Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Surveillance Policy topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Residents question license‑plate readers, data retention and $66,550 annual cost to city general fund
Summary
A Grass Valley resident told the council she filed a public‑records request about license‑plate‑reader (LPR) cameras, raised privacy concerns and cited a city budget line of $66,550 for annual LPR costs; the council did not take immediate action.
A Grass Valley resident raised privacy concerns about license‑plate‑reader (LPR) cameras installed in and around the city and reported results from a public‑records request indicating an annual LPR cost of $66,550 to the city’s general fund.
Laura McClary and another resident (speakers raised LPR concerns) said they had obtained a city response to a records request that identified the vendor as Flock Safety, said data retention was “not longer than 30 days,” and indicated the 2023–24 annual LPR cost to the general fund was $66,550. The resident asked who authorized the cameras and whether the city council had approved them.
“My concern is people are unaware of how many of these have gone up and why have they gone up? Who, I didn't vote on it,” the speaker said, asking how to get the devices removed and whether they are effective. The speaker also said data collected could be used with DMV records to link plates to personally identifiable information.
The mayor and staff did not take immediate action during the meeting. Staff previously provided a written response to the records request (referenced by the resident) and residents asking for more information were invited to follow up with the city clerk for details on procurement, policy and data‑sharing arrangements.
Why it matters: LPR installations affect privacy, local policing practices and city budgets; residents requested clarity on policy, retention, third‑party access and oversight.
What’s next: Residents were told to pursue follow‑up with the City Clerk; council did not direct immediate policy change or removal during the meeting.
