[{"_1":2,"_111":-5,"_112":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87,99],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6531475,"mediaKeyId","3533865-ff80ced1fe132b3db8e5136d23f95226","parentId",3533865,"title","Votes at a glance: consent agenda, Wall Street conversion, Placer AI and housing funding","audioSeconds",508,"startMs",3238000,"endMs",3746000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3533865-ff80ced1fe132b3db8e5136d23f95226&start=3238&end=3746","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3533865-ff80ced1fe132b3db8e5136d23f95226/thumbnail_3238000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6531475/Carbondale/Jackson-County/Illinois/Votes-at-a-glance-consent-agenda-Wall-Street-conversion-Placer-AI-and-housing-funding","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6531475-42a3286c23a14b6bf1923d36662c070c/orig.mp4?Expires=1771159896&Signature=RfFOXOdePZDbP-46ThUsb6tckugIGWaGxy5fLxsNY6Bzc3rkFeFTBIURm2u0nuNrXxfGgdy1uEquU~H0ExDSFwa4Nqc5Ut2H-T6ptlA6Pc9FlJ-BHiQNZRMxDYL7akRQuoj4Qz-Nf~-me~Tou90INvfekyJK~OnYBu6e90j8d5RrNXFJx3jOvtyyeFBtIMxduQYdPrK6zM82Mr8iI-PIdlmOqGpoP3jRdtEgQmfZ76Jzw5EvvLMtXCPfN6O-XrVdZNTA0KxHiJL8SacCCZinhNKOACwQ7~DKIt5nv6qo2ZauvhmUp1rFVHlm6S78HnK90R2vHmatic53D1RWFH9qew__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Carbondale","date","2025-05-27T00:00:00Z","article","The Carbondale City Council recorded several formal actions during the meeting. Below is a concise list of motions, outcomes and immediate follow‑up tasks as recorded in the meeting transcript.

Votes at a glance

- Consent agenda (Items 3.1–3.5 and 3.7–3.12): Motion to approve passed by roll call. Items included approval of meeting minutes (3.1); warrants and Wells Fargo warrant (3.2–3.3); acceptance of a temporary construction easement and $300 payment for Pleasant Hill Road (3.4); budget adjustment adding $60,000 to Southern Illinois Multimodal Station FY2026 budget for co‑working space management by Carbondale Main Street (3.5); award of contract for FY2026 street cut repair program to Samron Midwest Contracting (3.7); resolution(s) authorizing TIF code compliance agreements for redevelopment projects (3.8–3.10); an Illinois Department of Transportation Highway Safety Improvement Program grant application authorization for $2,117,253 (3.11); and appointments and reappointments to boards and commissions (3.12). The consent items were approved as a group; no separate roll calls for each item were recorded in the transcript.

- Item 3.6 — Wall Street Road conversion (Engineering contract to Hutchison Engineering, $94,390): After discussion, council approved the contract. Roll call recorded six yes votes and one no vote (Council member Lowes voted no). Tally: yes 6, no 1. Staff said the project is a highway safety improvement project with 90% federal funding; council discussion addressed “two‑way left turn” (center turn) lane safety and bike lane opportunities. Follow up: Hutchison Engineering to provide phase 3 engineering and construction inspection services.

- Item 4.1 — Placer AI agreement (two‑year subscription): Council approved a resolution authorizing the city manager to enter into a two‑year agreement with Placer Labs Incorporated for access to Placer AI. Vote recorded as unanimous by roll call (7–0). Follow up: staff to prepare public‑facing information explaining how the city uses the platform and maintain limited authorized access.

- Item 4.2 — FY2026 housing grant budget appropriation (curb appeal, down payment assistance, rental conversion): Council approved budgetary funding for FY2026 housing grant programs. The vote on the budget appropriation passed by roll call; council did not adopt the recommended rollback of eligibility from 180% to 120% AMI and asked staff to return with more granular options and administrative rules. Tally recorded as unanimous for the budget item (7–0).

- Item 5.1 — Enter executive session: Council voted to enter executive session to discuss the appointment, employment, compensation, discipline, performance, or dismissal of specific employees. Motion passed by roll call.

Notes and next steps

- For items with appropriations or contracts, staff listed department assignments and requested follow‑up reporting or contract implementation steps during the meeting. For the Wall Street project staff noted the federal funding share and that phase‑specific engineering tasks would follow. For Placer AI, staff will publish a short public statement and document internal access. For the housing grants, staff will return with AMI threshold options and applicant pool data.

