Sweetwater approves $69,000 Motorola video‑management server to record live traffic cameras; staff to seek grants

The City Commission on June 1 authorized the purchase of a Motorola Alta video-management server and related licenses to allow the police department to record and archive live camera feeds from state and county traffic cameras and participating private cameras.

Deputy Chief Gill told commissioners the on‑premises server (quoted price discussed at about $69,000) and a five‑year license would allow Sweetwater to capture streams from FDOT and Miami‑Dade traffic‑maintenance cameras that are currently live-only. He said recording the streams would help investigators review footage and support criminal investigations.

Funding and procurement: staff said they have applied for federal grants to pay for the system; if grant funding is not available in time the city would use forfeiture funds to secure the current price and avoid expected hardware/price increases. The purchase will be a five‑year contract paid up front as part of the negotiated deal.

Operations and privacy: commissioners asked whether the city would monitor live feeds or assign staff to view cameras 24/7. Deputy Chief Gill and the mayor said the planned use is to record external feeds for investigative purposes rather than continuous live monitoring; the city also plans memorandums of understanding with local businesses to access private cameras when needed.

Licensing and scale: staff said the package quoted includes licensing for roughly 50 cameras and an annual maintenance cost; the commission discussions covered the additional option of providing appliances to small businesses to enable integration with the system.

Outcome: the commission approved the purchase unanimously and staff will proceed to finalize the contract and continue seeking grant funding to reimburse or offset the up‑front expenditure.