Norton City Council approves safety equipment, generator repairs and a 10-year Axon technology agreement

The Norton City Council on June 8 approved a slate of equipment purchases and a long-term technology agreement aimed at bolstering public-safety operations.

Council members approved procurement items that included a trailer-mounted attenuator and an “era board” safety device from Bane Enterprises, generator repairs for the fire department by Buckeye Power Sales, and a multi-year radio contract with Motorola Solutions. The council also approved a 10-year technology agreement with Axon Enterprise that the packet describes as including body-worn cameras, tasers, AI-assisted report writing and transcription tools, and a drone program.

Council member Emily moved to approve the $30,100 purchase of a trailer-mounted attenuator from Bane Enterprises; the motion was seconded and recorded affirmative responses were obtained in roll-call. Members discussed the attenuator as a safety device designed to absorb impacts in rear-of-truck incidents and noted it is typically a single-use device after a crash.

Separately, the council heard that the fire-department generator requires repair because of radiator leaks and failed automatic transfer-switch units; a motion to award service and repairs to Buckeye Power Sales was made, seconded and approved by those responding on the recorded call. Meeting discussion noted that repairs will require killing power to the fire facility for the day and leaving garage doors open during work.

On police equipment, council members reviewed a Motorola Solutions package described in the meeting packet as a seven-year pricing and warranty arrangement totaling $200,465.70; the packet notes an annual average of about $35,366.78 beginning in 2027 and that a fire-marshal grant contributed to the purchase. Members praised Police Chief McShane’s vetting of options and cited officer preference for the selected radios.

The council also moved to request approval for a 10-year technology agreement with Axon Enterprise. That package was presented to include body cameras, tasers, AI-assisted report writing and transcription, and a drone program; council members said the ten-year fixed price locks in costs and could provide modest savings over annual purchases. (Note: two amounts recorded in the transcript for generator repair and the Axon agreement appear formatted with typographical errors in the transcript; those figures are flagged for clarification in official meeting records.)

The council accepted the meeting minutes, then moved to adjourn.

Votes and formal actions: Several of the procurement items were approved either by voice or by roll-call responses recorded in the transcript. Where a recorded roll call appears in the transcript, affirmative responses included the members recorded on the call. The meeting packet and the official minutes should be consulted for full vote tallies and corrected numeric amounts.