Motorists in school zones within the city limits of McDonough will soon have more watchful eyes on them to prevent speeding.

The City Council voted at its April 18 regular meeting to approve a request by police chief Ken Noble for implementation of the RedSpeed school zone safety program. The plan calls for high-definition video cameras to be put at four school complexes in the city: Excel Academy, McDonough Middle/High, Walnut Creek Elementary, and Wesley Lakes Elementary.

“This is a matter of urgency to keep school zones safe in the mornings and afternoons for children arriving and being released from school,” according to a city staff report.

The program will be funded through fines paid by violators, so there is no financial impact to the taxpayers, officials said.

In other business, a pair of construction and renovation items were approved by the council. The public safety storage building at 77 Lawrenceville Street is being overhauled to provide offices for the Facilities and Assets Management Department, with the $118,399 cost coming from impact fees under the current capital improvement plan. Also approved was the construction and installation of a security fence at 40 and 50 Lawrenceville Street at a total cost of $14,000, funded by the police department’s building and maintenance budget.

Other expenditures approved by the council include $12,534.50 for the purchase of chemicals for daily operations at the solid wastewater treatment plan as well as $22,000 for software for public works and $10,202.19 for legal services.

A rezoning request for the second phase of Eagles Rest on Hampton Street and a variance request for a hotel at 239 Hwy. 81 were both deferred until the council’s next meeting.