Council asked for body camera upgrades

The Thermopolis Town Council held a brief meeting on August 16 at the Town Hall.  

Town attorney Mike Messenger presented the cable TV franchise ordinance for its third and final reading. Its first paragraph states, “An ordinance granting a nonexclusive franchise to Spectrum Pacific West, LLS for installation and operation of a cable service for distribution and sale to customers within the Town of Thermopolis; ratifying and approving the nonexclusive franchise agreement with Spectrum Pacific West.” The council voted and passed the approval of the ordinance in the third reading. The ordinance will go into effect on November 1.

Thermopolis Police Department Sergeant Mike Mascorro presented a request for additional funding for new body cameras. Currently, the department uses four cameras, but they have to be docked and the video downloaded to a computer. Then that data is burned to a CD for use in court. The new cameras requested would be cloud-based and the videos would be streamed using a link in court. The council currently has budgeted $23,820. The new cameras would be a 5-year contract for $58,800. Therefore, the requested amount is $34,980.

Assistant to Mayor Fred Crosby explained that the cameras help both the officer and the citizen have accurate recordings of events, protecting both subjects and providing transparency of the events. The council voted and passed the approval for the requested amount.

The council also voted and passed the approval of the WYDOT agreement with the Town of Thermopolis regarding the upgrade of the Broadway Bridge. The contract is standard and the work will be done around 2024. There will be an investigation into whether the bridge only needs a surface replacement or a completely new structural replacement.