County OKs portable milling machine purchase; funds new vehicle camera system for fleet review

Putnam County’s Physical Services committee approved a budget transfer Tuesday to buy a Tomahawk 8‑inch portable milling machine used for asphalt grinding and pothole repair. Committee members said the $2,500 item fell below the county’s $5,000 capital threshold and the purchase will be covered from operating funds.

Committee members also discussed a separate request to add geolocated telematics and camera units to county vehicles. The proposal would install cameras and telematics in operating fleets, provide administrators access to vehicle locations and trigger video capture for events such as sudden braking. Director Matt Bruno (department lead) told legislators the system could reduce liability and produce insurance premium savings.

Legislators asked about data retention, who would monitor footage, and union notification. Staff said installation and cloud storage are included in the vendor proposal (via Verizon under a federal GSA contract) and that department heads would hold access for their fleets. Officials noted the system records triggered clips (e.g., rapid acceleration or erratic braking) rather than continuous 24/7 video; they agreed to provide the retention policy and a monitoring plan before full rollout.

The committee voted to forward the camera/telematics procurement to audit for follow‑up; the milling‑machine transfer was approved. Commissioners said they would coordinate with union representatives about the program and aim to phase units into additional departments following pilot deployment.