The Warwick City Council convened multiple committees and a full council meeting on June 15, 2026, starting at 5:03 PM and adjourning at 7:07 PM. The Finance Committee, Public Safety Committee, Intergovernmental Committee, and Public Properties Committee met sequentially, followed by the full council. Key actions included approval of a $795,004.88 Taser 10 contract for the police department, a $150,229 compressor and pump replacement for city arenas, and several resolutions regarding Greenwich Avenue paving and traffic studies. A claim for $950 related to fire apparatus damage was denied. The full council also approved an appointment to the Land Trust Commission and a Pride Month resolution.
Interactions. I don't want to direct those old people and laugh like that. Good afternoon, everyone. Let the record indicate it is five oh three PM. And the Warwick City Council Finance Committee is called to order. Sorry for the delay. We will start by getting the finance committee agenda. Let's see. Do we have any minutes? We do not have any minutes. Okay. Um, starting with item number one on page one, 2027 zero sixty-one. Purchase 10 laser platform. Five year agreement. Good afternoon, Major. Uh good afternoon, Councilman. Uh Robert Hart for the uh police department. Uh good evening. The work police department is requesting approval for a new five-year contract with Axon beginning October 1st, 2026 for replacement of our current Taser 7 conducted energy weapons. Uh the contract will upgrade our officers to the latest Taser 10 platform, which provides uh enhanced performance, improved officer safety, uh expanded lessal lethal capabilities. It will also expand our virtual reality training program, allowing officers to receive more frequent and realistic scenario-based training in de-escalation, decision making in use of force situations. The total cost of the contract for five years is 795,004 seven dollars and eighty-eight cents. And this includes the devices, holsters, charging equipment, licensing fees, uh instructor certifications, uh, etc. And that'll be funded through budget code 3340 service contracts. Thank you for that, Major. And also thank you for reaching out to me over the weekend with a couple of heads ups. Um, and I did ask you a series of questions yesterday via email, and you provided them timely this morning. Thank you. So I'm going to read those into the record as well as your answers. What was the cost of the previous contract for tasers? Answer. The current contract included several add-ons and edits over the span and ultimately ultimately ended up costing approximately 40,000 per year of the contract. Question two. Next question. Are the current tasers still operational in support by Axon? Am I pronouncing that correctly? Correct, sir. Um Taser 7 is still operational, but are at end of product life and out of warranty as of 10-1 2026. Taser recommends a five-year usable life for their weapon systems. After five years, they believe that electrical connections in various parts are more prone to failure since these weapons undergo daily wear and tear, exposure to temperature, extremes, humidity, etc. etc. Note the cost to retain the taser sevens for another five-year contract would rise to approximately 153,000 per year compared to the Taser 10s at approximately 156,000 per year for a much newer and capable product as indicated below. Before I go further, can you explain to us why this increase from 40,000 a year to 150,000 a year? You know, um short answer is no. And they're a sole source. Well, they provide uh an outstanding product. They have the research that backs it up, they have the legal teams to support you. Uh they have a ton of support. Their training is top notch. So they're a very good company, and they charge a premium for their services.