Auburn City Council Meeting – August 10, 2026

The Auburn City Council met on August 10, 2026, at 1225 Lincoln Way. The meeting included a consent calendar, extensive public comment on automated license plate readers (ALPR), a public hearing on mobile food vendor regulations, an informational presentation on the Surplus Land Act, and adoption of revised council rules.

Consent Calendar

• Item 1: Resolution approving funding for one Fire Captain position.
• Item 2: Resolution approving a FY 2026‑27 budget adjustment of $40,000 to purchase a hybrid pickup truck for Auburn Airport operations and surplus vehicle AIR‑2.
• Item 3: Resolution authorizing Amendment No. 5 to the professional services agreement with Mark Thomas & Company, Inc. for on‑call storm drain design services.
• Item 4: Resolution authorizing acceptance of $231,013.84 from the California Highway Patrol CTF Grant Program for one DUI patrol pickup, one DUI patrol motorcycle, a SoToxa Mobile Narcotics Analyzer, and directed overtime DUI enforcement and prevention outreach.
• Item 5: Resolution appointing applicants to the Youth Advisory Commission for the 26/27 school year. Councilmember Dowden Calvio recused herself because her daughter was an applicant.
• Item 6: Resolution approving an amended and restated agreement for legal services with Colantuono, Highsmith & Whatley, PC.

All consent items were approved unanimously (5‑0) except Item 5, which passed 4‑0 (with recusal).

Public Comments & Testimony

Approximately 15 members of the public spoke, almost exclusively opposing the City’s use of Flock (ALPR) cameras. Key points:

• Nick Zigueris (longtime Auburn resident, 30‑year public safety career) stated he does not support Flock cameras, citing privacy concerns and reports of misuse by officers.
• Zoe Haskins (Auburn resident) submitted a public records request for audit logs and found 4.5 million searches from over 4,000 out‑of‑state and federal agencies, including the FBI and U.S. Border Patrol, for the 12 cameras within city limits from 2022‑2026. She argued this violates California Civil Code 1798.90.55 and Senate Bill 34, and that Auburn continued sharing data after a 2023 Attorney General bulletin prohibited out‑of‑state sharing until 2025. She requested the item be placed on the next agenda and the contract ended.
• Jared Level described Flock as “a new generation of mass surveillance” that can track vehicles, bicycles, and even humans using AI (Freeform feature). He noted that the nationwide network creates a “data lake” of time‑stamped images.
• Blaine Smith (17, early graduate) noted multiple cases of officers using Flock to track people without cause and cited incidents where cities bagged cameras but Flock turned them back on.
• Scott Johnson recounted receiving a false toll bill from a Bay Area bridge authority due to a misread license plate, illustrating a 71% error rate reported in Roseville.
• Jack Parker (former Marine) argued that ALPR cameras violate Fourth Amendment principles, create a surveillance state, and shift the burden of proof to defendants. He cited safety guideline violations and data from multiple vendors (Motorola, Axon, Recor).
• Alicia Watkins (30‑year resident) described Flock employee misconduct in Georgia (streaming footage from a gym and a children’s gymnastics class) and noted that LAPD allowed its Flock contract to expire because it was “a step too far.”
• Stuart Wanger (no prepared remarks) emphasized that opposition to the cameras is bipartisan.
• Adam Lee (CDCR software engineer) explained that Flock cameras can ping smartphone Wi‑Fi/Bluetooth signals to build profiles and associate devices with license plates, raising privacy and false‑positive risks.
• Derek (from outside the area) said he avoids Auburn because of Flock cameras and cited four Supreme Court cases (Carpenter, Katz, Kyllo, and Shatrey) that he believes make the cameras illegal.
• Melisabeth (resident) requested complete transparency on data retention, access, and safeguards, and at minimum a stop to further expansion.
• Additional speakers echoed concerns about cameras being misdirected, recording backyards, and lack of oversight.

The City Clerk noted that nine emails opposing Flock cameras had been received and were available. Mayor Davis directed staff to hold a community forum in September to address questions and collect data on benefits, problems, and contract terms. A council report would follow the forum.

Discussion Items

• Public Hearing – Mobile Food Vendors (Item 7): Economic Development Director Jonathan Wright presented an ordinance amending Section 159.180 of the Municipal Code. The change allows food trucks on private property (off‑street) in Old Town and Downtown (as shown on a revised map) for up to six hours per 24‑hour period and no more than five times within 30 days as an ancillary use for existing businesses. Longer or more frequent use requires a conditional use permit. The two‑hour limit from the 2013 ordinance is removed. The ordinance requires written authorization from both the property owner and the business operator, notification to the planning department, and compliance with health codes (including restroom and hand‑washing facilities). The ordinance was supported by the Auburn Area Chamber of Commerce (Michelle Tuggle) and a local business owner (Dallas Drake). No opposition was voiced. Council held the first reading, passing 5‑0. A second reading will occur at the next meeting (two weeks later), with the ordinance taking effect 30 days after final adoption.

• Surplus Land Act Presentation (Item 8): City Attorney Gary Bell provided an informational overview of the Surplus Land Act (Gov. Code §§ 54220‑54234). The law regulates the sale or long‑term lease (≥15 years) of city property, requiring a declaration of surplus or exempt surplus land, a notice of availability, good‑faith negotiations with affordable‑housing sponsors and other agencies, and affordability covenants. Exemptions include properties under ½ acre (if not contiguous), transfers to other government agencies, and land legally restricted from housing. Airport property is exempt as a federally obligated airport. Discussion focused on the Carnegie Library and Old City Hall, which are leased to nonprofits. Councilmembers expressed frustration that state law forces an expensive process even when leasing to community‑benefit organizations. Council directed staff to begin the process for those two buildings, potentially with help from outside experts. No vote was taken.

• Adoption of Revised City Council Rules and Procedures (Item 9): Councilmember Riddle Harris proposed an amendment to Section 5‑A to add a three‑month moratorium on placing substantially similar agenda items after a majority of council votes not to proceed, unless a majority later directs otherwise or state law requires. The amendment was accepted, and the revised rules were approved 5‑0.

• City Manager Report (Item 10): Interim City Manager reported: the city manager recruitment will launch within days; the General Plan Update and Environmental Impact Report are out for public review (Planning Commission study session August 18, public hearings in October/November); a new business license system (HDL) is transitioning smoothly; and three Auburn firefighters were deployed on a “hired assignment” with CalFire (paid by CalFire, maintaining local coverage).

• Future Agenda Items (Item 11): None of substance; a kickball game between the city and Chamber of Commerce on August 14 was mentioned.

• City Council Committee Reports (Item 12): Reports covered upcoming town halls, free movies in the park (Saturdays through September 5), a meeting with Congressman Barra regarding SACOG projects, Councilmember Amara’s re‑election to the Cal Cities board, youth commission appointments, and the Placer County Air Pollution Control District meeting on August 13.

Key Outcomes

• Consent calendar approved with recusal on Item 5 (5‑0, except 4‑0 for Item 5).
• Food truck ordinance introduced on first reading (5‑0); second reading scheduled for next meeting.
• Staff directed to hold a community forum on Flock cameras in September and report back to council.
• Council directed staff to begin the Surplus Land Act process for the Carnegie Library and Old City Hall leases.
• Revised City Council Rules adopted (5‑0), including the three‑month reconsideration limitation.
• Council member Amara re‑elected to a third two‑year term on the Cal Cities board.