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Jackson council directs staff to scope amendments to Flock Safety contract amid privacy concerns
Summary
Council authorized the town manager to begin negotiating amendments to the Flock Safety camera contract after staff presented a scoping report estimating about 32 staff hours to research and draft changes. Public comment urged broader analysis including termination and data-retention issues; council passed the motion unanimously.
The Jackson Town Council on Jan. 5 directed the town manager to pursue amendments to the town’s contract with Flock Safety, the company that operates the town’s automated license‑plate readers (ALPRs), following a staff scoping report and public comment raising privacy concerns.
Staff told the council the scoping effort would be a largely staff-driven task, estimated at roughly 32 hours over about 90 days (25 hours from the town attorney for legal work and negotiation, five hours from the police department, and two hours from the town manager). Staff framed the item as a scoping exercise — not a decision to change policy — to determine feasibility and workloads for negotiating contract amendments to strengthen privacy, security and access controls.
A public commenter urged the council to include contract termination in the scope and to conduct a deeper review of retention, dissemination, and legal challenges related to similar systems in other communities. The commenter said, “These cameras are increasingly being rejected by communities that have already adopted them,” and called for a deeper dive than the staff estimate.
Council discussion acknowledged those concerns and the staff estimate. The council voted unanimously to direct the town manager to address amending the Flock Safety contract at staff’s next opportunity, with the town attorney and police to be engaged in the work plan.
Staff noted the current contract renewal cycle occurs every two years (next full renewal noted as 2027) and emphasized the proposed scoping was a limited, staff‑led initial step; the council asked that any community engagement be handled as appropriate when the item returns for council review.
