Just Dough It

08/27/2026

I will be out until 6 today.
Already down to 3 loaves of bread. Bagels are selling pretty quick, too.

08/27/2026

Why are none of Champlin’s Flock cameras currently operating — and what happens next?

At the August 24 City Council meeting, Ward 4 candidate Sam Mwangi asked whether Champlin could hold a community town hall where residents could hear directly from the police chief and councilmembers about the city’s use of Flock license plate reader cameras.

He also raised important questions: What information are the cameras collecting? How long is the data retained? Who has access to it? Can other law-enforcement agencies access or share the information? Can outside agencies or private entities collect, search, or use residents’ data? And what safeguards protect residents’ privacy?

In responding, Mayor Ryan Sabas confirmed something significant:

“For the time being, and for at least the short term, Champlin … is operating no Flock cameras at this point in time.”

So, why are none of Champlin’s Flock cameras operating?

Were they damaged or vandalized? Were they removed as a precaution? When did they go offline? And given the public discussion surrounding these cameras, why wasn’t this communicated to residents?

These questions are particularly timely because of what’s happening next door in Dayton.

Dayton turned off and removed its Flock cameras on August 20 after several were damaged. The city had also held a public information meeting on August 18 where residents could ask questions and voice concerns.

Then, on August 25, the Dayton City Council went further: it voted 5–0 to suspend all automatic license plate reader programs, including Flock, through December 31, 2027.

There are financial questions for Champlin, too. If our cameras were damaged and need to be replaced, who pays? Is replacement covered by Flock, a warranty, insurance, or another source? Or will Champlin taxpayers be asked to pay for replacement equipment? If so, how much?

And what exactly does “at least the short term” mean? Days? Weeks? Months? Has a decision already been made about when — or whether — the cameras will return?

To be clear, asking these questions doesn’t require us to dismiss the potential public-safety benefits of this technology. Even Dayton’s police chief continued to advocate for automatic license plate readers while acknowledging residents’ privacy concerns and respecting the Council’s decision to suspend the program.

That’s exactly why I believe a public conversation matters.

I’m joining Sam Mwangi in asking these questions and calling on the City of Champlin and the Champlin Police Department to hold a public informational session on the Flock program.

Residents should have an opportunity to hear directly from city and police leadership, ask questions about privacy and data access, understand how the cameras have actually been used and what results they’ve produced, understand what the program costs taxpayers, and have a meaningful voice in what happens next.

Would you support Sam and me in calling for a public informational session to answer these questions and more?

08/26/2026

Tomorrow's menu will be:
Plain Sourdough
Plain Sourdough Bagels
Everything Sourdough Bagels
Blueberry Sourdough Bagels
I will be put from 2-6 tomorrow.

08/25/2026

Anyone interested in bagels being on the menu this Thursday?

08/24/2026

Thanks for being a top engager and making it on to my weekly engagement list! 🎉 Amity Erickson, Molly Schuster, Mike Winingham

08/24/2026

The video of the Dayton public informational meeting for Flock has posted. Sharing here for those interested.

02:10 Start of Meeting

08/24/2026

Update: Dark chocolate chip cookies are sold out.

Another gorgeous day! I will be out until 6 today. I can't wait to see you!

08/23/2026

Tomorrow's menu will be:
Plain sourdough, blueberry lemon sourdough, dark chocolate chip cookies and peanut butter white chocolate cookies.
I will be out from 2-6.

08/22/2026

Attention Champlin friends. You need to question your leadership. Go to your city council meetings.

08/21/2026

It's a good time to stock up on weekend goodies!
I will be out until 4pm today.