Asahi file photo of Mount Pleasant City Hall, Blocks (238)
Mount Pleasant city commissioners are using a data collection service that tracks cell phones to understand what amenities are being provided to visitors and where residents can go for items not available locally. I would like to find out if it is available.
Commissioners recently approved spending $18,000 for one year of access to the Placer.ai software and no more than $10,000 to pay an intern to interpret the data, to be paid by the city, Mount Pleasant. District Chamber of Commerce, Union Township, Mount Pleasant Regional Convention and Visitors Bureau and Middle Michigan Development Corporation
Placer.ai is a GIS-based aggregated cell phone tracking system that tracks consumer behavior within the region, and Mount Pleasant City Manager Aaron Desenz said the service does not have access to cell phone user information. However, he emphasized that it is being used by many local governments. Find out what types of businesses residents use.
The proposal passed on a 6-1 vote, although Commissioner Brian Chapman cited privacy concerns.
Other commissioners also raised concerns about privacy, with Boomer Wingard pointing out that there are moral implications to tracking people's phones, and Liz Bush saying the service has unpleasant elements. However, he said part of the committee's job is to bring about new business and economic growth.
Mr. Wingard and Mr. Busch ultimately agreed that the benefits outweighed the potential privacy issues, and Mr. Desenz assured them that no personal information would be obtained.
Chapman was concerned about the idea of government agencies using technology to track people's movements, but said the use was not inappropriate for private sector agencies like chambers of commerce and MMDC. Stated.
As an example of what Placer.ai can track, Desenz said it collects data such as the number of people going to a farmers market in a given period of time, but individual data is not available, so it protects individuals from surveillance. stated that it is guaranteed.
Desenz said it can track the number of visits to a particular location without identifying the visitor.
Placer.ai is used to determine where consumers are heading for goods and services, helping local businesses better close the gaps and adjust their marketing strategies.
The plan is for the data collected to be reviewed by future stakeholders from Central Michigan University and the local business community to utilize CMU interns to identify new business needs or expand current businesses at a cost not to exceed $10,000. It is required to be specified.
The cost for one year of service and internship is $28,000, but if the city's partners help pay the bill and all parties involved contribute equally, the cost to the city would total $5,600 . Desenz said he established the fund as part of the city's Economic Initiatives Fund.
In addition, other potential partners have also been identified, which could further reduce costs, Desenz said.
