Cities add security cameras

The Williamsburg City Council approved the purchase of new cameras for city hall this month, and Marengo continues to add cameras at entrances to the town and in public areas.

In July the Williamsburg City Council approved a contract for cameras at the Williamsburg Community Recreation Center but tabled a decision on new cameras for city hall until the Aug. 11 meeting. The new cameras for the city hall will replace current cameras, six interior and three exterior, said City Manager Aaron Sandersfeld in July.

The city will probably use money from the hotel/motel tax to pay for the cameras, Sandersfeld said.

Custom Connections of North Liberty quoted a price of $7,810 for equipment and installation of nine cameras at Williamsburg city hall. The price includes $1,650 for a 20TB hard drive, $1,260 for three color eight-megapixel turret cameras for the exterior and $1,920 for six five-megapixal 2.8 mm cameras for the interior.

The city decided to add another camera, which Custom Connections will supply for an additional $600, making the total bill $8,410.

Marengo

In Marengo, new cameras were placed at Gateway Park and Lion’s Park, and the Marengo City Council agreed to purchase cameras for the southeast, northwest and southwest entries into town.

The Marengo City Council had approved the placement of a camera at the BP on the corner of Highway 6 and Eastern Avenue after BP agreed to let the city use a pole and electricity on the site, said Marengo Police Chief Ben Gray during Wednesday’s city council meeting.

But BP backed out of the deal the day before the installation due to corporate issues and because some patrons were unhappy that the business was partnering with the government, Gray said.

Gray had the camera installed at Lion’s Park instead, he said. Almost all of the park is now covered by surveillance cameras.

Iowa County agreed to let the City of Marengo put a camera at Gateway Park, which is located in Marengo but is owned by the county. The American Legion on North Court Avenue agreed to let the city use its internet for the cameras, Gray said.

The City Council approved the purchase of three more cameras from Astra Security in Ankeny for intersections leading into Marengo. Iowa County agreed to let Marengo put a camera at its county roads shop at 489 E. Miller St. to cover the at the southeast entry and on its shed at 785 Cherry Ave. to cover the entrance into the city from Highway 212, said Gray.

At the southwest entrance, Gray plans to place a camera on a streetlight pole near the Casey’s convenience store. “We actually own a pole with some power on it,” said Gray.

Alliant Energy won’t let the city place cameras on its poles, Gray said.

The cost for the three new cameras and installation will be about $13,000, said Gray.

All the cameras to date have come out of the capital expenditures budget, said Marengo City Administrator Karla Marck, and that fund will cover purchase of the new cameras as well, she said.

Gray would still like to get a camera at the intersection of Iowa Highway 6 and Eastern Avenue and has talked to the bowling alley about placing one there, he said. Gray also wants to place a camera at the north entrance to town, but the city doesn’t have electricity out there, he said.

Cameras at Lion’s Park will pick up cars entering town from that direction, said Marengo Mayor Adam Rabe. “You can see them once they get to Lion’s Park.“

Marengo City Councilman John Hinshaw asked if the city is finished installing cameras now.

Gray said he isn’t planning to install more cameras after every city entrance is covered, but if police see a problem area, he might ask for more.