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Spokane Valley council adopts park security camera policy, limits on footage retention
Summary
Council unanimously approved Resolution 2058 setting rules for park security cameras funded with ARPA money, including limits on views of private property, a 30-day retention period and an audit trail of users who access footage.
The Spokane Valley City Council on April 29 unanimously approved Resolution 2058, adopting an acceptable-use policy for security cameras planned for city parks.
The policy, presented by Deputy City Manager Eric Lam, directs that cameras be placed to limit views of adjacent private property, may be used for public safety and security (and for traffic management where noted), and requires a log of users who access footage. Lam said footage "would not be provided to third parties except, as required for installation, for maintenance, for public safety, for security purposes, and as required by law," and that the city would retain footage for 30 days unless it is needed for an investigation.
The resolution implements a pilot project the council approved in February to use $350,000 in ARPA-related funds to install cameras at city parks. Lam said the cameras are intended to protect people using parks and to protect City assets such as bathrooms and other facilities that have experienced vandalism.
Council members asked for sharper limits about sharing footage. Council Member Padden asked whether third parties receiving footage might not be bound by the city's restrictions; Lam replied that sharing "would depend on what the legal requirements would be" and noted the city must comply with the Washington Public Records Act. Council Member Merkel suggested contractual requirements for third parties to delete footage after 30 days; Lam and City Attorney Concrete said such terms could be negotiated but might not be possible to change for some commercial vendors.
Privacy and code-enforcement use were discussed at length. Council Member Merkel asked that the policy explicitly bar use of cameras for off-premises code enforcement; City Attorney Concrete said restricting the policy in that way is a council policy choice and "from a legal analysis, I don't see anything preventing that." Deputy Mayor Hatenberg and Council Member Weck said the stated scope — "public safety and security purposes" — narrows use and should discourage off-premises enforcement. Lam and staff said Fourth Amendment and evidentiary considerations make such uses fact-specific.
Council members also discussed commercial re-use of footage and public records requests. City Clerk Patterson said the city already asks requesters to sign a declaration for records that could be used for commercial purposes. Lam cautioned the Public Records Act might limit the city's ability to impose restrictions on use.
The council voted unanimously to adopt Resolution 2058. With the vote, staff will move forward on the ARPA-funded pilot while preparing contract terms and administrative procedures that reflect the council’s direction.
The resolution specifies a 30-day default retention period and an audit trail for access; staff said footage would be retained longer when required for investigations.
The council's action follows public comments earlier in the meeting about park safety and recommendations for panic hardware and other non-camera measures to improve safety.
