Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutStaff Report 2608-6630CITY OF PALO ALTO CITY COUNCIL Special Meeting Monday, October 05, 2026 Council Chambers & Hybrid 5:30 PM     Agenda Item     7.Approval of Surveillance Use Policy for Security Cameras at the Palo Alto Junior Museum & Zoo; CEQA Status - Not a Project. City Council Staff Report From: City Manager Report Type: CONSENT CALENDAR Lead Department: Community Services Meeting Date: October 5, 2026 Report #:2608-6630 TITLE Approval of Surveillance Use Policy for Security Cameras at the Palo Alto Junior Museum & Zoo; CEQA Status - Not a Project. RECOMMENDATION Staff recommend that the City Council approve the attached surveillance use policy for the use of security cameras to enhance security and safety and deter unauthorized or criminal activity at the Palo Alto Junior Museum & Zoo (Attachment A). EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The Palo Alto Junior Museum & Zoo have a need to acquire and use surveillance technology to ensure the safety of animals, city assets, as well as safety of visitors, and staff, and the protection of city assets. Surveillance Use Policies have been developed for the facility to comply with the City’s Surveillance Technology Ordinance and include mitigations to ensure appropriate use of the information captured. Key elements are summarized in the Analysis section of this report. BACKGROUND Palo Alto’s Surveillance Technology Ordinance, codified PAMC § 2.30.6201, et seq., sets criteria and procedures to protect personal privacy in the acquisition and use of surveillance technology and provide for ongoing oversight. Security camera technology is “surveillance technology” as defined by the ordinance. The ordinance requires City Council approval of the acquisition of new surveillance technology and of a Surveillance Use Policy specific to each new approved technology. In approving new surveillance technology, the Council must determine that its benefits outweigh the associated costs and concerns. The ordinance sets forth specific 1 Palo Alto Municipal Code Section 2.30.620, et seq.; https://codelibrary.amlegal.com/codes/paloalto/latest/paloalto_ca/0-0-0-62120#JD_2.30.620 elements that must be present in a Surveillance Use Policy, including limitations on use, access, and retention, as well as a description of compliance procedures. ANALYSIS 1. A description of the surveillance technology, including how it works and what information is captured 2. Information on the proposed purpose, use and benefits of the surveillance technology The location or locations where the surveillance technology may be used 4) Existing federal, state and local laws and regulations application to the surveillance technology and the information it captures; the potential impacts on civil liberties and privacy; and proposals to mitigate and manage any impacts Surveillance technology will comply with applicable laws related to video recording. This includes Labor Code section 435, which forbids employers from recording in a restroom, locker room, or changing room. Lastly, the City is required to retain certain building security recordings under Govt. Code section 34090.6(a), currently one year. Mitigation Actions: Access to surveillance footage will be limited to authorized City personnel for law enforcement purposes. Encryption and access control mechanisms will safeguard the footage. 5) The costs of the surveillance technology, including acquisition, maintenance, personnel and other costs, and current or potential sources of funding Costs will include the acquisition of the four surveillance cameras, associated hardware, alarm system, licensing, shipping, and professional services for the field technical installation time, monitoring systems, and storage. The budget will also cover encryption and secure storage solutions. The project costs would be paid for out of the Palo Alto Junior Museum & Zoo Capital Improvement Program (CIP) Fund, AC-18001 JMZ Renovation. To streamline the procurement process and reduce administrative costs, we utilized the City’s California Multiple Award Schedule (CMAS) contract, which is a procure program which allows us to purchase goods and services from pre-approved vendors at negotiated prices. The project has a one-time cost of $63,705 and annual licensing fees of $2,561 are anticipated and will be absorbed into the operating budget. FISCAL/RESOURCE IMPACT Surveillance technology costs for the Palo Alto Junior Museum & Zoo will be funded through the JMZ Renovation Project, AC-18001, in the Capital Improvement Program. To streamline procurement and reduce administrative costs, the equipment and related services were purchased through the City’s California Multiple Award Schedule (CMAS) contract. The project includes a one-time cost of $63,705. Ongoing annual licensing costs of $2,561 will be absorbed within the Junior Museum & Zoo operating budget. STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT The Community Services Department coordinated with Palo Alto Police Department, Information Technology Department, Public Works and the City Attorney’s Office in developing this policy. Labor relations staff shared details of the proposed installation with the labor partner (SEIU) representing JMZ staff who could be impacted. SEIU confirmed they have no concern regarding the camera installation; the City has satisfied any meet and confer obligations with its labor partners. ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW ATTACHMENTS APPROVED BY: NOT YET APPROVED 1 2 2 7 9 Surveillance Use Policy for Security Cameras for Palo Alto Junior Museum and Zoo In accordance with Palo Alto Municipal Code Section PAMC § 2.30.680(d), the Surveillance Use Policy for the City’s use of security cameras at the Palo Alto Junior Museum and Zoo (JMZ) is as follows: The intent of security cameras is to increase the safety and security of City assets in and immediately around the Palo Alto Junior Museum and Zoo, a place with staff, animals, and public coexist in a single space with multiple access points. City personnel may only access surveillance video (“footage”) for official and legitimate security, safety, and law enforcement purposes consistent with this Policy. The following uses of security cameras are specifically prohibited: a. Harassment or Intimidation: It is a violation of this Policy to use the system to harass and/or intimidate any individual or group. b. Personal Use: It is a violation of this Policy to use the system or data for any personal purpose. c. First Amendment Rights. It is a violation of this policy to use the system or data for the purpose or known effect of infringing upon First Amendment rights of any person. d. Invasion of Privacy: It is a violation of this Policy to use the system or data in any manner contrary to local, state, and federal privacy laws. Security cameras will record video 24/7. Depending on the specific technology used, metadata such as time, date, and location of the camera may be documented with the video. All footage will be closely safeguarded and protected by both procedural and technological means. The City will observe the following safeguards regarding access to and use of stored data: a. All footage shall be accessible only through two factor authentication and/or Single Sign-on, to access sensitive systems and applications. b. Only select and necessary leadership staff members of the Palo Alto Junior Museum & Zoo shall have access to the footage and may delegate access to specific City staff members as long as such delegation is in writing and compliant with this Policy. Permissible personnel: the JMZ Senior Program Manager (Executive Director), Zoo Director (Specialist), and Exhibits Director (Specialist). NOT YET APPROVED 1 2 2 7 9 c. Staff may provide footage to law enforcement, including Palo Alto Police Department (PAPD), for investigation. Once received, PAPD shall control footage under their own Department policies. d. Persons approved to access footage under this policy are permitted to access the data for legitimate safety, security, and law enforcement purposes only, such as when the footage relates to a specific incident or criminal investigation. e. Encryption o Verkada ensures that all connections to its web application from its users are encrypted using certificated TLS configurations. Both website and application are reachable exclusively over HTTPS. o Verkada stores customer data in databases that are encrypted at rest. f. Network security o Production environments run in an isolated Virtual Private Cloud network with only necessary services enabled. o Verkada uses configurations that ensure only approved networking ports and protocols are implemented. g. Monitoring and Alerting o Verkada tools monitor server CPU use, free storage space, message age and read I/O in Verkada’s databases, servers and messaging queues and notify appropriate personnel of any events or incidents based on predetermined criteria. Incidents are escalated per policy. 5. Retention. The City shall comply with Govt. Code section 34090.6 et seq. to retain footage pursuant to state law (currently one year). Additionally, the City will retain relevant footage longer than the retention period if it is reasonable to believe it will become evidence in a specific criminal investigation or is subject to a discovery request or other lawful action to produce records. 6. Access by non-City Entities. The footage may be shared outside of the City with law enforcement or prosecutorial agencies for official law enforcement purposes or as required by law or court order. 7. Compliance Procedures. The Assistant Director for Community Services (Arts & Sciences Division) and the JMZ Senior Program Manager (Executive Director) of the Junior Museum & Zoo shall be responsible for ensuring compliance with procedures, including, but not limited to: a. Ensuring only designated staff are allowed access to footage when authorized by this policy. b. Ensuring the security and retention of the footage collected and compliance with applicable laws.