Litchfield OKs $35,000 Traffic Cameras at Route 16 and St. Francis Way

Article Summary: The Litchfield City Council approved a sole-source purchase from Bodine Electric on Aug. 6, 2026, to install a three-camera Autoscope detection system at the Route 16 and St. Francis Way stoplight for up to $35,000, with the Illinois Department of Transportation reimbursing two-thirds of the cost. Separately, Mayor Jacob Fleming and Police Chief Carpenter told residents the city owns no Flock cameras and has none planned.

Route 16 Traffic Camera Key Points:

The city’s share is $11,667; IDOT will reimburse $23,333, or two-thirds, under an existing maintenance agreement.

IDOT recommended three vendors; only Bodine Electric of Decatur returned a quote.

The existing signal runs on a timer, causing delays when no cross traffic is present.

The chief said Litchfield’s two existing license plate readers on Route 16 are roughly four years old and are not Flock cameras.

LITCHFIELD — The Litchfield City Council on Thursday, Aug. 6, 2026, unanimously approved a resolution authorizing a sole-source purchase from Bodine Electric for the purchase and installation of three cameras at the stoplight intersection of Route 16 and St. Francis Way, for an amount not to exceed $35,000.

The motion came from Alderperson Dwayne Gerl and was seconded by Alderperson Bert Holloway.

The current signal at the intersection operates off a timer, according to the staff memo, “which causes delays in stopping traffic when no one is waiting on the opposite direction.” The new equipment uses a camera system to detect vehicles waiting at the light and give them a green.

City Administrator Breann Vazquez explained the procurement path. The signal is an IDOT traffic light on a state roadway, she said, and the city holds a maintenance agreement under which Litchfield procures the vendor and the installation while IDOT approves both and reimburses two-thirds of the cost afterward.

“IDOT gave our street superintendent essentially three vendors to choose from,” Vazquez said. “After many attempts, we were only able to get a quote from one of them. We understand that this is a pressing issue, so we moved forward with the quote that we received from an approved IDOT vendor.”

The memo puts the city’s share at $11,667 and IDOT’s reimbursement at $23,333, with funds available from the Capital Improvement Fund.

Bodine Electric of Decatur’s July 21, 2026, proposal covers providing and installing one new three-camera Autoscope system complete, at $35,000, with traffic control included and the price based on the underground raceway being accessible. The proposal is signed by project manager Scott McIntyre and was to be held firm for 30 days.

Fleming said the intersection had been a persistent complaint and credited a resident who raised it in an online community discussion group. “This was brought to our attention,” he said, “and we are listening. Now there’s an action behind it.”

No Flock Cameras, Chief Says

Earlier in the meeting, Fleming used his city report to address what he called a hot-button topic and asked Police Chief Carpenter to explain the difference between Flock cameras and the license plate readers Litchfield already operates.

“The city of Litchfield currently does not have any Flock cameras,” Fleming said, adding that none are planned to be installed at this time and that the agenda item for the lights near the hospital does not involve them.

Carpenter said the city has two cameras, both regular license plate readers located on Route 16, one facing each direction at essentially the same location, and both roughly four years old.

“These license plate readers, all they do is read license plates,” Carpenter said. “They have no other capabilities. They read license plates, record them, and they’ve been a big help in hundreds of arrests.” He offered shoplifting cases at Walmart as an example, saying offenders not caught in the parking lot have been identified after reaching Route 16.

The chief said Flock is a brand name and its equipment has greater capability. “The quality is much better,” he said. “They can do more than just read a license plate. They can tell makes, models, colors of cars. If you actually had a bumper sticker on a car, the Flock camera could read it. The regular LPR couldn’t.”

Carpenter said he was not ruling out such a request in the future but wanted to clarify the current situation, noting he had received calls from residents who believed the detection equipment already mounted on traffic signals was a Flock camera. Fleming reiterated during the vote on the Bodine item that the new devices are sensors.