Sterling Heights City Council Meeting - July 22, 2026

The Sterling Heights City Council met on July 22, 2026, to address a range of items including property value rankings, a police department strategic planning contract, and public concerns over the Flock automated license plate reader (ALPR) system. The meeting began with a city manager report, a Nice Neighbor Award presentation, approval of appointments to boards and commissions, and a discussion on a proposed $88,500 strategic planning consulting contract for the police department. Public comments centered on privacy and surveillance issues related to Flock cameras, followed by council debate and responses from police leadership.

Consent Calendar

• The consent agenda (with the exception of item D, moved to consideration item 8B) was approved unanimously.
• The Arts Commission appointment was postponed to the August 5, 2026 regular city council meeting.
• Danelian Hovig was appointed to the Economic Development Corporation Brownfield Authority for a term ending June 30, 2030.
• Brian Dilworth was appointed to the Economic Development Corporation Brownfield Authority for a term ending June 30, 2031.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Philip Decker (Sterling Heights resident) voiced objections to the Flock ALPR system, citing concerns about data sharing with 1,842 external agencies, lack of oversight, and potential misuse by ICE. He questioned the effectiveness of an annual audit of only 10 searches out of 5,000 per year.
• Tabu (concerned citizen) echoed privacy concerns, arguing that Flock constitutes warrantless surveillance and violates the Fourth Amendment. He also raised questions about other high-tech enforcement tools like drones.
• Chris Garr (Royal Oak resident) criticized Flock as a private company creating a national registry, noted the CEO's characterization of opponents as 'terrorists,' and highlighted risks of data misuse by employees and other agencies.
• An additional speaker expressed concerns about overreach in crime-fighting tools, stating that law-abiding citizens' daily movements are being logged and shared broadly, and called for third-party audits.
• A resident requested a private meeting with the police chief regarding a concern, which the chief agreed to.

Discussion Items

• City Manager Report: Mark Vanderpool presented property value rankings, highlighting that Sterling Heights ranks in the top five statewide and number one in Macomb County. Residential property values grew an average of 6% over the past year. He also promoted Sterlingfest (July 23–25) and National Night Out (August 5, 5:30–8:00 PM).
• Nice Neighbor Award: Tim Martell was recognized for helping his widowed neighbor with a roof leak, connecting her with a Spanish-speaking contractor, and performing yard work. The award was approved unanimously.
• Strategic Planning Consulting Services: The council considered a proposal from Eagle Hill Consulting LLC for a police department strategic plan with an $88,500 first-year expenditure. Discussion focused on whether the plan was a 'strategic cultural plan' versus a 'strategic plan.' City Attorney Khashubski clarified that a strategic plan can include cultural elements. Eagle Hill's representative, Gwen Chandler, explained the three-phase approach: discovery, analysis, and recommendation, emphasizing organizational effectiveness. Council members expressed support, noting the department's recent leadership changes (new chief, two captains, three lieutenants, six sergeants) and the need for alignment. The motion carried unanimously.
• Flock ALPR System: During communications from citizens, several speakers criticized the Flock system. In response, Chief Satterfield stated that data is not shared with federal agencies, audits are now conducted monthly (instead of annually), and the system does not use facial recognition. He cited a recent bank robbery solved using Flock. Councilman Radke expressed opposition, arguing the system creates a 'virtual panopticon' and asked for logs of searches from the past year to review which agencies are querying and why. The council agreed without objection to provide those records. Mayor Taylor committed to keeping an open mind and finding a balance between safety and liberty.

Key Outcomes

• The consent agenda was approved as amended (item D moved to consideration).
• The arts commission appointment was postponed to the August 5, 2026 meeting.
• Danelian Hovig and Brian Dilworth were appointed to the Economic Development Corporation Brownfield Authority (terms ending 2030 and 2031 respectively).
• The strategic planning contract with Eagle Hill Consulting LLC ($88,500 first year) was approved unanimously.
• The council requested and received no objection to providing a year's worth of Flock search logs for review.
• The meeting was adjourned after final reports.