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Commission adds AI briefing to work plan; commissioners press on FOIA backlog and surveillance policy
Summary
At a workshop, commissioners asked for an early briefing on AI policy and raised concerns about FOIA backlogs and surveillance policy updates; staff said FOIA turnaround has improved and will return with recommendations on surveillance and AI governance.
Grand Rapids commissioners at a workshop asked staff to return with a briefing on artificial intelligence governance and next steps for the city's surveillance and transparency practices, and urged continued progress on FOIA backlog reduction.
Several commissioners raised AI as a near-term priority for strategic planning and for the enterprise resource-planning system, noting both opportunity and risk. One commissioner said local government risks lagging the private sector on technology adoption and urged a department-level assessment of AI applications.
City staff agreed to add an AI briefing to the work plan. "We did have some conversation, off round table about making sure we bring back a briefing on AI, our AI policy sooner than later. So we'll add that to to the work plan for the rest of the year," the manager said.
Commissioners also pressed staff on the city's FOIA performance. A commissioner said the city received outside recognition for work on a FOIA backlog and urged continued progress to shorten response times. City staff reported that turnaround had improved from 12–14 months to a target of 30 days after adding staff and new software.
The city attorney cautioned on certain messaging practices tied to open-meetings rules and said commissioners should direct questions or responses to legal counsel rather than engage in deliberations by email that could risk open-meetings violations. "If they have questions or concerns, then they're to contact me. Yep. Just me," the attorney said.
Commissioners asked staff to return with AI governance options, any surveillance-policy updates requested by community partners, and an implementation timeline for continued FOIA performance improvements. No policy was adopted at the workshop.
