Council discusses police cameras, a plow truck and a trailer; no formal purchases approved

Councilers discussed several equipment items — public-safety cameras, a plow truck and a utility trailer — and asked staff to return with detailed packet materials before formal approval.

A staff member described the proposed camera system as three 360-degree, high-definition units with license-plate-reading capability and said the installed system (router, control server and labor) would cost $13,571. The staff member said recorded footage would be stored in a cloud system and that ongoing storage/maintenance fees would not be due until after the warranty period. One council member asked whether license-plate reading was included; staff replied they believed it was.

Council members said pole locations and legal permissions must be confirmed — in particular, permission from Northwestern for street-mounted installations — and suggested the item be added to the agenda with cost details so it would be charged to the correct equipment budget line. No motion to purchase cameras, the truck or the trailer was recorded in this portion of the meeting.

Separately, staff described a 2004 Freightliner plow truck being offered in Minnesota for $28,000 and outlined its features (blade, wing controls, sander with conveyor). Members agreed to inspect the vehicle and check hours/mileage before bringing a purchase recommendation back to the council.