Discuss and consider action to approve Master Services Agreement between Flock Group, Inc. and the City of Pflugerville for the lease of Automated License Plate Reader (ALPR) Cameras and licensing in the amount of $87,500 per year.

Staff Report & Agenda Item Details

Mayor Weiss opened the item and provided comment regarding vendor data issues and the cameras in the city are being covered. Mr. Metayer provided comment about issues with generative AI, an unreliable contract, and stated the company needs to be out of Pflugerville. Mr. Coffman provided comment about issues with the system, messages from the community, and the need to remove cameras and cancel all contracts. Ms. Ryan commended Mr. Coffman and the members of the public for bringing forward the concerns and discussed concern about data being collected. Mr. Metayer discussed concerns about misuse of data. Mayor Pro Tem Holiday thanked everyone for being in attendance. Chief Richards stated technology is effective when it is used responsibly and constitutionally, but it is about how it is used and the companies the city works with. Chief Richards discussed difficulties with Flock and the contract and stated he cannot recommend renewing the contract. Mr. Rogers thanked those in attendance and stated lives have been saved using the tool and the police department will continue to do its best to keep people safe. Nate Cook stated he appreciated council's discussion and stated the city does not need Flock. Mr. Cook stated other tools need to be considered and it is not a single company issue and those tools need to be reviewed for what is being traded in terms of freedom. Victoria Kraus stated she has listened to survivors recount their stories and Flock cameras are a danger to survivors of domestic violence. Ms. Kraus discussed how the technology facilitated abuse and issues with the system. Mick Siegal stated he is a member of City of Austin city council and thanked Pflugerville for joining Austin in a Flock free zone. Mr. Siegal discussed issues Austin found with the contract and the Trust Act that Austin passed. Mr. Siegel stated municipal governance needs to be reformed. Alan Crider stated public safety and privacy governance are not opposing items. Mr. Crider discussed what technology can do, but there is an issue of data exposure and there needs to be enforceable municipal policy. Mr. Crider discussed the need to sever data sharing pools and implement independent auditing. Les Wall discussed concerns about sharing data without being accused of a crime. Mr. Wall stated the concern is who is trusted not to use the data in a way that violates rights or harms the community. Mr. Wall stated it is a trust issue. Jeff Cohen thanked the city for covering the cameras and stated without a warrant they should not be allowed. Mr. Cohen stated any future similar contracts should go to the citizens for vote and there should be a committee for technology. Joshua Lambert discussed Flock originally brought to the city through a grant and discussed concerns about privacy and data collection. Mr. Lambert discussed problems with incorrect identification and no one knows who can access all the data, and other parties who have access may not have the same controls as Pflugerville. Judson Mykel discussed technology changing relationships and communities and ineffective surveillance technology cannot be trusted. Mr. Mykel stated mission creep is built into the company roadmap and urged council to end use of the technology. Tyler Rutledge stated the cameras are still in the community and asked how those can be addressed. Mr. Rutledge discussed concerns about legal framework and the constitutional need for search warrants. Corbin Black discussed the business model to create a record of everyone and discussed the data being picked up by the cameras. Mr. Black discussed the ways in which that data could be used and stated it needs to stop now. Trent Barlow stated Flock is unconstitutional and violates the 4th amendment. Mr. Barlow discussed use of the data to track people over time and tools need to be evaluated on a case by case basis. Mr. Barlow asked council to cancel the contract and remove all Flock cameras fr

This motion is scored as EXPANDS_GOVERNMENT (Impact Weight: 8.0/10). Under the Bastiat Liberty Watchdog Index, measures that increase tax rates or fee schedules, issue new debt or Certificates of Obligation, expand regulatory/zoning restrictions on private land use, or authorize unbudgeted spending expansions reduce an official's Freedom Score when voted YES (and reward dissenting NO votes).