Godfrey Trustees Postpone Vote On $20,000 Placer.ai Subscription
Data on foot traffic and household incomes could guide decisions on rec center, turf field rental rates and more; vote now set for December 2026.
Godfrey Village Board Meeting: Maggie Pruetzel Proclamation, Glazebrook Turf Fields and 2027 Plans
GODFREY – Godfrey officials last week delayed voting on a proposed $20,000 subscription to a platform offering detailed location data, analytics and more.
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Members of the Godfrey Finance Committee laid over the consideration and approval of a one-year $20,000 subscription to Placer.ai at their Nov. 4, 2026 meeting. The subscription was first pitched to trustees at their Sept. 15, 2026 Village Board meeting.
Placer.ai, a company with operations in the U.S. and Israel, offers location data and foot traffic analytics for governments and businesses.
Economic Development Director Jim Mager wrote in an Oct. 22, 2026 memo to village trustees that the Placer.ai platform “describes physical locations, the people and businesses that interact with them and the markets they inhabit,” allowing organizations to make business decisions based on market trends and consumer behavior.
At the Nov. 4, 2026 meeting, Mager said there has been talk within the Parks and Recreation Department of being able to use this detailed location data for decision-making on Parks facilities, such as a potential rec center. Mager also said including “hard data” in future grant applications could strengthen the village’s chances of funding approval. Godfrey businesses could also make use of the data from Placer.ai at no charge to make marketing decisions.
Mager cited the village’s solicitation for new turf fields at Glazebrook Park as an example where detailed data could help guide decision-making. Trustee Rick Lauschke asked later in the meeting if rental rates to use the new fields had been set; Parks and Recreation Director Chris Logan said they had not, but could be within 30 days.
“If you knew that 200 people come into town for a soccer game, and 50 of them stop on the way out of town at a restaurant to have something to eat, that would be valuable information in your decision-making,” Mager said. “If you knew that the people coming into town had an average household income of $200,000 versus $70,000, that would affect your decision-making on what kind of rates you’re going to charge.”
However, Mager said he could not guarantee the village would see a full return on its $20,000 investment after subscribing. While alternative options have been considered, he said Placer.ai would best suit the village’s needs.
Lauschke said he would like more time to consider before deciding, which Mager supported. Committee members agreed to lay over the one-year Placer.ai subscription until their first meeting in December, which falls on Dec. 1, 2026.
A recording of the Nov. 4, 2026, Godfrey Finance Committee, Public Safety Committee and Village Board meetings is available at the top of this story or on Riverbender.com/video.
Do you think Godfrey should subscribe to Placer.ai for more detailed data on foot traffic, household incomes and more to guide future decision-making? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
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