Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Surveillance Policy Budget topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Tumwater council members press for budget clarity and policy before approving 'flock' camera deployment
Summary
Council members requested the complete biennial budget schedules and a draft policy addressing data retention, access and oversight before moving forward with a vehicle‑camera (Flock) program; staff said detailed budget schedules will be provided this week and a fuller budget book in coming weeks.
Tumwater council members pressed city staff for clear budget documentation and a policy framework before advancing a potential Flock camera program, saying constituents and committee members need explicit line‑item visibility and policy answers on data retention and access.
Council Member Kelly asked for the timeline for the final biennial budget that was adopted in December and said she could not locate a specific line item for the Flock camera contract in the materials she received. "We put it in the budget, but I don't see it in the budget," Kelly said. Council members emphasized that screenshots and high‑level summaries are insufficient for public inquiries and constituent follow‑ups.
City finance staff Troy said the full budget book and detailed schedules (professional services, staffing, and other line‑item spreadsheets) are being finalized and that the committee should receive those schedules this week, with the complete budget book expected in two to three weeks. Troy explained that the line for Flock may be embedded within a broader professional services or police contract line rather than labeled "Flock."
Several council members said policy questions should precede deployment decisions. "The unanswered question so if Flock is in our budget, what is the timeline ... and then when will a draft policy be submitted to public health and safety?" Council Member Kelly asked, noting concerns about data retention and public access.
Members suggested bringing a draft policy to the Public Health and Safety Committee and then to the full council for review and public discussion. Staff agreed to provide the budget schedules and to return with the policy timeline; no motion or vote occurred on the Flock program during the meeting.
The discussion clarified process steps: (1) staff will circulate detailed budget schedules this week and the full budget book in coming weeks; (2) policy questions (data retention length, access, oversight) will be drafted for committee review; and (3) the committee will not advance deployment without a council policy discussion and public review.
