City Spends Traffic Camera Citations Revenue, Lists Top Sewer Infrastructure Needs

By LYDIA BERGLAR
News Editor

The March 10 meeting of the City of Trenton Board of Commissioners focused on ways to use revenue from traffic camera speeding citations. The top four sewer infrastructure needs were also explained, and the board touched on the proposed D.R. Horton subdivision.

At last month’s meeting, the Trenton Police Department requested Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax funds to purchase new tasers. This month, the board approved the purchase but decided to use funds from traffic camera speeding citations due to competing SPLOST needs.

As covered last month, the department’s current single-shot tasers are nine years old and only reach up to 25 feet. The new ones hold ten shots, reach up to 45 feet, and come with a virtual reality use of force training simulator.

A five-year payment plan breaks the cost down to $12,439.68 per year for a total of $62,198.40.

Alex Case (mayor) noted that between upcoming paving costs and sewer infrastructure needs, SPLOST will be getting tight for a few months. He said the city is bringing in between $48,000-$51,000 in SPLOST each month, and last year, the city spent a little over $200,000 on paving.

Therefore, Case suggested paying for the tasers from speeding ticket money collected through the Blue Line Solutions cameras by Dade County High School. He reported that the city collected $24,927 from these citations in January and February alone.

Per Blue Line Solutions’ initial presentation to the city in 2022, the city gets 65 percent of the ticket revenue while the company gets 35 percent. First offenses are $100, and repeat offenses are $150. This means that in the first two months of 2025, people paid $38,349.23 in ticket fees. At minimum, 255 citations were issued from the cameras.

If this trend continues, over $230,000 will be collected in total from the cameras this year ($149,500 going to the city), with a minimum of 1,533 citations issued.

Steve Beaudoin (police chief) noted that state legislatures are discussing banning traffic cameras in school zones, so that may impact payment for the tasers down the road. Case said SPLOST could be used in the future, but he recommended at least starting with the ticket money that is required to be used for equipment.

Monda Wooten (street commissioner) asked why the tasers can’t be replaced one-by-one as they break. Mike Norris (police commissioner) and Beaudoin explained that the batteries of the current tasers are weak, and they’re becoming obsolete.

Williams gave an example from October 2024 when the department had an altercation with a man at the Days Inn. The department delivered 14 cycles with the current tasers, but they had no effect on the subject who had a knife. He said, “That’s when we decided we needed to look into a better less-lethal option…If the taser doesn’t work, I might have to resort to using my firearm. That’s what we’re trying to alleviate: using a firearm in those instances where a taser could work.”

Wooten asked if the department is anticipating any other major purchases. Captain Dylon Floyd said a vehicle for animal control (as discussed at the joint city-county meeting) will be coming up, but Case clarified that that’ll be under next year’s budget.

In the end, the board voted to begin making payments using the ticket fund, with a backup plan to switch to SPLOST in future years if needed.

The board then approved $2,674 (also from the ticket fund) for an ID printer to be used by all departments. The printer’s design program means each department’s ID badges can be personalized and can have QR codes which pull up the employee’s emergency contact information when scanned (in case of emergencies).

Norris asked if everyone who serves alcohol in the city who has gone through the required training could also be issued a badge to simplify enforcement of alcohol laws. Case said this would require an ordinance change, but it could be done.

The board then approved $57,940 in SPLOST for two new pumps at the Woolbright Pump Station. The existing three pumps (two of which run at a time) cover three-quarters of the city, and they’ve been rebuilt several times. Their efficiency is slowing. The existing three will be kept to be used as spares, which Case anticipates could possibly double the life of the new pumps.

Case said that if there isn’t enough SPLOST for the purchase, the city does have money for repairs in the general sewer budget.

Norris asked if the proposed D.R. Horton subdivision would rely on Woolbright, but Case said that water would run through two other stations before reaching Woolbright.

Case explained, “We’re still doing the studies for Horton. Between us and the water authority, we’re still trying to decide if we can do it. Yes, there’s capability to expand it, but can we handle it?” He added that the GA-136 pump station (by Hope House Cafe) is struggling, and the Lake Hills issue is being investigated. “We’re not going to say yes to nothing or start the annexation until we know what we can do.”

Mike Norris (police commissioner) read the police report. In February, the Trenton Police Department answered 158 calls for service, conducted 1,058 business checks, answered four animal complaints, responded to four domestic disturbance, one trespassing, and 17 suspicious activity calls, and worked 16 traffic crashes. From 155 traffic stops, 43 citations were issued.

Terry Powell (parks/animal control commissioner) reported that the city handled six animal control work orders in February. Currently, two dogs are still in the city pound. Both have been posted on Facebook, but there is still not a section on the city’s website with animals available for adoption.

Lucretia Houts (fire and utility commissioner) reported that the Trenton Fire Department answered 95 calls in February, six of which were fire related and 33 of which were canceled en route.

Wooten reported that the city is hosting another animal and law enforcement training. Titled “Human Violence, Organized Crime, and Animal Crimes: Understanding the Link,” the city first held this training last June. (See the June 12, 2024, Sentinel for more information.) A few officers were unable to attend, and Wooten encouraged any commissioners who weren’t present to attend the March 20 all-day training.

During his report, Case ranked the sewer infrastructure needs which the engineers have been looking into. From most critical to least critical (but still important), the needs are: Woolbright Pump Station, handling solids, replacing lines, 136 Pump Station.

Of solids, Case explained, “We bog our system down by not being able to process our solids quicker.”

Of Downtown Development Authority news, Case said the city is working to expand the downtown area zone “to offer businesses within the city more options and possibly some tax reliefs.”

During a Tree City report, Eloise Gass thanked the city for its support over the last 40 years. She fondly remembered starting Trenton’s Tree City branch with Atha Lee Vestel Sells. The two women fundraised by themselves before the city became a sponsor. She greatly appreciated the tree planted in her honor. (See the Feb. 19 Sentinel).

Jane Dixon has now taken over as the Tree City USA ambassador. She reported that she met with Bobby Dunn and Seth Hawkins with the Georgia Forestry Commission to talk about goals for the future of Tree City. They agreed that a board must be established to figure out people’s interests in beautifying the community with trees.

Dixon noted that the trees planted in honor of someone need name markers—both moving forward and going back to add markers to those already planted. Case agreed.