TAMA — After a brief joint meeting with Toledo’s city council on Monday night, the Tama city council reconvened on its own to discuss traffic cameras. This is not a new idea for Tama as the city has been working on it for some time.

A few months prior to the meeting, the city went through a traffic camera test. Cameras were put in a few select places around Tama, simply to see if they would catch anything. The highest speed the cameras clocked was 96 miles per hour by the golf course. The second highest speed was 76 miles per hour.

A handful of locals attended the council meeting to voice concerns over the cameras. One local wondered why the police simply can’t sit at high-trafficked areas and be on watch for speeders. The answer from the council and Police Chief Jason Bina was to the effect that when the officer is sitting there, there won’t be any speeding, but an officer can’t sit and patrol high-trafficked areas 24/7 like a camera can. The cameras will not, for lack of other words, “replace an officer,” but rather free officers up a little more to work on more high priority cases that may involve violence, drugs, or abuse.

Cory Kuzyk with Altumint Inc., the traffic camera company, was on hand to answer questions and explain things at the meeting. Mr. Kuzyk explained some of the finances of the cameras after one person’s accusation that they were simply a “money grab.” Kuzyk told how the cameras are all violator funded, meaning the money for the cameras will come from the speeders who are ticketed.

The money from every ticket will be split between the city of Tama and the company, with Tama keeping the majority share. Kuzyk gave a rough estimate of this split, saying around 72% would go back to Tama and 28% would go to the company.

Mr. Kuzyk also went on to tell a little bit about how the cameras would work. The cameras themselves would be simple black boxes attached to poles, easily moveable if the city deems it necessary. The cameras catch speeders in a range of 75 feet as they drive away. The camera does not take any pictures if the passing vehicle is anywhere under the set threshold.

The city of Tama tested five locations for the traffic cameras and decided on two main spots: 13th and Park, and 13th and Seymour. Interim City Attorney Michael Marquess approved the contract, but the cameras are not a done deal yet. A public hearing was set for the next council meeting on Dec. 4, during which it will be discussed to amend the current traffic ordinance and bring in the cameras.

Bina also said that just recently, the police department had been called out to two separate traffic accidents that ended in injury. The chief informed the crowd that the sign on McClellan Street that informed passersby of their speed had been mowed down, which was thought to be intentional.