MT. VERNON, IL — Mt. Vernon continues to get safer with the acceptance of 2 proposals from PASS Security out of Fairview Heights by the city council at Monday’s meeting. City Manager Mary Ellen Bechtel is now authorized to execute said proposals on behalf of the city for Phase 2 side street cameras and wireless back haul links.

She says after researching the first round of camera installs, the city can now move forward to improve the system’s coverage.

Mayor John Lewis says this project was a top priority even as COVID began to affect the area and the sense of urgency still remains in the latter parts of the pandemic.

The city is moving the tower to Casey Middle School’s roof sighting a lack of reliable enough signal at the park where it currently sits.