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Lennox council approves multi-year Axon contract to replace Motorola for cameras
Summary
The council approved a five-year Axon contract to replace Motorola for body and in-car cameras, citing device refreshes, cloud storage and vendor support; members asked staff to firm up an implementation timeline to limit overlap costs and ensure officer training.
Lennox city council on Dec. 22 approved a multi-year agreement with Axon to provide body-worn and in-car camera systems, replacing the municipality's existing Motorola equipment. The motion passed after presentation and discussion of cost, training and transition logistics.
City staff presented the contract terms, including a planned equipment refresh about 2 1/2 years into the agreement and a five-year swap-out that would allow Axon to replace fielded devices at the contract's conclusion. The presenter said the city would keep existing Motorola radios and cameras through 2026 while testing Axon's system to limit operational disruption. "They're putting their money where their mouth is," the presenter said of Axon, describing the vendor's refresh and financing offers.
Council members pressed staff on costs, asking how Axon's five-year savings compare to current Motorola pricing and whether the city would pay for overlapping service months. Staff said Axon offered bundled financing and discounts that significantly reduced the initial year's upfront payment; the presentation showed a revised year-one entry cost of $3,089.55 and later recurring-year figures discussed around $24,098.55. Staff also noted Axon's cloud-based storage model would require retrieving historically housed video from Motorola and migrating it in-house.
The council debated launch timing. Some members recommended stretching the start so the city fully uses Motorola service months; others supported an earlier switch to give officers more time to train on Axon features affecting officer safety. Council requested staff return with a firm implementation timeline that balances budget impact and training needs.
A motion to approve the Axon quote and proceed with contract development was moved, seconded and approved by voice vote. Staff said they would return with implementation details and any necessary contract documents for finalization.
