Minneapolis officials are seeking blanket permission to sign non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) with organizers of major events they’re trying to lure to the city.
Why it matters: The trade-off for landing a $100+ million, Super Bowl-level event may be some government transparency.
What they’re saying: Some high-profile event planners aren’t eager to have their “sensitive bid materials” subject to public disclosure, city officials wrote.
- Many are even reluctant to reveal who’s vying to host, the city’s enterprise events manager, Andrew Ballard, told the council this week.
Case in point: Before Minneapolis made a bid last year to host the Sundance Film Festival, organizers wanted city officials to sign an agreement that kept bid materials private.
- The city’s current process requires a council vote, which revealed the existence of Minneapolis’ bid.
Friction point: Sundance was OK with that — but other organizers wouldn’t be, Ballard told the council, which could knock Minneapolis out of the running…