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We are attending Redmond City Council meeting this Wednesday, November 12, to show our support for the Council's decision to disable Flock's license plate readers. We want Redmond to go further and cancel their contract with Flock. This is also your chance to learn how to make public comments in front of the Council! Having said that, just showing up is important. We need your support!

Agenda

  • 6:30 pm: we will meet outside Council chambers and sign up to comment (commenting is optional)
  • 7:00 pm: meeting starts, we wait for everyone who signed up to be called and comment
  • 8:00 pm or somewhat later: once everyone has commented, we will hangout for a bit somewhere warm

How to comment

Regular Council meetings have a segment called Items from the Audience, when residents can address the Council for three minutes on any topic, and this is when we'll speak. Not sure how to structure your comment? Here's a template:

  • Start by stating your name and relationship to Redmond. Example: Good evening Mayor and Council members. My name is Jane Doe, and I work in Redmond.
  • State what your position is. Do you support/oppose something? Say it clearly. No matter how prepared you are for the rest of the comment, the Council will remember that. Example: I strongly support the Council's decision to disable Flock cameras in our city.
  • Provide arguments for your position if you have them. If everything you wanted to say has already been said by someone else, it's fine to say that you support the arguments made by previous speakers. Example: Access to data collected by Flock has been abused by federal agencies all over the country, and letting them collect data in Redmond makes me feel less secure, not more.
  • End with what you want the Council to do. Example: I want the City to go further and cancel the contract completely.
  • Thank the Council for their attention.

Tips:

  • Keep it short and to the point. Short comments are easier to digest.
  • It's OK to read from your notes.
  • This is not the time to ask the Mayor and the Council any questions, unless the questions are rhetorical. They don't have to respond and probably won't.
  • If you can, practice your comment beforehand to make sure you can fit it in three minutes.
  • You can learn more about more ways to participate in Redmond here: https://www.redmond.gov/DocumentCenter/View/9076/Public-Meetings-Participation-Guide?bidId=.

What is Flock and why we do not support it

Flock is a company that provides AI-powered Automated License Plate Readers (ALPRs). The data they collect is stored in the cloud and can be accessed by people outside of the jurisdiction of collection, sometimes even without the jurisdiction's consent. Flock has become notorious this year because it's been actively assisting DHS/ICE. and the company has poor security track record. More information:

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