City proposes $112,400 data‑governance consulting project to standardize access and policies

Melissa Brady, the city’s enterprise data and GIS manager, told the Finance, Administration and Communication Committee on Jan. 14 that the city is beginning a data governance and strategy project intended to standardize how departments manage, protect and use data.

Brady said the initial consulting engagement will focus on two pilot systems — human resources and permitting — and that the consultant will help the city establish a data governance committee, a data classification policy and a data access and usage policy. She said the contract total is $112,400 and that the amount is budgeted in the 2025–2026 budget. Staff intends to place the contract on the Jan. 21 council consent agenda for approval.

Why it matters: Brady said clearer governance will help reduce fragmentation, improve decision making and risk mitigation, and support operational efficiency. The work will produce a roadmap and policies that staff can apply across other datasets over time, Brady said.

Council discussion and scope questions: Council members asked who would sit on the governance committee. Brady said membership has not been decided and that the consultant will help scope participants, including department directors and the mayor’s office; she said staff will consult procurement and finance as needed. Council Member Forsyth said she would advocate for a council position on the committee to ensure policy development has legislative input.

Council Member Kritzker asked whether the HR and permitting pilots would translate to governance for other types of data (for example, police or other operational systems that collect resident data). Brady said the consultant will review the broader data ecosystem and that permitting data already contains substantial resident information. Council Member Stewart asked whether the governance work will address how the city evaluates outside vendors that receive or process city data; Brady said the project will address internal and external access and usage policies and staff currently requires data‑sharing agreements for external partners.

Timing: Brady said the initial phase is expected to last seven to nine weeks and will deliver a roadmap describing future phases; staff aims to finalize initial policies by July. She said staff will provide periodic updates to council and intends to return after phase one with a recommended roadmap and any future resource implications.

Ending: Committee members raised no objection to placing the contract on the Jan. 21 consent agenda. No formal committee vote occurred at the meeting; staff will present the contract to the full council for approval.