The State College Borough Council will vote on the bids for downtown surveillance cameras during Monday night's meeting.

Four bids were received for the installation of cameras, State College Police Chief Tom King said.

The prices ranged from around $24,000 to $50,000, he said.

The bids do not include the price for the installation of the cameras or the fiber-optic cable that connects the cameras to the recording equipment. The installation will be bid on separately.

If council votes to accept the bids, the cameras will be installed within 90 days or possibly sooner, King said.

If the cameras can be functional by the Central Pennsylvania Festival of the Arts in July, King said he would welcome it.

The surveillance cameras would definitely be operational in time for fall semester, he said.

Twenty-six vendors submitted bids for the surveillance cameras; however, council members have expressed concern over the fact that they have yet to see the prices.

"It's interesting that so many vendors put in bids," said council member Cathy Dauler. "Because its such a complicated bid, I could see why it would take more time -- but I am kind of disappointed."

Dauler said she would vote against accepting the bids if they are too high, though every price she has heard has been reasonable, she said.

"It will be interesting to see how this all turns out -- interesting but difficult," she said.

Council member Jim Meyer said he would vote against accepting the bids if the price were too high.

"What I voted for was a camera policy -- now the next question is if it's worth the dollar we're paying for it," Meyer said.

Council member Elizabeth Goreham said she is wary of the bids, not only because of her opposition to the cameras, but because she feels council has not been informed.

"I'm a little unhappy because I've received no data," she said.

There is not time for all of council to look at the prices before the meeting, she said.

"Why the rush? Why not allow us some time to review the information?" she said.

Students are the people affected by the cameras, and they voiced opposition and gave suggestions for alternatives, she said.

"Their concerns and suggestions were not really examined," she said.

Goreham said she will not vote to accept the bids regardless of the price.

Council member Jean McManis said unless the cost of surveillance cameras is exuberantly expensive, she will vote to accept the bids.

Many students have expressed their opinion that the borough should hire more police officers to patrol downtown, but that is not a viable option, McManis said.

"There is nothing more expensive in the public and private sector than people," she added.

Although The Daily Collegian will not be published during finals week, the events of Monday night's borough council meeting will be covered in the Digital Collegian (www.collegian.psu.edu).

Rory Hassler and Jennifer Brooks contributed to this report.