YOUNGSTOWN — City council approved legislation to solicit proposals for body cameras for the police department, but the police chief said the plan won’t go much further until an agreement can be reached between the legislative and executive branches on how many are to be purchased.

“It depends on council,” Chief Carl Davis said. “I think we’re stuck on the number. (Once) we get some of the logistics worked out, we’ll go from there.”

The legislation approved 7-0 Wednesday by council calls for companies to quote prices for “at least 150 officer-worn body cameras” even though there aren’t that many members of the department.

Davis said the number will be used for a cost comparison with other factors playing a role, such as quality and ease of use.

Councilwoman Anita Davis, D-6th Ward and a retired city police officer, said there’s no need to seek proposals for that many cameras, particularly because ranking officers who don’t interact with citizens don’t need them.

She voted for the legislation anyway.

The proposals are due to the city finance department by 4 p.m. Aug. 30.

After that, city officials will evaluate each of them though the police chief has said a number of times, including on Wednesday, that the department has a definite preference to buy the body cameras from Axon, a Scottsdale, Ariz., company.

“The company is very reputable and puts out a quality product that most of the police departments in Ohio (that have body cameras) use,” Chief Carl Davis said.

For body cameras to be purchased, city council would have to approve an ordinance to allow the board of control to pay a vendor.

FIRST IN-PERSON MEETING

Wednesday was the first in-person council meeting since March 16, 2020, at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. Since then, council has met virtually.

Four in-person council committee meetings took place earlier this month in its conference room. Wednesday was the first time the full body met in council chambers.

Council President DeMaine Kitchen, who has run the virtual meetings from his chamber desk, welcomed members back to the room.

While there was a full agenda, the meeting lasted about 20 minutes.

Council voted to authorize the board of control to enter into a lease-to-buy agreement with Kempthorn Collision Center, an auto-body repair business, for the former AT&T building owned by the city at 2933 Salt Springs Road.

The company will pay a $25,000 nonrefundable deposit and $33,000 annually in rent for up to three years to use the 30,000-square-foot building in the Salt Springs Industrial Park. It can buy the building outright at anytime during those three years for $550,000 with the deposit counting toward the purchase amount.

The city has been trying to sell the building for a while. AT&T last used it about five years ago.

Council also agreed to change temporarily the city’s salary ordinance to give $24,298.48 in overtime to health district employees, who typically aren’t entitled to it. The money comes from a state grant to provide overtime pay related to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Council voted to enter into a contract with a consultant for design work, at a cost of no more than $370,000, to repave and make other improvements to a section of Mahoning Avenue.

But it tabled a proposal to spend $19,500 to purchase new rifles for the police department’s crisis response team. Anita Davis, chairwoman of council’s safety committee, wanted her committee to discuss the proposal before a full council vote.