Waynesville Council approves data sharing policy for local merchants

The Waynesville Town Council convened on July 8, 2025, to discuss various topics, primarily focusing on data sharing and access for local businesses. The meeting began with a report from Council member Karina, who noted that she had received limited updates from a data provider due to disruptions caused by a recent hurricane.

The council explored the potential for providing data access to local merchants, emphasizing that the data would be generated for the town of Waynesville as a whole rather than for individual businesses. Concerns were raised about the financial implications of extending access to all merchants, as the funding for such initiatives would come from the Downtown Waynesville Corporation (DWC) and the recreation department's budget.

A significant portion of the discussion centered on the logistics of generating reports and the necessary manpower to handle data requests. Council members expressed a desire to create a structured process for data requests to avoid overwhelming staff. It was suggested that a policy could be developed to manage public information requests, allowing for standardized reports to be distributed monthly rather than on an ad hoc basis.

The council also highlighted the importance of the data for assessing visitor demographics and behaviors, which could inform decisions on fees for park usage and sponsorship opportunities for local businesses. The potential for using data to attract vendors to events was noted, as accurate visitor counts could enhance grant applications and marketing efforts.

Despite the enthusiasm for data sharing, concerns were raised about the implications of providing individual reports to merchants, which could be seen as offering a private benefit. The council agreed to move forward with a contract for data access but stipulated that individual reports would not be produced until a clear policy was established. Additionally, quarterly reports on the usage of the data system will be provided to the council for review.

The meeting concluded with a consensus on the need for careful planning and policy development to ensure that the data sharing initiative serves the community effectively while maintaining transparency and fairness.