If a reader needs the precise meeting minutes and full roll‑call transcripts for each listed item, staff indicated those are available through the city clerk’s office and the posted meeting record.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Carbondale - City Council - May 27, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","Council approved consent agenda items, a Wall Street engineering contract, a two‑year Placer AI subscription and budgetary funding for FY2026 housing grants; item‑level tallies and next steps are listed.","taxTitle","Carbondale, Jackson County, Illinois","taxId",52780,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6531479,"Council funds FY2026 housing grants; income‑eligibility changes deferred for further review",1146,4630000,5776000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3533865-ff80ced1fe132b3db8e5136d23f95226&start=4630&end=5776","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3533865-ff80ced1fe132b3db8e5136d23f95226/thumbnail_4630000.jpg","/articles/6531479/Carbondale/Jackson-County/Illinois/Council-funds-FY2026-housing-grants-incomeeligibility-changes-deferred-for-further-review","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6531479-d413aeaf21439c2b6ab646ae1d905349/orig.mp4?Expires=1771159896&Signature=KkzY1fPlC3amQf8PE33Gdfu8bmOfhkZi97SeuoTCb72b1emp3Kn8YRhYax8dcpUEzK4DPwpkXEALcRzXsK6fYgtabpYxUiPyNT7IedRg8x2~lu94um5NS38TPdX3J3dGD7rua6qNuBIGGek2H69aAXFQTxMVBuYOHNtUYwluolTkDqqgr3l116IPww2QnAg7z-8bQBt7e8~Ft05cUcZmrNYR3O9HgbiK8UIFN~dKwER-3r7EAOP0KkvMsRCM8o-Bqd4nFghIUK1ILtIPj8T1~H2Mq50at3ZaBzcJP58Fl4oWgvjTmHwdaP6hJcLlD~-ffs~yRmi7z5r8tkPjpJycVQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Carbondale city staff asked the council to approve funding for the city’s curb appeal assistance, down‑payment assistance and related housing grant programs for fiscal year 2026. Staff said the programs were established previously and that eligibility had been raised from 120% to 180% of area median income (AMI) in 2016; due to current budget constraints staff proposed returning the maximum income threshold to 120% AMI to better target limited funds.

Council debate focused on program priorities, income thresholds and whether funds would run out before lower‑income applicants could access assistance. Council member Lowes said the grants should be treated as a priority and urged the council to ensure funding is topped up if initial appropriations are exhausted. He asked for a more granular set of eligibility options (for example, 150% AMI) rather than an immediate rollback from 180% to 120%.

Council member Roberts described her personal use of the curb‑appeal grant in the past and urged preserving the program. Several residents urged keeping eligibility broader than 120% AMI; resident Sandy Lutecki recommended 150% AMI as a compromise. Resident Justin Zirlindon said staff should find follow‑up budget dollars if initial funds run out so conversion grants can continue to encourage home purchases.

Staff clarified several administrative points: the city had at times bundled grant types administratively but intends to adopt a policy of allowing one active grant application at a time to stretch limited resources; payback or occupancy provisions mean applicants may not immediately reapply within the five‑year payback period in some program contracts. Staff said the present motion on the floor was limited to providing budgetary funding for FY2026; changes to income‑eligibility thresholds and other ordinance updates would be brought back for discussion.

