New Hartford City Board of Works Member Seated; Police Vehicle Tracking Contract Deferred

From the Hartford City Board of Public Works and Safety meeting on July 6, 2026

Matt Barnes has joined the Hartford City Board of Public Works and Safety. Barnes was identified in the roll call alongside Mayor Dan Eckstein and Pam Weiseman. He abstained from the minutes vote, confirming he was not present at the prior meeting. Barnes appears to have replaced Kristi Bonewit, who was previously listed as a board member.

A police official presented a contract for a vehicle tracking and body camera integration system that would provide real-time GPS tracking of all police vehicles, automatic notification when emergency lights are activated, live camera feed access from dispatch, and body camera location tracking. The system is an add-on to an existing five-year contract with the vendor, extending to January 2028. It was used during recent pursuits for live monitoring.

Mayor Eckstein asked for time to review before approving. The contract quote expires July 31, making the next board meeting on July 20 the decision deadline.

The board also deferred action on an employee medical leave request to the July 20 meeting, with Weiseman noting willingness to call a special meeting if urgent. Claims were approved 3-0.

Source: YouTube transcript — Hartford City Board of Public Works and Safety Meeting, July 6, 2026

Some information may be inaccurate due to video audio quality.