Update: On May 13, Garfield County issued a press release that the County Road 108 (Thompson Creek Road) bridge crossing the Crystal River will “temporarily” have one lane open while “emergency repair options are assessed.”
Following an inquiry by a member of the public at the Carbondale Board of Trustees meeting Tuesday night, Town Manager Ryan Hyland said the police department has shown no intent to install Flock Safety license plate reader cameras in Carbondale.
“With respect to the Flock cameras, there’s no plans to bring any proposals for Flock cameras to the board from the police department at this time,” Hyland said.
Used by police to solve crimes, including minor traffic offenses, and locate suspects, the AI-powered license plate readers have raised concern about data sharing between local police departments and federal agencies amid the immigration crackdown. In 2024 and 2025, U.S. police departments used Flock cameras in 1,400 searches related to immigration or Immigration and Custom Enforcement (ICE), as reported by The Colorado Sun, which also reported that ICE does not have direct access to the cameras.
However, while Flock told NPR via email that Flock customers — or the cities installing the cameras — have “sole authority over if, when and with whom information is shared,” Flock audits have shown that U.S. Border Patrol has accessed police department Flock data through “back door” routes, without explicit authorization, according to University of Washington Center for Human Rights.
Discussion around the use, or implementation, of Flock cameras has landed in various Roaring Fork Valley municipalities this spring.
The Glenwood Springs community raised concern at a February City Council meeting about the potential for Flock camera use in immigration enforcement. First installed in 2022, Glenwood has Flock cameras installed at entry and exit points across town.
Aspen, too, is in talks about installing Flock cameras, though has seen backlash from the community, most recently via public comment in the Aspen City Council regular meeting on Tuesday, May 12.
Basalt Town Council decided to move toward automated camera installation, but with a company called DACRA Tech., which only records cars when they’re speeding by a predetermined threshold, according to a letter submitted to Town Council by Basalt Police Chief Aaron Munch in March.
Carbondale Aquatics Center
The Carbondale Aquatics Center is on track to open on May 23, and within the predicted $13.4 million budget, Town staff and contractors told trustees on Tuesday.
“So, on schedule, happy to report,” said Tammy Tucker, project manager for Wember Inc., the company hired by the Town to build the center, adding that they are wrapping up “lots of activity, like you would typically see coming into the finish line of a project.”
The final touches to the Aquatics Center include installation of translucent Kalwall panels, “lots of cleaning” and landscaping, Tucker said. “The landscapers are on site doing all the prep work,” she said. “We know that they’ll start putting plantings in the ground any day.”
Board and Commission approval
The Board of Trustees unanimously approved its 2026 board and commissions applicants. Mark Howard and youth applicant Owen Giess were approved to serve on the Bike, Pedestrian & Trails Commissions; Lynn Sidomak was approved to serve on the Historic Preservation Commission; Fred Malo, Marlaina Murphy and youth applicant Madeline Lucks were approved to serve on the Environmental Board; Ashley Hejtmanek, Hollis Sutherland, Rose Rossello and youth applicants Quentin Galbraith and Freja Koorn were approved to serve on the Parks & Recreation Commission; Jo Anne Teeple and Dan Bullock were approved to serve on the Tree Board; Brian Colley and Salley Nicholson were approved to serve on the Public Arts Commission.