Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Surveillance And Privacy topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Seguin approves TxDOT agreement for license‑plate readers; resident raises indemnity and privacy concerns about vendor
Summary
Council authorized the city manager to seek TxDOT permission to place automatic license‑plate readers on state right‑of‑way. A resident warned the vendor (Flock) faces lawsuits and flagged an indemnification clause; staff and the city attorney said they will review contract language while proceeding with placement approvals.
On an item authorizing the city manager to enter an agreement with the Texas Department of Transportation for placement of automatic license‑plate readers (LPRs) on state right‑of‑way, council approved the placement authorization while members and speakers pressed staff to review vendor contract language.
A resident speaker (unidentified by full name in the record) urged caution and asked council to "look at the indemnification clause" and cited ongoing litigation involving the vendor Flock Safety, saying the clause could shift legal risk to the city. The speaker said: "I am completely against adding 2% to my property tax to pay for Flock's legal fees for stuff they've done in other states."
Staff response: Chief/transportation staff explained the item before council was limited to obtaining TxDOT permission for camera placement on state right‑of‑way; the vendor contract with Flock had already been signed separately, staff said. The city attorney told council he would "look at the contract" and "make sure there's not language in there that's bothersome to the city" before the city proceeds further on any procurement or implementation steps.
Vote and next steps: Council approved the TxDOT permission for camera placement by voice vote. Staff committed to review the vendor contract's indemnity and data‑management clauses and to consult outside municipal league counsel if necessary; council indicated it would not consider the detailed vendor contract in this agenda item but expected staff follow‑up.
Context: Staff said the LPRs are intended to be investigative tools that city staff will share with other agencies (DPS and others) as appropriate, and that cameras will be placed on city poles at locations agreed with TxDOT. The resident's comments and council's request for legal review will be part of the record going forward.
