Norton council adds four safety and equipment ordinances to agenda, including Axon body‑camera agreement

Norton City Council on Monday voted to add four ordinances to the agenda for first reading, covering police fencing, new radios, a 10‑year Axon body‑camera technology agreement, and a trailer‑mounted attenuator for road crews.

Mister Lukens moved to offer ordinance 56‑20‑26 to authorize purchase of fencing supplies for the police department (phase 2) at a cost not to exceed $13,844; the motion was seconded and the clerk called the roll, adding the ordinance to the agenda for first reading.

Mister Adler introduced ordinance 57‑20‑26 to purchase Motorola radios for the police department at a cost not to exceed $200,465.70. Council members said the radios’ price has risen about $50,000 since last year; members noted grant funding lowers the net cost, described a seven‑year financing plan, and discussed the radios’ ability to support encryption (available but potentially costly). Adler moved to add the ordinance to the agenda with intent to waive the third reading; the motion passed on roll call.

Adler also presented ordinance 58‑20‑26, an administrative authorization to enter a 10‑year technology agreement with Axon Enterprise for body‑worn cameras, storage, training and reporting at a cost not to exceed $1,279,900.06. Council members praised Police Chief McShane’s grant‑seeking and discussed data‑retention limits. One council member emphasized that although the contract includes "unlimited data" capacity, retention and access are limited by law and local policy and that officers will review and approve generated reports.

In the service‑department discussion, a council member described a trailer‑mounted attenuator (a protective ‘bumper’ mounted behind a work vehicle) as a critical safety device for crews working on highways. Bain Enterprises submitted the apparent low quote at $30,100; council members asked the administration to provide competing quotes for transparency. The council voted to add ordinance 59‑20‑26 to the agenda for first reading.

Several members thanked Chief McShane for pursuing grants — the meeting record notes prior grant awards for body cameras and radios (the clerk referenced a $60,000 grant toward worn body cameras and an approximately $22,000 award for related equipment). Council members emphasized worker and officer safety as principal benefits of the purchases.

All four proposed ordinances were added to the agenda for first reading; no final approvals or appropriations were adopted at the meeting.