A significant portion of the meeting revolved around the progress made in digitizing the city’s assets and workflows, particularly within the Boston Transportation Department (BTD). A new work order and asset management system, Cartography, was highlighted for its role in exceeding the initial goal of digitization completion by June 2024. The ongoing work to extract information about parking regulations aims to improve the user experience and support the operations of BTD and the Streets Cabinet.

The digitization of parking regulations was met with appreciation from council members, who commended the progress and inquired about the broader conversation regarding technological infrastructure and the progress of department audits. The city’s engagement with vendors to assess technological platforms and potential budget allocations for this purpose was a focal point, as was the work with individual departments beyond BTD and public works.

Furthermore, the council discussed the challenges in providing internet connectivity to residents, particularly in high-rise buildings and among non-English speaking communities. Digital equity emerged as a concern, with council members addressing the need for better access to technology, especially for residents in lower-income neighborhoods. The importance of a robust cybersecurity program to protect the city from cyber threats was also emphasized, pointing to an ongoing effort to streamline and improve the user experience across various city departments.

The management of city assets like street signs, poles, and streetlights was another key topic, with questions raised about tracking and maintenance methods. The potential expansion of the asset management system to include other departments, such as Parks, was considered critical for improved coordination and collaboration among city agencies.

The integration of technology to streamline processes was also explored. Suggestions included leveraging existing data and technologies to simplify the process of obtaining working papers for youth summer jobs and integrating the 311 app to allow constituents to share inquiries with their respective councilors, thereby enhancing transparency.

Concerns were raised about the lack of transparency in receiving information from city departments and the need for constituents to be more involved in the process. The council discussed the accountability and tracking of constituents’ inquiries, with a suggestion to implement an AI system to manage these inquiries. The importance of language accessibility and the use of symbols for individuals who have difficulty reading and writing was also highlighted. Public Wi-Fi access, the speed of existing Wi-Fi, and plans to expand access to Wi-Fi in transit hubs and public parks were topics of interest, alongside the need for advanced technological infrastructure to support hybrid and virtual meetings.

The council also addressed the Boston Public School system’s transportation issues, particularly the lack of notification when school buses fail to arrive. The need for a technology solution to address such transportation issues was suggested, along with the procurement of a new 311 system to improve constituent services.

Trash collection in Boston was an issue raised during the meeting. Members of the council expressed the importance of this issue to their constituents and the need to find better solutions for trash collection. The current trash collection contract with Capital Waste Service, set to expire at the end of the fiscal year, was discussed, including the rising labor costs, need for equipment replacement, and the lack of competition in the contract process. The councilors focused on the city’s vision for the trash contracts, expressing concerns about the lack of competition, terms of the contracts, and the need for community participation in decision-making.

The possibility of improving the parking app to include spatial mapping and real-time availability of parking spaces was acknowledged, with ongoing efforts to enhance technology systems underscored. The meeting concluded with discussions on the need for technology to match city properties with existing databases to address issues such as placing liens on properties and fines. The progress of the assessment of individual departments and the challenges in hiring skilled individuals within the field were also topics of discussion.

In addition to digitization and technological enhancement, waste management was a prominent topic. The council explored the concept of producer responsibility, noting the need for corporations to play a larger role in addressing the impacts of waste. The recycling of mattresses and the potential for collaboration with mattress vendors to take responsibility for recycling old mattresses were discussed. The council inquired about the impact of a new waste management contract on services in District Six and emphasized the importance of educational efforts to improve recycling practices.

The challenges faced by the waste management department, such as the labor-intensive nature of trash collection and navigating city streets, were acknowledged. The potential for investing in technology and infrastructure to enhance efficiency in waste management was discussed, along with the need for additional staff positions.

The meeting also saw discussions on the need for more aggressive measures to address absentee landlords and corporations buying properties, achieving zero waste goals by 2035, and the challenges of hazardous waste drop-offs. The role of seasonal workers in maintaining cleanliness and the privatization of trash pickup for large buildings were also debated.