Council presses for access to data behind golf-course redevelopment study; Bonner Group called data "proprietary"

Council members spent the largest portion of the meeting debating access to the data and methodology underpinning a study of potential redevelopment of the city's golf course and adjacent landfill. One council member read an email he said was from Luke Bonner stating the consultant is "not comfortable releasing the data his group used to compile the study" because "the data is proprietary and is a work product of his professional services for the formal plan." The council discussed whether the city, which paid for the work, should have rights to data and underlying analyses.

"The data is proprietary and is a work product of his professional services for the formal plan," the council member read. Another council member argued the city paid for the study and "we as a city paid for this data. We should own that data, and we should have access as a city council member." Council asked Dave Bridal to compile a specific list of requested items so staff could return to Bonner Group and ask for nonproprietary materials or a memorandum explaining the methods used. Several members urged caution in treating the current illustrations as final plans and emphasized that wetland and buildability questions remain open: council recounted prior wetland assessments and an on-site evaluation that indicated much of the 45 acres would be wetlands and not buildable without remediation.

No formal vote was recorded. One member proposed to make a motion next week to formally request data or a memorandum explaining Bonner's methodology; the proposal was discussed but not moved to a formal vote during the meeting. The chair said he and city staff would consult purchasing and legal and follow up with the Bonner Group and that Bridal would prepare the list of specific items to request.