Sanger committee backs sole‑source camera upgrade for city parks

The Sanger City Public Safety Committee voted unanimously to recommend that the City Council approve a sole‑source purchase agreement with Surveillance Integration of Fresno to upgrade and expand surveillance cameras at Sanger parks.

Interim Police Chief Michael Salvador asked the committee to make two findings on the record: that the project is an enhancement to public safety for the City of Sanger, and that the project is an authorized expense under the city’s public safety tax. Salvador said the work is budgeted in the current fiscal year’s ballot measure funds and expected to be deployed quickly because the vendor previously installed the system and has compatible equipment in stock.

The committee’s action is a recommendation to the City Council; Salvador told the committee he will present the purchase agreement to the council for final approval and for execution of the purchase order. “The system does not have the capability for facial recognition,” Salvador said, adding the updated system will include searchable features such as vehicle make, model and color and the number of people in a frame to aid investigations. “I expect this project to be quickly deployed because the vendor already knows Sanger and already knows the infrastructure,” he added.

Committee members asked whether other vendors had been solicited. An elected member of the committee said bidding could require additional inspection and possible infrastructure replacement, increasing costs and delaying deployment. Salvador replied the existing vendor’s stock and familiarity with Sanger’s infrastructure would allow a faster turnaround and lower near‑term cost, and that prevailing‑wage and full rebid processes could be costlier and slower.

The committee recorded the recommendation and its two findings and voted to forward the purchase agreement to the City Council. Committee members present voiced their approval aloud; the record shows unanimous support. Salvador said he hopes the project will be completed before July 1.

Background: Salvador said the cameras currently in Sanger parks were installed roughly six to seven years ago and are beginning to fail. He said the upgrade would refresh cameras across all parks and add enhanced search and export capabilities to assist detectives in incident response and investigation. The purchase was described as a sole‑source request under the Sanger Municipal Code and as budgeted in the ballot measure that funds the public safety tax.

The committee’s recommendation does not itself execute the purchase; final approval and the purchase order require action by the City Council.