fund (413): $107,978 for continued maintenance support of the existing CentralSquare computer‑aided dispatch/records management system. - Fire Equipment Replacement Fund (040/2002): $35,000 to outfit two new fire brush trucks.

On the Flock cameras and radios, Police Chief Costa said the city recently received previously awarded JAG grant funds for FY2022 and FY2023, totaling $19,179.76, and will use that money to acquire three license‑plate readers and one radio. "We had 1 this year ... it came out to a total of $19,179.76," Chief Costa said. He told council the department will place new cameras strategically in District 2, where hotels, restaurants and retail properties see high vehicle volume.

Parks and recreation director Chris Glover described the recreation fund that will cover the Placer.ai purchase as self‑supporting. "It's an enterprise fund that rolls over from year to year. We have a fund balance in that particular account for about $700,000," Glover said. He said the Placer.ai contract is for two years and that staff will evaluate whether it meets department needs before committing further.

On the fleet truck, staff said the vehicle will be a city fleet asset assigned to the utilities position and available for other public utilities workers as needed. "It's actually a fleet vehicle ... It will not be a take‑home vehicle," a city staff member identified in the meeting as Mr. Lacey said.

Public comment on the consent items included remarks read into the record by the city secretary from resident Felicia K. Stanley asking the city to reuse an existing vehicle rather than buy a new truck and opposing the purchase (comments were accepted but the speaker did not address council in person because the card arrived after the item was called).

Votes and motions - Motion to approve consent items F‑2, F‑3, F‑6 and F‑7 (omnibus): moved by Council Member Diana Marks, seconded by Council Member Crystal Chisholm; passed by voice vote. - Motion to approve F‑1 (truck purchase): moved by Council Member Andre Byrd, seconded by Mayor Pro Tem Leticia Hughes; motion outcome recorded as approved with a 6–1 tally. - Motion to approve F‑4 (recreation fund/Placer.ai items): moved by Mayor Pro Tem Leticia Hughes, seconded by Council Member Crystal Chisholm; passed unanimously.

Funding clarifications and next steps - Parks staff said the $360,000 in fund 227 is program revenue and not general‑fund money. - Police staff said the JAG grant funds that became available this fiscal year will be appropriated to the purchases listed; the department also said ordinary maintenance and storage costs for the Flock system are covered through recurring maintenance lines and will not be charged to the general fund unless grant funding is not available. - Staff said purchases and contracts will proceed under normal procurement rules and will be reflected in budget amendments and subsequent purchase orders.

No additional fiscal details (vendor names, exact per‑camera price beyond the radio estimate) were provided in the public discussion.