Auburn officials moved several major city projects forward Thursday while a lengthy public comment period and council discussion centered heavily on automated license plate readers, police accountability and privacy concerns.
While the biggest headline to come from the night was the city’s data center moratorium, which passed unanimously, there were an array of other items discussed during the session.
It included updates on harmful algal bloom treatment, the $6.9 million Lake Avenue Bridge project, downtown parking changes and a proposed state-backed improvement project at Hoopes Park.
Mayor Jimmy Giannettino opened the meeting by introducing Ventris Gibson, the newly hired executive director of Harriet Tubman Home Inc.
Gibson, a Navy veteran who previously served as director of the U.S. Mint and as an assistant secretary in the Department of Veterans Affairs, said she looked forward to building a long-term relationship between the Tubman Home and Auburn.
Flock cameras dominate public comment
Much of the public comment period focused on Auburn’s use of automated license plate readers supplied by Flock Safety.
Walker Goodmote of Mary Street urged the city to terminate its relationship with Flock and said any future license plate reader system should include strict safeguards governing how long information is retained and who can access it. He cited policies elsewhere that require data unrelated to active investigations to be deleted quickly.
Madison Hall of Francis Street said law enforcement needs effective investigative tools, but argued those benefits must be balanced against privacy and public oversight.
Hall also questioned how Auburn’s original Flock arrangement was approved, saying the City Council did not vote on the grant or contract before the cameras were deployed.
Seamus Green of Grove Avenue Extension called for the immediate termination of the Flock contract and a moratorium on artificial intelligence-powered surveillance technology until Auburn develops regulations governing its use.
Jenna Powers of Aurora raised concerns about location tracking, data accuracy and potential civil liability for municipalities using automated license plate readers.
Randy Thornton of Sheridan Street similarly urged the council to end the Flock arrangement and establish limits on data collection and retention.
Paul Farinelli of School Street said the technology poses broader concerns as surveillance systems become capable of connecting license plates with other identifying information and devices.
The repeated public comments prompted a lengthy discussion among council members later in the meeting.
Councilor Terry Cuddy asked that the Flock issue be placed on the agenda for the council’s upcoming work session. He said many of the concerns residents have raised are legitimate and suggested Auburn may need both a resolution governing automated license plate readers and a local law protecting private data.
Councilor Craig Diego agreed that the council should discuss the issue but said officials should also evaluate replacement technology so police are not left without an investigative tool if the city moves away from Flock.
Councilor Rhoda Overstreet-Wilson said she believed the discussion had gone on too long and again questioned why the system remained in operation if its original approval process did not properly involve the council.
She said any future system should establish clear standards governing where cameras are placed, what data justifies those locations, how long information is stored, who can access it and whether information can be viewed live or only after an incident.
Councilor Christina Calarco said officials also need to distinguish between Flock license plate readers, police body cameras and conventional surveillance cameras rather than treating all of them as the same technology.
Cuddy agreed, saying the central concern is automated license plate reader data and its potential integration into larger surveillance networks.
Police conduct also questioned
Another resident, Pamela O’Kussick, used the public comment period to raise concerns about excessive-force allegations and pending litigation involving members of the Auburn Police Department.
Her comments later prompted Overstreet-Wilson to call for a broader examination of police training and accountability.
Overstreet-Wilson said community policing efforts involving children are valuable but argued the department also needs to ensure officers are prepared to interact appropriately with teenagers and adults.
She said the city should examine training, emotional control, accountability and the financial effects of lawsuits involving the department.
Resident presses council on senior tax exemption
James Udall again urged city officials to increase the income limits used for Auburn’s senior and disabled homeowner property tax exemption.
Udall said the thresholds have not been adjusted in nearly seven years and argued that delays are making it harder for lower-income homeowners to afford city and county property taxes.
He estimated that changes could affect more than 800 Auburn households and criticized council members for not moving more quickly.
Drinking water concerns continue
Andrew Bishop again raised concerns about Auburn’s drinking water and the effectiveness of the city’s treatment system.
Bishop questioned whether current filtration methods adequately address contaminants and criticized the city’s response to records requests related to water testing.
Separately, City Manager Jennifer Haines reported that Auburn activated its powdered activated carbon treatment system Aug. 3 to address microcystin, the toxin associated with harmful algal blooms.
The city sent its first raw and finished water samples for laboratory analysis Aug. 6 and was awaiting results.
Haines said Auburn will continue following state Department of Health protocols and provide updates as HAB season progresses.
Lake Avenue Bridge remains on schedule
Haines also delivered an update on the Lake Avenue Bridge project, which carries a total contract value of slightly more than $6.9 million.
The project remains on schedule for substantial completion in July 2027, and city officials are not currently anticipating any change orders.
Crews have removed streetlight poles and the bridge’s brass plaque, installed environmental protections and begun removing the bridge deck and sidewalks.
Cleaning and priming of structural steel has also been completed, while workers have begun repointing stonework near the southern pier.
Upcoming work includes continued bridge deck removal, removal of an abandoned gas main and concrete repairs at the bridge abutments.
Haines said the city plans to provide bridge updates monthly.
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Auburn’s 2026 road program has also begun on Lake Avenue, with preparation underway for milling and paving.
Downtown parking system changes continue
The city is also moving forward with its new downtown parking system.
Haines said workers have been removing meters and nonworking kiosks while installing approximately 100 signs carrying information about Pango, Auburn’s parking payment application.
Kiosks will remain along the central portion of Genesee Street, in the parking garage and in the Dill Street lot.
Residents who do not want to use the application will still be able to pay by text message or telephone.
The city is working with the Auburn Downtown BID to help businesses and visitors understand the changes.
Hoopes Park project could receive state funding
Auburn is considering another project at Hoopes Park that would restore a streambank and replace the main bridge near the pond.
Haines said the Cayuga County Soil and Water Conservation District submitted the proposal, with 87.5% of the cost potentially covered through Eastern Finger Lakes Coalition funding.
The city’s 12.5% share could be covered through in-kind services rather than cash.
A resolution committing Auburn to the project is expected later this month.
Haines also reported that about 1,000 people attended the Auburn Police Department’s National Night Out event at Hoopes Park earlier in the week.
City moves forward with geothermal overhaul
The council unanimously authorized Auburn to seek up to $962,500 from NYSERDA toward the first phase of a $2.75 million geothermal HVAC modernization project.
The work would affect Memorial City Hall, Auburn Police Department headquarters and Auburn City Ambulance facilities at 24 South St., 46 North St. and 23 Market St.
The existing geothermal HVAC and domestic hot-water systems have reached the end of their useful lives.
The city previously authorized up to $2.75 million in borrowing for the work. The NYSERDA grant could cover 35% of the project cost.
The project represents the first phase of a broader effort to improve Auburn’s historic municipal buildings ahead of City Hall’s centennial in 2030.
Future work could include new windows, building-envelope improvements and energy-efficient lighting.
Council members approved the grant application unanimously.
Budget process review coming next week
Haines said the council will hold a debrief on the 2026-27 budget process during its Aug. 13 meeting.
That discussion is expected to include department-specific budget impacts as well as feedback from council members on what worked and what should change before the next spending plan is developed.
The meeting ended with the council entering executive session to discuss the financial history of a corporation, potential employment of a corporation and two collective bargaining matters.
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