Council voted to approve the budgetary funding only; council members asked staff to return with additional options on eligibility thresholds and with recommended administrative rules for stacking or sequencing grants. The motion for budgetary funding passed; the council did not adopt the recommended income threshold change at this meeting and directed staff to provide more granular options for council consideration.","Council approved budgetary funding for the FY2026 housing grant program (curb appeal, down‑payment, rental conversion) while asking staff to return with more options on income thresholds and program stacking rules.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6531485,"Council approves two‑year Placer AI subscription amid privacy questions",981,3777000,4758000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3533865-ff80ced1fe132b3db8e5136d23f95226&start=3777&end=4758","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3533865-ff80ced1fe132b3db8e5136d23f95226/thumbnail_3777000.jpg","/articles/6531485/Carbondale/Jackson-County/Illinois/Council-approves-twoyear-Placer-AI-subscription-amid-privacy-questions","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6531485-281bfc085cb56dd805eb3d0d9111f3b8/orig.mp4?Expires=1771159896&Signature=mqBxy6sqxREDAM2qpq7gWWOpjAxT1TJ9FgYodrjmcd50BJmTqVTerRsWCEL9R5XX6o-3edlfILe~mtPKoW7C5z~R8goCUmh6i0qUIXRwkwfvyE4poYFteqpAQyigWfrLTJZk7DBfEKR3FJGAc37U~k23OgBYvixr6MwPN~8-qouC7F571uRZwr-gb7lscIts1ushjcFlcYCFix6CyPULgPxZsQ1nxyrMfZEHm0Jf~DUnM7hqUxyc1Z1KLViecLQo9uWeR4Tw1lTF8OOmN19c93yJP7VYKZLiv-~lICH55xvb5iejkIkHPXcJLDYJOMZhqCycNqQavBu-cQ3nEF6~Ew__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","City staff asked the Carbondale City Council to approve a two‑year agreement with Placer Labs Inc. for Placer AI, a location‑intelligence platform that aggregates anonymized mobile device location data to produce foot‑traffic and trade‑area analytics.

Staff said the platform helps the city, developers and businesses analyze visit counts, dwell time, visitor demographic estimates and cross‑visitation patterns. The vendor’s k‑anonymity approach was described in the presentation: Placer AI aggregates data around points of interest and applies a minimum grouping threshold of 50 devices before reporting, and it strips personal identifiers before data reaches Placer AI.

In discussion, Council member Roberts acknowledged the value of data for economic development and planning but urged transparency and public oversight because location data is collected by third‑party apps and users may not understand how it is aggregated and sold. “If we are going to use data that comes from our residents, visitors, and community members, even in an anonymized form, we should be clear and open about how that data is being used,” Roberts said. She recommended publishing a short statement about the city’s use of Placer AI, clarifying what the city will not analyze (for example, sensitive locations) and pointing residents to opt‑out or privacy resources.

Council member Colombo thanked Roberts and suggested a broader study of all points of data collection the city uses. Council member Lowes noted that the city does not itself collect raw device data and framed Placer AI as a commercial product that purchases already‑collected data from app partners.

Staff confirmed access is limited to a small number of authorized city users and that the tool has been used to support economic development inquiries, site selection and event analyses. Staff gave the example of a report for the October 11, 2024 homecoming concert that showed visitor patterns before and after the event.

Council voted to approve the resolution authorizing the city manager to enter the two‑year agreement with Placer AI. Staff said they will follow council guidance on transparency and noted they can provide public information about how the city uses the tool and how residents can protect location tracking on their devices.

No ordinance language regulating city use was adopted at the meeting; council members asked staff to prepare clearer public messaging about the tool and to limit analyses of sensitive locations.","Council approved a two‑year agreement for Placer AI location‑intelligence software after staff explained anonymization safeguards; several council members urged more public transparency about how location data is used.",{"_33":100,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":101,"_41":102,"_43":103,"_45":104,"_47":105,"_49":106,"_51":107,"_53":108,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":109,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":110,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6531490,"Carbondale staff and Veo outline AI tools and enforcement changes for e‑scooter program",2195,1029000,3224000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3533865-ff80ced1fe132b3db8e5136d23f95226&start=1029&end=3224","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3533865-ff80ced1fe132b3db8e5136d23f95226/thumbnail_1029000.jpg","/articles/6531490/Carbondale/Jackson-County/Illinois/Carbondale-staff-and-Veo-outline-AI-tools-and-enforcement-changes-for-escooter-program","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6531490-30427243b991a54f9fcc5a8600b48999/orig.mp4?Expires=1771159896&Signature=Ncl3doRyGJXSO2JM52fvhDcZDywVgiLXFsFyE0yLancLPb~0pDGaSJ0ae~Ru9Ea0ngXdiG~zS-zEcIMI5mU5-PK2z1D6qmFmabffmbwfTMO1m~NbrPM8eYu4VOCj6VpQUI-jDKPosdEoclGpLPa637xiQUKyDHDjN82LdBcxfZ2j6TPAmskbeWfQrx8l~4vE0iZXTW-Xt42j9CZMAEhnDZXYdVDqLOvIFIn9Twbkl63INa7tKVSwbPfhECd9X-5EoQIbsCpuQpMrJQkdhV8BKRv3lMMD~vASo4ZuCnYfHv3P7SUN-8Q79-L~5RoxvCsyfipsCEyLvTH-F9KiIc6NEw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Carbondale city planners, Southern Illinois University officials and Veo, the company that operates the city’s e‑scooter fleet, presented a three‑year program review and proposed contract updates that would add AI parking enforcement, tip‑over detection and year‑round operation.

