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Pleasant Valley council advances ordinance to authorize license‑plate‑reading cameras
Summary
The council voted to advance Council Bill 35‑78, authorizing an agreement with Block Safety to install license‑plate‑reading cameras at several high‑traffic entrances to Pleasant Valley. Staff identified camera locations and said procedures for use would be developed before deployment.
Pleasant Valley — The Pleasant Valley City Council on a voice/roll‑call vote moved Council Bill 35‑78 to its next reading, approving an agreement framework with Block Safety for license‑plate‑reading (LPR) cameras and related software.
The ordinance authorizes the city to pursue placement of LPR devices at several locations staff identified: in front of a Quick Trip store, at North Church and Highway 76, on Pleasant Valley Road at the west city limits, near Casey’s and by the bridge on Highway 69. Staff said the cameras will capture plate data and feed it to software managed under the Block Safety agreement; the resolution to place the bill on the next agenda passed after a roll call.
Why it matters: LPR systems are used by municipal police agencies to locate stolen vehicles, support investigations and generate leads from plate reads; they also raise questions about data retention, who may query the system and how privacy safeguards will be enforced. Council members asked staff if procedures were ready and were told use and retention protocols would be established before deployment.
Council member comments and staff responses included technical and location details. One council member asked where the cameras would be placed; staff responded with the list of high‑traffic locations and noted existing surveillance coverage in parts of the city. Council also asked staff to check the status of a camera outside a municipal building and whether any additional streets were uncovered.
The council’s vote to advance the ordinance does not itself authorize installation; staff said procedural guidelines would be prepared and returned for the council’s review. The item will return for a subsequent reading as Council Bill 35‑78 is placed on the next meeting agenda.
