FARMINGTON -- City officials fast tracked a plan to install a security camera system at Creekside Park after it appeared homeless people had used some of the park's new facilities to get out of the cold weather.
Farmington City Council last week approved an ordinance to waive the requirements of competitive bidding to purchase and install security cameras and equipment for $22,985 from Northwest Security Systems of Farmington.
Floyd Shelley, public works manager, said the system has eight cameras and police officers will be able to use an app to view live footage from the cameras. The cameras will reset every 30 days.
Shelley said Northwest Security Systems installed a system for the city's new public works building and he recommended the company.
In an apparent attempt to stay warm, someone started a fire using a blanket and magazines under the pavilion, according to Shelley. In another incident, Shelley said it looked like someone spent the night in one of the bathrooms. City employees found clothes, trash and tobacco in the bathroom.
Mayor Ernie Penn said the pavilion lights already remain on throughout the night for safety and to help prevent vandalism. Hopefully, he said, a security system also will be a deterrent to vandalism in the new part of the park if visitors realize cameras are in place.
Penn said he believes a security system is necessary because a lot of people from other places are using the park.
"We have too big an investment for people to destroy it," Penn said.
In other action, the council approved a per capita jail fee agreement with Washington County to help with jail funding. For 2020, Farmington will pay $2.57 per capita for a population of 7,218 for $18,550.
Penn told council members the city had an option of paying a daily rate per inmate or a per capita fee. The annual fee is "much more reasonable and allows us to budget," Penn said.
He said the city calculated it would have cost $40,000 in 2018 paying a daily fee per inmate.
"Whether we like it or don't like it, it gives us the mechanism to put it in the budget," Penn said in recommending the per capita agreement.
According to the agreement, the per capita fee is calculated using the projected shortfall in the maintenance and operations budget of the county jail for the previous year. The per capita amount will be determined by Sept. 1 each year and then the amount will be due the following February.
In other action, the council:
-- Accepted the 2018 city audit as completed by Legislative Audit. In a letter from Marti Steel, deputy legislative auditor, Steel wrote that "no issues came to our attention that we consider necessary to report to management."
-- Approved a resolution to adopt a Master Transportation Plan.
-- Adopted an ordinance to rezone 12328 W. Highway 62 and 12405 Bethel Blacktop from R-1, residential single family, to C-2, highway commercial, as requested by Frances Hawkins.
-- Adopted an ordinance to rezoned 2846 S. Archie Watkins Road from A-1, agriculture, to R-1, as requested by Randy Osnes with Osnes Properties LLC.
General News on 11/20/2019