HomeMy WebLinkAbout260617 WSMINUTES
Eugene City Council
Work Session
Eugene, Oregon 97401
June 17, 2026
12:00 p.m.
Councilors Present: Matt Keating, Alan Zelenka, Jennifer Yeh, Mike Clark, Lyndsie Leech,
and Randy Groves
Councilors Absent: Eliza Kashinsky and Greg Evans
Mayor Knudson opened the June 17, 2026, Eugene City Council Work Session in a hybrid in-
person and virtual format at 500 E. 4th Avenue, North Building, Eugene, OR 97401.
1. WORK SESSION: Mass Surveillance Policy Discussion
City Manager Jenny Haruyama introduced the topic and Assistant City Manager Matt
Rodrigues, who provided background, outlining the types of camera-based and related
technologies currently in use by the City, emerging technologies under evaluation, and
examples of policy frameworks adopted in other cities.
Councilor Discussion: Police Auditor's Office Annual Report
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Councilor Zelenka -asked the role of Council in establishing surveillance policy;
noted when a matter becomes controversial or raises significant public concern, it
becomes a policy issue rather than a management issue; stated the Council should
approve the use of all surveillance technologies and should establish rules for their
deployment; noted support for grandfathering existing technologies and
emphasized the importance of a public input process; stated interest in drawing
from Berkeley, Portland, and San Jose as policy models and expressed a desire to
have a framework in place by the end of the year.
Councilor Clark-stated in support of the San Jose model, citing its flexibility and
focus on risk assessment; stated staff should exercise caution to avoid situations in
which technologies generate public controversy; asked questions regarding geo-
fencing warrants technology evaluation but emphasized broadly that a structured
policy process is needed.
Councilor Groves -stated support for developing a surveillance policy by the end of
the calendar year; noted in support of staff exploring technologies that improve
efficiency and stated the City bears responsibility for ensuring strong oversight;
stated that data storage, data retention, and limits on data use are especially
important; noted interest in learning more about existing programs; stated that
policy development should include public engagement and potentially citywide
polling.
MINUTES -Eugene City Council
Work Session
June 17, 2026 Page 1
• Councilor Yeh -stated support for a broad definition of surveillance technology and
for applying the policy citywide; stated that including a risk assessment component
would be beneficial, especially for emerging technologies; noted interest in staff
returning with a realistic timeline for completing this work; noted meaningful public
engagement may require multiple approaches and may extend the timeline; asked
whether the City currently has a comprehensive understanding of all relevant
technologies in use.
• Councilor Leech -stated support for implementing a surveillance policy which
includes both a public process and a Council review component; noted new
technology should not be introduced without early communication to both the
public and Council; stated support for the San Jose approach and asked who would
conduct risk assessments under such a framework; stated support for
grandfathering existing technologies; emphasized the importance of a measured
process to ensure transparency and community trust; asked staff for feedback on
realistic timelines moving forward.
• Mayor Knudson -noted the strong shared interest in developing a citywide
surveillance policy and expressed support for a strategic, phased approach that
aligns with Council's existing six-month work plan; stated by focusing early on
emergent technologies, it would allow for efficient progress while broader elements
of the policy are developed over time; emphasized that a policy framework within
six months would be valuable.
• Councilor Zelenka -stated the City can accelerate its work by learning from cities
that have already developed policy frameworks; noted the complexity of
surveillance technologies and emphasized that existing technologies should be
grandfathered while new technologies are reviewed under updated policies; stated
a policy should be in place before any future work involving automated license plate
recognition (ALPR).
• Mayor Knudson -stated she has been in communication with mayors from several
cities referenced in the discussion and noted that each community approaches
surveillance, public safety, and community engagement differently; noted the Mayor
of San Jose is particularly forward-thinking regarding technology and artificial
intelligence, influenced by his professional background in the technology sector;
stated the examples from Berkeley, Portland, and San Jose offer valuable lessons and
expressed interest in understanding how the City's experience over the past year
compares with recent state legislative action, including Senate Bill 1516; asked how
the new legislative framework might support or guide the City's own work; noted
this discussion occurred simultaneously with intense community conversations
about technology and internal efforts to learn from past practices; emphasized the
importance of retaining lessons from the early termination of the Flock contract and
asked for contextualization of how the City's ongoing work aligns with the State's
evolving approach.
MINUTES -Eugene City Council
Work Session
June 17, 2026 Page 2
• Councilor Zelenka -stated the recently adopted state legislation on ALPR sets a
baseline but does not go far enough in terms of security and transparency; noted the
City should consider going beyond state requirements to strengthen protections.
The meeting was adjourned at 12:49 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
Katie LaSala
City Recorder
(Recorded by Rosa Roach)
Link to the webcast of this City Council meeting here .
MINUTES -Eugene City Council
Work Session
June 17, 2026 Page 3