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Warren residents debate camera surveillance and event branding; council orders follow-up
Summary
Public comments included defense of Flock license-plate cameras and complaints about use of a Pride event logo resembling the city brand; council directed staff to gather records, asked the city attorney to issue a warning about logo use, and scheduled follow-ups.
Public comment at the Warren City Council meeting on June 23 included a mix of privacy remarks and objections about event branding and facility use.
Gary Watts told the council he supported the Flock license-plate reader system, saying it has been an effective crime-fighting tool since 2019 and noting similar systems are common in commercial parking lots. "It's one of the best crime fighting tools we've had," Watts said.
Laurie Harris raised concerns about event administration and branding, saying the Pride event used a logo that closely resembled the city logo and thus implied city sponsorship. Harris asked for transparency about who authorized use of City Hall and the library spaces, and whether appropriate fees and police staffing costs were accounted for. "If they had done anything different but instead they made it look just like the city of Warren logo. And it implies that this is a city of Warren event," she said.
In response the council clarified that the city, DDA, parks, and library each control their own rental policies; members committed to request documents from the DDA, Parks and Recreation, and the library commission about the June event, and instructed the city attorney to issue a written warning to the event organizers about unauthorized modification of the city logo. Council also said it would ask police to schedule a committee meeting to discuss related operational concerns.
What happens next: Council directed staff to gather rental/authorization documentation and asked the city attorney to issue a warning letter to the Pride event organizers; a committee meeting is to be scheduled within two weeks to review related issues.
Quote: "The city attorney or an authorized official could write a civil infraction, but you have to start with a written warning," the city attorney said during the response.
Clarifying details: The council noted the DDA had been asked previously to develop an atrium rental policy; Parks and Recreation handles outdoor pavilion fees. The transcript records a motion directing staff to collect documents and for the city attorney to send a warning regarding logo use.
