Council Votes 5-4 to Keep Flock Cameras Off; Sets FY2027 Mill Rate at 28.88
Regular Meeting
Summarized by: claude-sonnet-4-6 | Date: 2026-07-06
- Council voted 5-4 against reactivating Flock Safety ALPR cameras; majority cited vendor data trustworthiness concerns rather than opposition to the technology itself
- FY2027 mill rate set at 28.88 mills on a net taxable grand list of $4.6 billion; tax bills due September 1st
- Council approved 3-year collective bargaining agreement with UPSEU Local 424 covering 10 public safety dispatchers; FY27 financial impact of $64,437 over prior budget
- $35,000 appropriated from unassigned fund balance for budgeting and capital project planning software to replace fragmented Excel-based system
- $38,480 cybersecurity infrastructure grant accepted; town's net cost after reimbursement is $9,620
- Windsor Little League representatives asked Council for continued support; league hosted 300+ players this spring and will host 12U state championship July 21-26
- Board of Education previewed new Early Learning Model launching September 2026 for K-2, eliminating screen-based learning in favor of small-group hands-on instruction
- Resident raised oversight concerns about police department adopting AI-based technologies without Council review, citing robotic dog with camera as recent example
The Council's most contested item was a 5-4 vote against reactivating the Flock Safety automated license plate reader system, with the majority citing concerns about the vendor's data stewardship rather than the technology itself. Police Chief Melanson outlined four specific cases hampered by the cameras' absence and noted a decline in case solvability rates since deactivation in February. Separately, the Council formally set the FY2027 mill rate at 28.88 mills and approved a new dispatcher labor contract and two technology appropriations totaling $73,480. A resident called on the Council to establish a formal oversight process for law enforcement technology adoption to prevent a repeat of the situation with Flock.