Council requests vendor presentation, continues vote on citywide security system
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Summary
Staff described a proposed integrated camera and software system (Verkada) to unify multiple existing, standalone systems. Council asked for further vendor detail on warranties, upgrade provisions and cost alternatives and voted to continue the item to a future meeting and request a vendor demonstration.
City staff proposed an integrated security platform to unify existing independent camera and alarm systems across city facilities, but council voted on Nov. 6 to continue the item and request a vendor presentation before approving expenditure.
Staff said current systems are fragmented and sometimes require multiple logins and different computers; the proposed web-based system would provide centralized access, mobile access by officers, and potential integration with existing body-camera systems. The staff estimate included significant upfront hardware costs and a 10-year software contract, though staff and council debated the trade-offs between long-term software support and potential rapid hardware obsolescence.
Chief and staff argued the platform would improve operational monitoring, investigative access and interoperability with existing systems. Council members requested a vendor demonstration to answer specific questions about warranty terms on hardware, upgrade paths if technology changes, whether multi-year contract terms can be shortened to five years, and whether Santa Clara or nearby agencies could offer reference visits.
A motion to continue the item passed; staff said they would schedule a future presentation with the vendor to address the council's questions and provide a detailed proposal comparing 5-year vs. 10-year options and expected lifecycle costs.