Belleville removes $500k access control system line item from 2026 Capital Budget as it had already been approved

Belleville City Council approved the removal of Item 1.064 $500,000 for Security/Access Control/Camera Replacement and New Installations to be funded from the Casino – Infra Maintenance fund in the 2026 Capital Budget.

During the line-by-line review of capital items, the Mayor (serving as Chair) identified the item as a redundancy:

Just a little housekeeping move here on 1.064 that was already passed. We need to remove it.

The motion was introduced by Councillor Lisa Chatten to correct the draft budget.

In late 2022, a cross-department working group (including multiple Department Heads) was formed to assess and improve the safety and security of municipal facilities for both employees and clients. The working group is collaborating to review the adequacy of: site access control; security camera coverage and monitoring; panic button availability and monitoring; and facility design (determined through Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED) assessments conducted by the Belleville Police).

The Working Group will implement findings, particularly the recommendations of the CPTED assessments being conducted by the Belleville Police. The highest priority assessments being completed in 2024 include City Hall, the Belleville Library and the Quinte Sports and Wellness Centre. Some of the recommendations include structural changes to either limit or better control public access to facilities, particular City Hall, for improved protection of elected officials and municipal employees. This is expected to be an ongoing program and on annual basis the highest priority items / security initiatives will be brought forward for budget approval.