Sneaky Sneaky

(Use your back Key to return when you are done)

The Mayor, Town Council and Town Manager (Lisa Piering) really don't like me calling this a secret installation. But if not secret, it is really very well hidden. This is how they did it.

  • Notices were posted for public work sessions held 10/08/24 and 11/26/24 and in the Town Council "Packets" for 10/08/24 and 11/26/24. The public is always welcome to attend, but...
  • The notices did not mention that there would be a discussions of the Flock installation.
  • At the work sessions, of which there is no record, the $9000 expenditure was added to the budget as a capitol expense (see page 12 of the 2025 budget). The 2025 Budget was not posted on the Town's website until mid November of 2025.
  • The budget was approved on 12/10/24 at the Town Council meeting as New Business, item (h) which included General Fund.

    • At the October 28, 2025 Town Council meeting Todd was adamant that this was not done secretly. He placed the blame on YOU for not attending the meetings. Of course you should have known that there would be a discussion of Flock in the budget work sessions. See the video clip below.

    I talked with Lisa Piering following the October 28, 2025 Town Council Meeting because I found no reference to Flock on any agenda or in any minutes for any Town Council meeting. I wondered if there had been any notice to the public about plans to discuss Flock at either of the two work sessions. This is what she had to say.

    Here are the 2024 Work Session Notices. None of them even hint of a discussion about Flock. There appears to have been a presentation by the Flock Group on July 9, 2024 according to this email exchange, but only a select few got an invite to that meeting. There was no notice that it was open to the public.

    Lisa also told me that the budget was approved at the December 10, 2024 Town Council meeting under New Business, item (h). Watch the video excerpt below. The discussion and vote to approve the budget with Flock cameras hidden within the General Fund took all of 46 seconds.

    I did find a reference to Flock within the July 8, 2025 Town Council meeting packet. Way down on page 22 there is the $9000.00 payment to FLOCK GROUP INC. Andy questioned the payment during the discussion to approve the check register. He was told it was approved in the capitol budget. The whole clip is interesting, but the Flock comments start at 4:08 into the clip.

    There was no grant. The money was paid by check to Flock. I remain convinced that it was a secret installation. There was no effort to inform the public of this plan, presumably because every one from the Police, Town Council and Town Manager knew the public would not approve. A March 27, 2024 email from Chief Hamblin indicates that there is a plan to advertise the coming of the cameras. That never happened. He also notes that us "locals" 1 would use loopholes to get around the cameras if not placed in specific positions. Only the East end of town "loophole" was covered. Bypassing the River Road camera and the camera at 139 & 64 is easy.

    While it is unknown who attended the work sessions the following people were in positions noted below:


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