By Kellen Olshefski
Correspondent
During a Committee of the Whole meeting last week, City of Elkhorn aldermen voted in favor of replacing the camera processor and cameras for the traffic signals at the intersection of North Wisconsin and West Market streets, which recently began to function improperly.
Public Works Operations Manager Matt Lindstrom said at the Sept. 23 meeting the City learned late the previous week that the processor had begun to malfunction, and at that time, he had TAPCO come out and inspect the system and the company determined the processor needed to be replaced.
According to a memo from Lindstrom to the committee, the processor is no longer functioning based on vehicular demand, switching the lights to green for every movement at the intersection regardless of how many vehicles are stopped and waiting.
“So, it’s optimizing the time that was designed for that signalized intersection,” he said. “Since the 13th, it takes a little bit longer to flush traffic through, and that’s why. It’s maximizing the green time it was designed for because it’s not picking up on detection.”
The total cost to replace the processor and a monitor, including installation, would be about $10,900.
However, Lindstrom noted that the cameras have also caused issues in the past back before he began with the City. As the cameras are about 18 years old, it takes about two to three weeks to receive the materials and work will already be completed on the processor, Lindstrom said now might be the time to also replace the cameras.
The cost to replace the processor, monitor and cameras would come to a total of $17,474.
As the repairs would not be a budget item, City Administrator James Heilman said it would require the use of contingency funds – of which the City has $1.2 million – but he noted the City intends to look at the other traffic signals (such as at the intersection of Lincoln and Geneva streets) with the intention of budgeting replacement for those in upcoming budgets.
A motion to approve replacement of the processor was approved 6-0, before further discussion on the cameras continued.
Alderman Scott McClory asked if it was possible to get quotes for the cameras from other vendors before spending the extra money, though Lindstrom noted that TAPCO is pretty much the sole source for this type of equipment in the industry and that the TAPCO cameras are identical to the ones used at the new traffic signals installed at O’Connor Drive. Lindstrom also noted that when the cameras and processors were installed at the North Wisconsin and Market streets intersection in 2002, it was done by TAPCO.
A motion to approve the purchase and install of the cameras as well was approved 6-0.
