City to install surveillance cameras at Swinyard Park

October 27, 2011

The Deer Park City Council chose park security over comfort in the 2012 budget.
Faced with a rapidly shrinking budget (an original $200,000 general fund surplus is now closer to $175,000) the city council continued to try and find ways to save money.
The city council at the Oct. 25 budget workshop decided to fund a $21,700 video surveillance system for Swinyard Park.
The system will place an $8,500 video camera near the skate park. The rest of the funds will go to a central control system at city hall, which will allow the surveillance system to be expanded to other areas of the city in the coming years.
While Swinyard Park will receive an upgrade, the council, acting on the recommendation of Mayor Robert Whisman, decided not to install a new $50,000 restroom facility at Mix Park.
A week earlier, the mayor had championed the idea of replacing the 50-year-old cinder block restroom facility with a modular unit similar to the two that had been placed in other areas of the park over the past couple of years.
Under the new plan, the cinder block facility will receive a new coat of brown paint.
Other items that also did not survive the budget cut were a $35,000 plan to contract with Spokane County Animal Control Program (SCRAPS) and a new $5,000 sound system in the city council chambers.
The city council will continue to fund Project Access ($4,000) and Spokane Mobility Services ($13,000).