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Medina board approves pursuing body‑camera grant and reviews vendor quotes for Axon system
Summary
Chief Navis briefed the board on an updated Axon quote for body cameras and tasers and asked permission to apply for a small/rural body‑camera grant; the board voted to proceed with the grant application due March 12 and asked staff to align budget review with grant timing.
Medina’s police leadership asked the village board to pursue a technology grant to cover the first‑year costs of a new body‑worn camera and taser package and to approve moving forward with vendor procurement if grant funding is available.
Chief Navis reviewed a revised quote for Axon body cameras and tasers and said the project estimate dropped from about $157,000 to roughly $132,000; the chief said the figure could be reduced further by about $9,000 and that the vendor’s evidence‑sharing platform is more directly accessible to the district attorney’s office than the department’s existing Motorola system. Navis noted a one‑time small/rural & tribal body camera grant is available as a one‑to‑one match and that the grant pays up to $2,000 per unit (the department would pursue up to 10 units for a $20,000 grant maximum). Navis said the grant would be applied to the first year’s payment and could reduce initial budget pressure.
Staff explained the ongoing service costs: an estimated first‑year payment of about $13,000 and then approximately $29,000 annually for four subsequent years under the vendor agreement. Board members discussed system features (always‑recording buffer, evidence sharing, angle of recording) and compared Axon and Motorola options; the chief and staff said core capabilities are similar but evidence-sharing and DA access to Axon were practical advantages.
Because the grant filing deadline required action sooner than the next business meeting, the board voted to authorize pursuing the grant application by the March 12 filing date. Approval of procurement and long‑term contract terms will return to the business meeting or a subsequent agenda for final budgetary approval.
