Hi neighbors,
The City has released updated draft documents for the September 25 council meeting on Flock cameras. These include a revised policy, a new data-sharing MOU, a statement of community values, and an ordinance to re-establish the Community Policing Advisory Board.
Compared to the July drafts, these new versions reflect real movement. City staff, City Manager Jeff Niten, and especially Councilmember Bryan Wahl deserve credit for taking resident concerns seriously and moving to address them. Wahl in particular has been more than willing to meet with residents, listen carefully, and bring our concerns forward. These revisions wouldn’t exist without that partnership.
Here’s what has changed:
Policy 617 (Flock Camera Use)
Audit requirements increased eightfold: from 10 random searches once a year to 20 random searches each quarter — meaning at least 80 per year.
No more vague justifications: searches must cite a case number or a clearly articulated safety concern.
Ties to the Keep Washington Working Act: makes explicit that the state’s immigration law applies.
Continues to prohibit immigration enforcement, protest monitoring, and tracking people going to healthcare.
Read the updated policy here: Mountlake Terrace Police Department Policy 617
MOU (Data Sharing with Other Agencies)
Extends the same restrictions in the revised policy to outside partners:
No immigration enforcement.
No vague “community safety” reasons.
No protest or healthcare tracking.
Prohibits forward sharing MLT data with any entity or organization not a party to the MOU.
Still allows either party to cancel with 60 days’ notice.
Read the updated MOU here: Memorandum of Understanding for AUTOMATED LICENSE PLATE READERS DATA SHARING
Community Values Resolution
Reframed as a formal Council resolution instead of a City Manager statement.
Stronger language that Flock data will not be used for immigration enforcement, protests, or reproductive healthcare tracking.
Commits to publishing policies, audit logs, and MOUs online; reporting through newsletters; and ensuring oversight via both a DEI subcommittee and a new Advisory Board.
Read the resolution here: A Resolution of the Mountlake Terrace, WA Clearly Stating the City Council’s Community Values
Community Policing Advisory Board Ordinance
Re-establishes a 7-member board with residents, DEI Commission members, a high school student, a business representative, and someone with law enforcement experience.
Explicit duty to review the Flock system.
Must meet quarterly, open to the public, with annual reports.
Read the updated ordinance here: An Ordinance of the City of Mountlake Terrace, Washington, Repealing and Replacing Mountlake Terrace Municipal Code Chapter 2.40, Related to the Community Policing Advisory Board
The Best Path Forward
The revisions on the table represent meaningful progress and show that city leadership is listening. But they don’t address the fundamental problem: Flock is a private surveillance company that has shown they will always put its interests above ours.
Section 5.3 of the City’s contract still gives Flock the discretion to share our data whenever it claims a “good faith belief” disclosure is necessary. That means Flock can act without a warrant, without notice, and without our city’s consent.
No matter how strong our local policies or MOUs appear, they cannot override this contract language. That’s why the safest, most fiscally responsible, and most values-driven choice remains the same: cancel the contract before the cameras are installed.
What You Can Do on September 25
The September 25 council meeting includes a public hearing. It’s a critical moment to show up and speak. Here’s how to frame your message:
Good: Reinstate the Community Policing Advisory Board and implement the proposed policy and MOU changes.
Better: Do everything under “Good,” but also pause implementation until the lawsuits in Stanwood and Sedro-Woolley are resolved. Proceeding now exposes Mountlake Terrace to significant legal and financial risk.
Best: Recognize the risks, accept the $27k as a sunk cost, and cancel the contract before the cameras go in.
When and How to Show Up
Thursday, September 25 at 7:00 p.m.📍 Mountlake Terrace City Hall
To speak:
In person: Show up early to sign in
On Zoom: Complete the Remote Public Comment Request Form at least 24 hours before the meeting begins. You will then be contacted by email to confirm your participation. If your reply to the confirmation email is not received by 4 p.m. on the meeting/public hearing date, you will not be allowed to comment remotely at that meeting, but you still can do so in person.
Can’t Attend? Submit a Written Comment
Email: [email protected]📥 CC: all councilmembers📤 BCC (optional): [email protected]👉 Click here to email them all
Submit by 4:00 p.m. on September 25 to be included in the meeting record.
This is our chance to decide what kind of community we want to be. Let’s show up.
In resistance,
Dustin