Resident alleges tracking contract, urges park land remain public

During public comment at a Dardenne Prairie Board of Aldermen meeting, resident Arnie Deanoff raised privacy and fiscal concerns and urged the board to preserve park land for public use. Deanoff said he was "really shocked to hear that there's a city contract for at least 3 years" and expressed opposition to contracts that would allow tracking of residents' spending or mobile-phone usage. He also urged the board to ensure a 35-acre parcel remain in the public domain of the Great Rivers Greenway Public Park District and warned against turning public land into private amenities. Deanoff named Barbara Cavalier, the college president referenced in his remarks, and said he distrusted her based on her prior employment.

Board members responded during staff communications and elsewhere in the meeting. One board speaker said the contract cited by Deanoff is public record and described it as intended for business purposes — to analyze travel patterns and support economic development; the meeting record does not show a formal investigation or motion to review the contract. Deanoff also raised concerns about recurring attorney billing amounts and questioned the need for two attorneys at meetings; those billing figures were cited in public comment but not verified during the meeting.

What happens next: the transcript records the public comment and a verbal defense that the contract is a public record. The board did not take formal action at the meeting to open an inquiry; any follow-up would require a board motion or staff report at a future meeting.

Quotes from the meeting: "We as, residents and community members do not want to be tracked by the city or any governmental agency... We don't wanna have our spending habits recorded or mobile phone usage, documented," said Arnie Deanoff. A board member replied: "that's public record out there. Anybody can get that information."