Fort Collins City Council on May 19: Flock camera policy review advances as libraries, consent agenda and staff reviews move forward

Fort Collins City Council’s May 19 meeting centered on next steps for the city’s debated camera policy, while also taking up Poudre Libraries’ annual update, approving a broad consent agenda and scheduling a special meeting for midyear staff reviews.

The sharpest public push came over the city’s Flock camera program, where dozens of residents urged council to end or significantly limit the system over privacy, data retention and outside-agency access. Council did not take a formal vote that night, but indicated it wants staff to return June 2 with options on data-retention limits and whether automatic sharing with outside agencies should continue.

Council also heard Poudre Libraries’ annual report and Southeast library update, which highlighted expanded digital collections, social-service partnerships, civic programming and plans for a significantly larger library inside the Southeast Community Center expected to open in 2028. Separately, council approved its 14-item consent calendar unanimously, advancing a package that included annexation and zoning measures, corridor items, waste-program ordinances, court code updates, budget appropriations, meeting minutes and a Platte River Power Authority appointment.

During other business, the council also called a June 9 special meeting for midyear reviews of direct-report employees, setting up a 6 p.m. session to consider going into executive session for those performance reviews.