FLOCK OF SEAGULLS

I just ran, I ran all night and day

I couldn’t get away … 

Perhaps Mammoth Councilwoman Chris Bubser was having a “Flock of Seagulls” flashback – the refrain of their 1982 hit “I Ran (So Far Away)” quoted above. 

For Bubser spearheaded the pushback (or at least delay) against an MLPD funding request at Council’s regular meeting on Wednesday for $25,000. 

The request, presented by Sgt. Jason Hellman, was for the proposed installation of eight palm-sized videocameras by Flock Safety, a private company based in Georgia. 

According to the Council staff report, these cameras are better described as ALPRs (Automatic License Plate Readers). 

These motion-activated cameras are limited to capturing license plates only – and are not used for facial recognition or to identify people. They’re not even meant to capture expired registration stickers. 

Rather, they simply capture license plates and take photos. A whole lot of photos. Which are uploaded to AWS (Amazon Web Services), run through a database, and stored for thirty days. 

They are solar-powered, high-definition, self-heated, and are built to perform in colder environments as they can be equipped with additional battery packs during snowy interludes. 

*Though who knows how they would’ve performed in the winter of 2022-2023. 

As the staff report lays out, “The implementation of an ALPR program will aid the MLPD in its investigative efforts in the following ways: 

*Locate vehicles that are stolen, involved in criminal activity, or wanted by law enforcement.

*Provide leads to assist with investigations into crimes committed within the Town

*Detect vehicles associated with missing persons and at-risk persons. 

*Detect vehicles associated with subjects with outstanding arrest warrants or otherwise lawfully sought. 

Heilman gave a real-world example as to how the ALPR system could be useful. 

A few years ago, there were a rash of catalytic converter thefts within town. 

MLPD managed to obtain a photo of the suspect vehicle from a security camera, but could not make the license plate. 

With ALPR, they would’ve likely captured a plate for this vehicle which also would have provided a time stamp. 

Police Chief Dan Casabian also referenced a recent conversation with Mono County Sheriff Ingrid Braun. 

If the County even had a few ALPR cameras on Highway 6, the chances of solving the Karlie Guse case quickly would have been greatly enhanced, because you would have had a record of who was traveling along the highway during the relevant time frame. 

And as has become commonplace in the Andrew Morris (Town Attorney) era, Truckee (the other town he serves) was cited. 

It decided to enter into a contract with Flock Safety a few years ago for the installation of 17 cameras. After the initial one-year trial period, Truckee was satisfied enough to bump its camera total to 23. 

A news story out of Grass Valley (former Town Manager Dan Holler’s old haunt) was also discussed by Hellman. 

He said the installation of ALPR led to the recovery of 36 stolen vehicles and helped solve cases related to ATM skimmers and catalytic converter theft. 

But during Council discussion, the emphasis shifted to debating the balance between personal privacy and public safety. 

Bubser pointed out that once data’s created, it can quickly evade our best attempts at control. 

Councilman John Wentworth cited the “creepy factor.” 

But Mayor Bill Sauser was having none of it. 

“We’ve just spent an hour and fifteen minutes on a $25,000 contract,” he said. And the privacy sacrificed via a license plate reader pales in comparison to all the data and information we give away every day on our phones and computers. 

Bubser countered that it’s one thing to share our own personal data and a whole other thing to gather and share public data. 

Council voted to delay for a few weeks so that Bubser could meet with Flock reps and gather more information. 

“I want to exhaust every possible option [before I settle for this],” she said. 

In other Council news … the Town appears on the verge of floating $29 million in bonds to support the construction of new taxeater offices (but what they refer to as a “Civic Center”) on land which abuts the Mono County “Civic Center.”

The construction bid itself came in at $26.9 million, almost $4 million greater than the project estimate but less than the $33 million ceiling Council had allocated for the project.  

Then a $2 million contingency is built in to reach the $29 million number. 

Town Manager Rob Patterson said the bonds are expected to be set in the 4.35% to 4.45% interest range. 

That’s $1.3 million in annual interest alone ($29 million at 4.45%)

The term length being contemplated is 25 years.

The first item on the agenda was a workshop between Council and the Mammoth Lakes Tourism board. 

Despite the recent paltry numbers (occupancy numbers in the teens last week and in the low 20s this week), MLT Executive Director John Urdi said he expected annual TOT for fiscal year 2023-202 to come in at a healthy $27-28 million. 

He said the organization’s #1 goal in the year ahead is community engagement and supporting local residents and business. 

And MLT will also launch a “Powered by Tourism Dollars” campaign to explain to locals how much tourism does for them. 

He cited resident sentiment research which showed that more than 90% believe tourism is important, but less than half see how it helps them directly.

Michael Vanderhurst, head of international marketing, trumpeted Mammoth’s “international B2B trainings” and the reopening of its China office. 

Councilman John Wentworth cautioned on a big investment in China however, noting that one presidential candidate has promised big tariffs if elected. 

Chris Bubser celebrated MLT’s “great hiring” of Community Engagement Director Betsy Truax, who starts July 1. 

The Sheet asked Truax who would pick up the slack and manage the MACC (Mammoth Arts and Cultural Center) expansion project at the Mammoth Lakes Foundation. 

Truax said former Mammoth Public Works Director Grady Dutton would slide in as the Project Manager. 

Two other items of note related to the Foundation property at College Parkway. 

The construction of a new community dog park, which will feature 5,000-square feet of artificial turf to be marked and re-marked ad infinitum, should be completed by the end of July. It will include 40 parking spaces which will undoubtedly be occupied nightly by Sprinter Vans by about mid-August. 

Then there’s the new “Childcare Center,” which involves the transplant of six portable classrooms from the high school. Location: Adjacent to the current Edison Theater parking lot. The trailers will be placed on new concrete slabs according to Engineering Manager Amy Callahan. Estimated time for completion: Three months. 

Finally, this was a little bizarro. 

And I know we’re supposed to say that no question is a dumb question, but … 

During the MLT presentation, Mammoth Councilwoman Amanda Rice interrupted at one point to ask what “F and B” was.

Which woudn’t be so puzzling if Rice didn’t own an F&B (catering) business. 

I’m assuming this was just a brain fart.