Trenton DDA secures analytics, festival and event contracts amid debate over murals
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Summary
The Trenton Downtown Development Authority won council approval for a three-year Placer AI subscription, a $50,000 Trenton Art Festival contract with Mural People LLC, a six-month PR partnership with Guru Agency up to $36,000, and a $10,000 Winterfest budget. Council discussed mural ownership and restrictions on building owners.
The Trenton City Council Dec. 22 approved several downtown-development initiatives proposed by the Downtown Development Authority: a three-year Placer AI Civic subscription to track visitation and demographics, a $50,000 contract for the 2026 Trenton Art Festival, a six-month PR partnership with Guru Agency capped at $36,000, and a $10,000 budget for the 2026 Winterfest.
A DDA representative described the Placer AI Civic subscription as a tool that uses anonymized cell-phone pings to produce reports on visits, dwell time, customer journeys and demographic estimates; the first year cost is $12,000 with an increase to $15,000 in 2028. The subscription will be limited to downtown-area reports, the representative said.
On the art festival, the DDA presented a $50,000 budget that includes contracting Mural People LLC for mural production and projection mapping. Councilwoman Bun Crooks questioned the use of taxpayer funds for murals on private buildings and said she had not known earlier that building owners who accept a city-funded mural are required to leave the mural in place for 10 years or reimburse the city if a new owner removes it. "I'm really reserved about spending taxpayer dollars on these private enterprise and private buildings for any more murals," Bun Crooks said. The DDA representative replied that artists engage the public during production and that projection mapping will create a two-night digital show.
Council approved the DDA requests after discussion. The DDA also said the PR contract would be used during event months only and that the agency has provided post-event metrics for prior work, including broadcast and radio placements. Winterfest is scheduled for Jan. 17 from 2 to 7 p.m. on West Jefferson between Maple and Elm and will include ice sculptures, vendors, food trucks and a mural light show.
Council asked staff to ensure traffic control and alley access will be coordinated with DPW and the police department for outdoor events.