The Bandera City Council fostered its new normal of high tension and fiery back-and-forth quips at its regularly scheduled Tuesday meeting, where it ultimately decided to delay a final decision on whether to move forward with the controversial Flock Safety camera contract.
Residents who attended the Feb. 18 Flock town hall made a second appearance at Tuesday’s meeting to ensure their voices were heard again — although council member Lynn Palmer was quick to note, for a second time, that many residents in attendance reside in the county and not within the city limits.
In direct response to a question about whether it is Palmer’s belief that county residents — who do not have a city council to represent them in Medina or Lakehills, two communities within Bandera County — should not have a say in city matters, Palmer provided the following statement: “I would never deny anyone the freedom of speech,” Palmer said. “City residents are more impacted by the big events and the city council decisions made for those who live in the city limits.”
Several residents spoke in opposition to the Flock camera contract, which had been placed on the agenda by council member Deanna McCabe.
“There is no oversight,” Jordan Franklin, a Bandera County resident, said. “It [the data] is open and easily abused.”
During Franklin’s public comment, Palmer appeared — according to Franklin — to fake a coughing fit, prompting Franklin to call Palmer “rude.”
Franklin went on to state she does not believe city officials, including Marshal Earl Heidelberg, have the right to track the coming and goings of residents. Another Bandera County resident, Mike Cooper, cited several ongoing issues with Flock Safety in various cities.
“In Eugene, Oregon, a contract was canceled by the police chief after a camera reactivated itself,” Cooper said. “In Santa Cruz, California, they voted to terminate the contract in January after citing surveillance fears. Flagstaff, Arizona, voted unanimously to cancel the contract; Evanston, Illinois, ordered removal after finding federal immigration officials accessed data in violation of state law. Several cities in Washington have canceled as well, along with Austin, Texas; Sedona, Arizona; and Denver, Colorado, all citing surveillance issues.”
In what began as an effort to address concerns raised by residents, council member Jeff Flowers opened a question- and-answer session with Heidelberg, but the discussion quickly devolved into a sarcastic what-if scenario that seemingly mocked the issues residents had raised.
“Does it tell us what they had for lunch?” Flowers asked Heidelberg. “What TV shows they like, what they stream? Does it have magic wheels that will follow people?”
Flowers also repeated points made by previous Flock Safety representatives: that Flock cameras only scan license plates tied to a crime; that data is deleted after 30 days; and that the city’s deputies would be the only ones with access to the data, with every login session recorded.
McCabe, who ran the meeting due to Mayor Denise Griffin’s absence, took issue with Flowers’ sarcastic questions.
“I wouldn’t even be so concerned, but Flock themselves — there are other camera companies that do not have the reputation that Flock does,” she said. “They’re not doing very well. So that’s what I’m saying — it’s not like you have to dumb this down for us.”
McCabe then attempted to make a motion to cancel the Flock Safety contract, but city attorney Matt Groves, along with interim City Manager Jill Dickerson and administrative assistant Stephanie Biggs, warned that the city would be liable for the $17,000 contracted cost.
McCabe and Breen expressed confusion, noting that the city had not yet received the $14,067 grant, which would have been used to cover the majority of the $17,000 contract with Flock Safety.
“The amount — it’s a reimbursement. The amount of that invoice is $17,001,” Biggs said. “The grant amount that we received is $14,067, leaving us liable for $2,834. If you’re going to pull us out of the contract, then we are responsible for that full amount.”
When McCabe requested that Groves provide the Flock contract, and despite it having been on the agenda a week prior, Groves did not have the documentation with him, sparking an outraged response from some attendees.
“We asked to see the terms and conditions last time,” Ivy Neal, a Bandera County resident, shouted.
Because Groves was unprepared, McCabe amended her motion to table the final decision until council members can review the contract and assess any financial liability.
In the same meeting, the council appointed Rhonda Raymond as municipal clerk; voted against changing the property zoning for Flour Sack from P3 to P4; agreed to keep Bandera City Park open with no charge to visitors due to high E. coli levels in the river; and sent a Transportation Alternatives grant of $478,000 — part of a $2.39 million award — to the Economic Development Corporation for consideration.
Palmer appeared frustrated through portions of the meeting, again stating that she wanted to “move things along,” having previously cited that meetings had run too long.
The council is expected to meet March 31 to address the agenda that was originally scheduled for the March 10 meeting, which had been canceled due to a tornado watch in the city.
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