Form revised February 4, 2010

 

FISCAL NOTE FOR NON-CAPITAL PROJECTS

 

Department:

Contact Person/Phone:

DOF Analyst/Phone:

Legislative

Sara Belz, 4-5382

NA

 

Legislation Title:

AN ORDINANCE relating to surveillance cameras in Seattle parks; amending the title of Chapter 18.14 of the Seattle Municipal Code; and amending Sections 18.14.010, 18.14.020, 18.14.030, 18.14.040 18.14.060, 18.14.080, 18.14.090, and 18.14.100 of the Seattle Municipal Code.

 

·         Summary of the Legislation:

 

This legislation would amend Chapter 18.14 of the Seattle Municipal Code (SMC) to terminate a surveillance camera program that was launched in Cal Anderson Park in 2008.  It would also recognize a similar surveillance program that is currently underway along 23rd Avenue at the Garfield Community Center/Medgar Evers Pool and require those cameras to be brought into compliance with the protocol the City Council developed in 2008 to govern the installation and use of cameras in City parks.  This legislation would also amend SMC 18.14 to make the following changes to that protocol:

 

-          Limit the use of parks surveillance cameras to 23rd Avenue at the Garfield Community Center/Medgar Evers Pool only. 

 

-          Require additional ordinance authority to install cameras in other City parks or to install more cameras along 23rd Avenue at the Garfield Community Center/Medgar Evers Pool.

 

-          Direct Seattle Police Department (SPD) personnel to establish baseline settings for each camera.  The cameras would be placed in their baseline settings whenever they are used for passive monitoring.  Baseline settings could include operating cameras in panning mode. 

 

-          Require SPD and Department of Parks and Recreation (DPR) staff to prepare an annual summary report on the outcomes of the surveillance program.

 

-          Remove language in SMC 18.14 that refers to the surveillance program as a time-limited “pilot” project.

 

-          Implement administrative edits to SMC 18.14.

 

·         Background:  (Include brief description of the purpose and context of legislation and include record of previous legislation and funding history, if applicable):

 

In June 2008, the City Council passed Ordinance 122705, which authorized a pilot program to place a total of 12 surveillance cameras in four Seattle parks:  Cal Anderson, Hing Hay, Occidental Square, and Victor Steinbrueck.  However, due to City budget constraints caused by changing economic conditions, cameras were never installed in Hing Hay, Occidental Square, or Victor Steinbruek parks.  The pilot phase of the Cal Anderson surveillance program concluded in late January 2010.  After reviewing the outcomes of the pilot program and considering the impacts of recent design improvements on the safety of Cal Anderson Park, the membership of the City Council’s Parks and Seattle Center Committee determined that the Cal Anderson Park cameras should be removed.   

 

Additionally, in April 2009, DPR installed three cameras outside the Garfield Community Center and Medgar Evers Pool.  All three of the cameras were installed along 23rd Avenue.  Similar to the cameras in Cal Anderson Park, the cameras along 23rd Avenue are linked to a monitoring station at SPD’s West Precinct.  When the 23rd Avenue cameras were installed, the Department of Finance instructed SPD personnel to operate those cameras consistent with the protocol that had been established for parks cameras.  However, that directive was never formalized via ordinance.      

 

·         Please check one of the following:

 

_X _    This legislation does not have any financial implications.  (Stop here and delete the remainder of this document prior to saving and printing.)

 

            In 2008 and 2009, the City spent a total of $234,407 to purchase and install the Cal Anderson Park ($144,000) and 23rd Avenue ($90,407) cameras.  Removing the Cal Anderson Park cameras is estimated to cost around $1,800.  SPD and the Department of Information Technology (DoIT) expect to cover these costs using existing resources within their departments’ respective budgets.  The ongoing costs associated with operating and maintaining the surveillance system along 23rd Avenue are minimal and do not necessitate providing any City department with additional budget authority.