During a recent government meeting, council members engaged in a detailed discussion regarding the implementation of a new traffic monitoring system aimed at enhancing public safety. The conversation highlighted concerns about data ownership, vendor capabilities, and the potential for future data analysis.

Council Member Padden raised critical questions about the vendor's data retention policies, noting that while the vendor retains video files indefinitely, the city would only keep downloaded data for a limited time—30 to 60 days. This prompted concerns about the implications of such a policy, particularly regarding public records requests and the potential for the vendor to sell data to third parties. Council Member Merkel suggested including a proprietary use clause in the contract to ensure the city’s data is not used for purposes outside of its intended scope.

The council also explored the possibility of utilizing existing data from other companies to analyze traffic patterns and near-miss incidents. It was confirmed that there are companies capable of analyzing data feeds from current cameras, which could provide valuable insights without the need for additional hardware purchases.

The discussion further delved into the specifics of the data that would be collected. The proposed system aims to quantify near-miss incidents at various locations across the city, addressing community concerns about safety where reported crashes are minimal. This data would help the city better understand the frequency of near misses and inform future safety measures.

Council members expressed a desire for a broad data collection approach, with plans to monitor 48 locations for one day to gather comprehensive insights. This strategy is intended to maximize the utility of grant funds while ensuring that the city’s operational analysis remains current.

Overall, the meeting underscored the council's commitment to enhancing traffic safety through data-driven decision-making, while also navigating the complexities of vendor agreements and data management.