Calimesa approves $86,515 contract for Summerwind Park cameras; council asks for camera‑use policy

The Calimesa City Council voted to award a contract to WCC Technologies Group for the design and installation of a five‑camera video surveillance system at Summerwind Park at a negotiated cost of $86,515.34, funded from the park’s Community Facilities District account.

City staff said the recommended system includes a pan‑tilt‑zoom camera, cloud storage, secure remote access and cellular redundancy. Staff and the fire/sheriff services ad‑hoc committee emphasized the system is intended for deterrence and documentation to assist investigations and to reduce vandalism costs; they also stressed that installation would not proceed until the city adopts a surveillance camera use policy addressing privacy, oversight and appropriate access.

Ad‑hoc members described testing and vendor demos, integration with the Sheriff’s Department for on‑demand live access and investigative use, and the system’s potential to scale to other parks and integrate with future smart‑city features such as automatic gate control. The council authorized the city manager to execute the professional services agreement and any nonsubstantive amendments and adopted a budget amendment to appropriate funds for the project.

Council members asked staff to return with a policy framework before activation and to explain ongoing licensing or subscription costs; staff said the procurement includes a five‑year agreement with renewal options and that equipment life expectancy and ongoing costs had been considered in the CFD funding plan.