One of the most important issues talked about at this week’s Toledo Council meeting was the new information on the Wolfcom situation. Wolfcom is the brand of camera system the Toledo Police Department used for the last several years.

In the middle of last year, the department switched camera systems after the Wolfcom system started to become outdated and unreliable. After difficulties with the old system became evident during the investigation into former Officer Kyle Howe, the department did an internal “pros and cons” audit and decided to upgrade to a new, more reliable system.

Currently, four to five years’ worth of footage from the old cameras are stored on Wolfcom’s cloud. Chief Dan Quigley had multiple conversations with the people of Wolfcom and learned that with a one-time fee, estimated to be less than $1,000, the department would be able to retain access to the footage for the next year.

The council approved paying this fee, which is due in May. Toledo City Attorney Michael Marquess suggested keeping the footage a minimum of two years past Howe’s last day with the department.

The Chief also reported that between Feb. 12 and 25, the Toledo Police Department responded to 133 calls to service, and affected five arrests. The chief told how the department is starting off the year with some very serious investigations, including one that just ended up in the arrest of a Toledo man being charged with attempted murder and kidnapping among other charges. Officer and STC SRO Vern Jefferson completed his ALICE instructor training and administered training to all South Tama Staff last week. ALICE training is to prepare for violent intruder and active shooter scenarios. Toledo officers were involved in a pursuit that ended in Marshall County. The patrol vehicle received damage to the windshield from pea gravel and will need to be replaced.

The Fire Department’s Ford Grass Truck is having transmission problems.

Toledo owned a part of a mosquito sprayer with Traer, Dysart, and Tama until a few weeks ago. Traer replaced the original sprayer and decided to only spray for themselves and Dysart. The council approved going in with Tama on mosquito spraying. The old sprayer will be looked at and accessed. Three Toledo city workers have volunteered to take the spraying class needed to operate the mosquito sprayer.

The council approved a city bridge funding agreement with the county engineer. A state grant for the bridge project was approved for $ 1.5 million. The design process will take a year to a year, and a half. The bridge is slated for the 2026 construction season.

A public hearing for the City of Toledo FY25 Property Tax Levy was set for April 1. The council approved the aquatic board appropriation.

The council approved donating $500 to the Tama County Humane Society. The Public Works department reported working out at Toledo Heights on the retaining wall and baseball field’s dugout. Next, they will move on to working on the playground equipment. Also, a possible sidewalk replacement program was discussed briefly.