By By JOHN EBY / Dowagiac Daily News
Dowagiac City Council Monday night authorized the $28,898 purchase of five digital in-car camera/recorders, three rear console cameras and five hard drive upgrades for installation in police vehicles, along with associated training, from Kustom Signals of Lenexa, Kan.
The actual net cost to the city will be $20,398, thanks to an $8,500 grant from the Michigan Municipal Risk Management Association.
Mayor Don Lyons estimated Dowagiac got nine years use out of the VHS tape system because it was installed about the time he took office.
Data will be stored on compact discs (CDs).
In another police issue, the council approved the purchase of two new marked patrol vehicles recommended by Chief Tom Atkinson.
The two new 2007 Chevrolet Impalas will replace two current 2000 Chevrolet Impalas used by patrol sergeants.
The purchase will be under the statewide bid for police vehicles from Berger Chevrolet in Grand Rapids for a price of $18,979 per vehicle – $37,958 total.
The administration budgeted $38,624 in the Motor Pool Equipment Replacement Fund for this acquisition.
The council designated the 2000 Impalas as surplus property so that they can be sold.
Appointments
The council affirmed three appointments recommended by Mayor Don Lyons and offered by Mayor Pro Tem Wayne Comstock.
Dale Pallas will serve a term on the Dowagiac Housing Commission expiring in August 2011.
John Holloway and Tracy Hatcher were named to the Police Athletic League (PAL) board for terms ending July 2008.
Citizen offers
transit information
In the only citizen comment, Judy Clarke Corak thanked the council for studying Dowagiac's public transportation needs.
Drawing on public transportation research done for Judy Truesdell's campaign for state House, Corak offered the council some information about the Niles Dial-a-Ride system funded through city, state and federal grants: $110,000 from taxes, $120,000 from fares and the rest of the $650,000, $420,000, from state and federal grants.
A city can apply for grants from state and federal funds, but must administer them, so the city would ask reimbursement from those funds to pay city employees for their time.
In Niles, it takes a city employee eight to 10 hour per week on this project, according to Corak.
According to people who work with the system in Niles, a suggestion for communities such as Dowagiac trying to expand or modify their transportation systems would be to have a study conducted.
Corak suggested McDonald's Transit in Texas. Its Bob Babbitt said some studies begin around $5,000, but he does some free work for smaller communities and would agree to donate 25 to 30 hours on a needs study.
"Of course, there are other companies that offer similar assistance," she said.
"Sometimes for smaller communities which struggle with providing transportation on the weekend, a system of set routes may work," Corak said. "A bus schedule would be publicized in the community. For instance, the bus could be at Chestnut Towers at a certain time every Saturday, then at another apartment complex at another time, at the library another time, at this store and that at set times, at certain restaurants at other times. So, one bus could do a whole route efficiently and at less cost. Niles has the trolley system that does that, in addition to its Dial-a-Ride door-to-door service."