Midland council approves $412,956 contract for mobile surveillance trailers and pole cameras

The Midland City Council voted unanimously to award a $412,956 contract to GoView LLC for four mobile surveillance trailers and 22 pole‑mounted cameras, a measure the council framed as a public‑safety investment.

Chief Information Officer George Siskander said the contract includes four towable trailers that can be moved to events and hot spots and 22 pole cameras, 12 of which will be permanently installed at Reyes Park with the remainder placed downtown and at other high‑traffic locations. "Those [trailers] are mobile. They can go anywhere," Siskander said, adding that the police department can tow and activate them as needed.

Siskander described a pilot AI monitoring product that will analyze video and only send alerts to dispatch for defined events — "fight, weapons, things like that" — so staff are alerted without continuous manual monitoring. He said all feeds can be recorded and reviewed after incidents.

Councilman John Burkholder, who pulled the item for discussion, said the cameras demonstrate the council’s focus on safety in parks and public spaces. Christie Weekland, the city’s chief financial officer, said some of the purchase will come from TIRS project funds and some from general fund project budgets; she told council staff would provide projections from MCAD to clarify the budget split before final allocations.

Council members asked about permanence in parks and operations. Siskander said pole‑mounted cameras will be permanent and that future plans include additional cameras at Beal Park. The council discussed whether downtown TIRS funds should participate in paying for cameras located in that district; staff said the item will return for follow‑up details on fund splits and any necessary TIRS board approvals.

The resolution passed with a unanimous vote.