Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Public Safety Cameras topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
White Lakes council approves financing for AI-enabled camera network and public safety building access upgrade
Summary
The council voted unanimously Jan. 27 to finance AI-enabled cameras across the city and upgrade cameras and door-access at the public safety building to meet BCA requirements; the package is a five-year finance with a 10-year warranty and ongoing service, with costs split between city and public-safety budgets.
The White Lakes City Council voted Jan. 27 to move forward with a citywide, AI-enabled camera system and an upgraded camera and door-access system for the public safety building, citing equipment failures and a need to regain compliance with Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA) technical requirements.
Chief Clothestead told the council the current cameras and the public safety building’s door-access controller are past their useful life and that the town is “not BCA compliant,” which limits the department’s ability to run criminal-background checks and could jeopardize evidence and prosecutions. He recommended adopting the same vendor used by nearby agencies and the local school district so agencies can share a single login and track vehicles across jurisdictions.
The city’s portion of the outdoor camera proposal (agenda item 11.2) was described in the packet as a one-time equipment and installation total of about $41,687, financed over five years at an estimated roughly $10,000 per year; the system includes a 10-year warranty and software updates. The chief said the public-safety building and door-access proposal (11.3) would be financed separately under a five-year schedule and that the department budgeted a $17,000 lease payment for this year toward that upgrade. He said the door-access and building cameras are required to meet BCA storage and security standards and that some cameras in the building are currently nonfunctional.
Councilors discussed who would pay which shares. The chief described the public-safety building as a jointly funded facility and said the city would finance the system while partner agencies (police, fire, ambulance) would reimburse portions of the recurring costs and the cellular service for mobile cameras. For the building access, the chief said the fire and ambulance portions would be about $2,000 annually each under the financing plan.
Several council members asked whether cheaper or alternative solutions had been sought; the chief said the recommended vendor was already in use by neighboring agencies, which simplifies cross-jurisdictional searches and vehicle tracking. Councilors also discussed privacy, audio capture and camera placement; the chief said exterior cameras would not capture audio, interior audio would be limited to certain rooms (for example, interview and breathalyzer rooms), and camera views would not be continuously monitored except to review incidents.
Councilor Grahams moved to approve the city camera proposal (11.2); Councilor Ecman seconded. The motion carried on a voice vote with no recorded opposition. Councilor Ecman moved to approve the public-safety building camera and door-access upgrade (11.3); Councilor Grahams seconded and the motion similarly passed.
What happens next: staff will complete financing paperwork and the city will proceed with the five-year lease-to-own schedule; councilors said they want copies of the budget spreadsheet at the next East Range PD meeting. The chief said the upgrades will restore BCA compliance and expand the department’s investigative tools.
