Speaker numbers apply only to this recording. Names come from transcript evidence. “Possibly” marks uncertain attribution.
The Rockport City Council held its regular meeting on Tuesday, September 22, 2026, at 5:00 PM in the Council Chambers at City Hall. The meeting included a proclamation for "Paint the Town Green and Gold," public comments on several topics, unanimous approval of consent and ordinance items, and an extensive discussion on the Flock Safety automated license plate reader (ALPR) system. The open portion of the meeting concluded with an executive session at 6:31 PM.
The following items were approved unanimously via a single motion (motion by Councilmember Anderson, second by Councilmember Brundrett):
Item 7 – Solid Waste Fee Schedule (Ordinance 2026, Second Reading) Approved unanimously. The fee schedule was adjusted based on the Consumer Price Index.
Item 8 – Rezone 504 Young St to Light Industrial (Ordinance 2027, Second Reading) Approved unanimously, changing zoning from B-1 to I-1.
Item 9 – Rezone 733 S Church St to R-7 (Ordinance 2028, First Reading) The property owner, Rocky Gadim, requested rezoning from R-2 to R-7 to convert existing structures into professional offices for his construction company and his wife’s interior design practice. Staff report noted that the Planning and Zoning Commission recommended approval, with two public comments in favor and one opposed. The council heard public comments (none from the audience) and approved unanimously with discussion about signage and property values.
Item 10 – Correct Tax Increment Base Date (Ordinance 2029, First Reading) Approved unanimously. City Manager Shrauner explained that the ordinance corrects a scrivener’s error to reflect the intended base date of January 1, 2024.
Item 11 – Billboard for Tree Ordinance Awareness (Ordinance 2030, Only Reading) Approved unanimously. The ordinance authorizes a contract with Cooper Advertising, funded from the tree preservation and mitigation account, at approximately $9,800. The council was informed that the artwork may be reworked next year.
Item 12 – Resolution Requesting TML Support for Mandatory Credit Legislation Approved unanimously. Kimberly Henry reported that jail credit mandates have resulted in $155,981 in waived fees since December 2025, with an estimated $39,000 of that coming from the city’s general fund.
Item 13 – Adoption of Emergency Management Plan (Resolution 2026-42R) Approved unanimously. The plan establishes levels of readiness and emergency support functions for multi-jurisdictional coordination.
Item 14 – General Fund Appropriation for Downtown Lights ($36,080.10) Approved unanimously. The funds will purchase Christmas lights for downtown, City Hall, and the new restroom facility. City Manager Shrauner noted that the total downtown request included additional HOT-funded items.
Item 15 – Hotel Occupancy Tax Fund Awards (Resolution 2026-43R) Approved unanimously, allocating HOT funds to qualified nonprofit organizations for FY 2026-2027.
Chief Nathan Anderson delivered a presentation on the Flock camera system. He explained that the cameras capture license plates and vehicle characteristics only, not drivers. The data is currently retained for seven days (down from 30) and is not shared with other agencies. He reported that in 2025-2026, the system assisted in 60 cases, leading to 38 arrests, including serious crimes. He outlined three options for the council: continue under the current closed-loop system, add additional safeguards, or discontinue the agreement.
Councilmembers discussed public trust, data security, and potential legislative action. Councilmember Anderson (Ward 2) expressed support for the cameras, citing their benefit as a law enforcement tool and the strong policy safeguards in place. Councilmember Hattman (Ward 4) noted constituent distrust of the technology and suggested delaying a decision until the public has more information. City Manager Shrauner proposed bringing the item back for action after the new year, which was generally accepted. No vote was taken.
Ladies in general, we're sorry to be two minutes late, but the people was late for after the last meeting. So we're we're all here now. This is a regular city council meeting city of Rock Board for September 22nd. Ask you to join us for the Pledge of Allegiance. Ward 3, Ward 4. Here. Mayor, here we do have a quorum. First item on the agenda is citizens to be heard. I have got four folks here. Chris Beach. If you come right up to the podium and just give us your name, and you got three minutes, sir. My name is Chris Beach. I work for the Key Allegro Homeowners. And I was here today to talk briefly about block cameras. I understand the city might uh make a stand on it. We've had uh block camera system for Allegro since November of 2022. Um that's not all that. I know. Sorry, that is late. I think I have yet. Yes. Is it working as far as we know now? It's just my computer's slow. I apologize. That's okay. You can start over as soon as we as soon as she tells me it's all right. All right, well, Ronnie, you got three minutes. Okay, thank you. Uh name's Chris Beach, work for the Keelagro Homeowners Association here to talk about Flock cameras. Um we contacted Flock and had an uh installation start in November of 2022. Um we're on a lease agreement with them. We paid a small uh install fee uh at that time, and we spent about 4,500 a year for those camera systems uh along about April of 23, uh was about the time we got coordinated with uh Rockport uh police department. Um my understanding is is it as in a statewide network, um it's a licensed uh plate reader only, and it uh has an automatic trigger for people that are already in the state police system as for stolen vehicles or whatever crime might be that automatically flags them if they uh come across. Um there's no uh use of the camera systems by uh the board or myself or anybody on Key Allegro, it's just tied directly to uh Rockport Police Department. I would say that I do the security report every month for the board and the residents. Uh our crimes way down, and uh I believe that uh it might be due in part to this camera system. Um I know that there's a lot of concerns about uh public information, accessibility, so on and so forth. You know, I carry a uh smartphone, and that thing knows what I'm doing and seems to notify everybody in the country and and abroad as to what I want or where it's been. Um for us, it seems to be working. I speak on behalf of the board. Um, I don't speak on behalf of all residents on Key Allegro, but uh for us it seems like it's been a pretty good deal. Um that's all.