Republic file photo Columbus City Hall.

COLUMBUS, Ind. — Columbus is allocating additional funds toward purchasing security equipment for City Hall and the Evolution Training Center.

Columbus City Council has approved the second reading of an ordinance that, among other things, appropriates dollars from the city’s general fund for security cameras and other equipment.

City Director of Finance, Operations and Risk Jamie Brinegar said $125,000 is allocated to help fund the purchase and installation of the items, along with other associated fees such as service and maintenance.

The city previously received a $126,322 grant from the Indiana Department of Homeland Security to help fund security cameras for City Hall and the Evolution Training Center, along with other upgrades.

According to Brinegar, the following expenses were approved as part of the grant:

However, some costs will be higher than previously planned.

The Columbus Board of Works has approved a bid from ERS Wireless for the purchase and installation of cameras. The company’s proposal came with a total price of $153,971.35. The board approved the bid contingent on city council approving an additional appropriation for the project.

Additionally, the city is looking at buying a more advanced magnetometer than previously planned. Brinegar said that while the city has not yet released a Request for Proposals for this purchase, one quote put the item at $75,000.

“We have been looking, and the technology for magnetometers has increased significantly, where we can get something that’s less intrusive,” he said at the council’s July 5 meeting. “It’s touchless. … We could get people to walk through every second, and it would be able to tell us whether there was something harmful on that person or not. Those, of course, are going to cost a little bit more, but again, it’s touchless. It will fit the area down there better, where we have the two doors right now. It can fit between the two doors, rather than being inside the door and really affecting the way traffic flows into city hall.”

For more on this story, see Saturday’s Republic.

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