Two recent Auburn City Council decisions returned to the center of Thursday’s meeting. A nearly $1 million police technology agreement that some council members now want to examine more closely, and a firefighters’ contract the council rejected last week.
Residents challenged both decisions during public comment Oct. 1. Later, council members spent roughly 17 minutes discussing Axon’s software and agreed to arrange a conversation with police, the company and a resident who had raised detailed questions. Firefighter negotiations were among the subjects listed for a closed executive session.
Council seeks closer look at Axon features
Jenna Powers and Jason Teeter argued that council members had treated the Axon agreement as a body-camera renewal without fully examining the software and data features included in it. They questioned how footage could be collected, analyzed and shared, and whether the city had adequate privacy safeguards.
The council unanimously approved the $999,999.60 five-year Axon agreement in September. It covers body cameras, Tasers, digital evidence services and related software beginning in July 2027. Residents raised questions about its technology at the following council meeting, prompting officials to promise more information.
On Thursday, Councilor Terry Cuddy said he had understood the vote largely as a continuation of the existing body-camera program. He said he regretted approving additional capabilities he did not fully understand and wanted to examine whether any should be removed from the agreement. Councilor Rhoda Overstreet-Wilson also called for a closer look, including at questions about footage recorded in schools.
Police Chief Matt Androsko told council that officers have used features such as video redaction and tagging for years. He said police seek a homeowner’s consent or a warrant before obtaining privately owned camera footage for an investigation. When Councilor Craig Diego asked whether the disputed features were new, Androsko said he did not know exactly when each capability became available but that the department had been using them.
The discussion did not establish a complete list of what has changed under the newly approved agreement. Cuddy called for Teeter’s questions to be addressed directly; Diego said Axon should participate as well. The mayor asked whether other agencies using Axon could provide insight into their policies and safeguards. No vote to amend or reconsider the agreement occurred Thursday.
Firefighters defend staffing protections
Earlier, Auburn Professional Firefighters Local 1446 President Ryan Guerrette defended the bargaining process behind the proposed agreement that council rejected 3-2 on Sept. 24.
That proposal would have reduced the contractual staffing level from 71 to 65 and minimum staffing per shift from 14 to 12. Opponents on council questioned costs and language protecting positions from elimination for budget reasons. Supporters pointed to concessions the union had already made.
Guerrette said any renewed debate over staffing should examine Auburn’s current emergency demands, including call volume, simultaneous incidents and the types of buildings firefighters serve. He argued that a city staffing study from 2003 is too old to settle the question today. He also acknowledged pressure from health insurance costs while asking whether proposed changes would lower those costs or shift more of them to employees.
Brian Tukey, vice president of the Cayuga Central Labor Council, urged officials to weigh the quality and safety of emergency service alongside the city’s finances.
Council made no public decision on a new firefighter agreement Thursday. City Manager Jenny Haines identified three collective-negotiation matters before council voted to enter executive session.
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