The presentation to the Carbondale City Council on the micromobility program included usage data, an accessibility update and planned technology changes. City senior planner Molly Maxwell said the contract between Veo and the city automatically renewed on June 23, 2025, and that a memorandum of understanding had extended operation to November 2025 while staff seek changes to the program.

City officials said the scooters have filled a transportation gap between bus routes and walking distances and remain heavily used around Southern Illinois University (SIU) and downtown. Maxwell reported that, from May 2024 to May 2025, Veo recorded roughly 7,258 unique customers, about 139,444 rides, a median trip length of 1.2 miles and more than 226,000 miles ridden. The city and SIU each receive $0.10 per trip; the city uses its share to fund micromobility safety elements such as bike racks and bike repair stations.

Tina Bennett, assistant vice chancellor for auxiliary enterprises and student affairs at Southern Illinois University, told the council the university supports continuing the service, saying the scooters help students reach classes, jobs and downtown businesses. “Their continued use reflects how well they've been embraced by our community as a whole,” Bennett said.

Aaron Madrid, Veo policy and partnerships manager, described two AI features the company will pilot: automated review of end‑ride photos to confirm a device is parked in an approved location (preventing the ride from ending until a proper photo is taken) and automated detection of tipped devices that would alert local operations immediately. Madrid said the goal is to implement the geofencing and map infrastructure for the parking check before students return in the fall, outlining a tentative August target.

Council members and residents raised operational and equity questions. Council member Colombo asked whether the AI tip‑over data could also be used to capture crash information; Madrid said the system already collects some collision‑type sensor data and that Veo could provide counts to the city. Council member Lowes and others asked about how often Veo’s operations team patrols and how quickly reported problems are addressed; Madrid said the local operations team runs continuously but response times vary and are often a matter of hours unless the problem is reported immediately and moved to the top of the work queue.

Several residents asked about underage riders and enforcement. Madrid said account setup requires proof of a driver’s license; he acknowledged that providing another person’s license or payment method could allow an underage person to ride. He said Veo does not currently enforce a selfie‑to‑ID match. Veo and city staff also noted existing complaint/reporting channels including the Veo app, the phone number on devices, hello@veoride.com and SeeClickFix reports to the city. Veo said fines for improper parking were raised: first violation is a warning, second is $10, third is $15 and a fourth violation can result in loss of access to the service; fine revenue goes to Veo.

City staff described enforcement steps the city has taken or will take: a new city parking attendant is reporting misparked scooters during rounds; nine dedicated parking hubs have been installed; Veo is using in‑app reminders and stickers on devices; the city said it will develop an impound policy and that reclaiming impounded scooters will carry a fee. Staff said the city plans to update the operating agreement to require Veo to help develop outreach materials and to operate the fleet year‑round.

Public commenters offered mixed perspectives. SIU student Audrey Gulley said scooters are “affordable, accessible and fun” and cited benefits for students without cars. Resident Yolanda Dean asked whether the city could publish accident counts; Lee Frohnenbarger pressed about funding use for micromobility safety elements and whether fines are remitted to the city (staff said fines go to Veo). Resident Justin Zirlindon urged the council to preserve the program and, if funds run out, to find additional budget to support conversion grants and housing goals referenced later in the agenda.

No formal council vote on the scooter contract changes was recorded during the meeting; staff said they are proposing amendments to the agreement and a memorandum of understanding is in place through November 2025 while those changes are negotiated.

The council said it expects to see proposed contract amendments and additional reporting on enforcement outcomes and crash/incident counts in follow‑up staff reports.","City staff, Southern Illinois University and Veo presented data on three years of scooter operations and proposed AI parking-enforcement tools, while residents and councilors raised questions about underage riders, response times and fines.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Votes at a glance: consent agenda, Wall Street conversion, Placer AI and housing funding

Council funds FY2026 housing grants; income‑eligibility changes deferred for further review

Council approves two‑year Placer AI subscription amid privacy questions

Carbondale staff and Veo outline AI tools and enforcement changes for e‑scooter program