Monday, September 21, 2026, 10 a.m. (Boston time), Boston City Hall, 1 City Hall Square, Boston, MA 02201
Hearing on Dockets #1085, #1395, and #1397
Committee: City Services Committee
The City Services Committee, chaired by Councilor Ed Flynn, held a hearing on three grant and gift orders sponsored by Mayor Wu: docket 1085, a $20,930 grant from Catholic Charities' El Centro for an IT fellowship in the Department of Innovation and Technology; docket 1395, a $225,125.11 digital equity partnership grant passed through the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative; and docket 1397, a gift of 43 HVAC mini-split units valued at $84,210. Staff said the El Centro program has hosted five fellows and hired two into full-time city IT roles, and that the last digital equity fund round served about 11,000 residents and distributed nearly 3,000 devices. Councilors Miniard Culpepper and Liz Breadon asked about employment outcomes, outreach, AI literacy and scam prevention training, and the energy efficiency and placement of the donated HVAC units, which staff said would be offered first to BPS once approved. Staff also previewed an upcoming $1.3 million state-funded order for free internet service at West Broadway and Archdale public housing. No public testimony was given, and Chair Flynn said he plans to bring the dockets to the floor on Wednesday for a vote.
0:28 i.
0:55 Don't.
3:22 Good morning.
3:25 My name is ed flynn.
3:27 District two city council.
3:30 I'm chair of the city
3:32 council committee on city
3:32 services.
3:36 Today is SEPTEMBER 21st.
3:39 The exact time is ten zero
3:39 three.
3:44 The hearing is being recorded.
3:47 It is also being live streamed
3:51 at boston.Gov/city council dash
3:55 tv broadcast on xfinity channel
4:00 eight rcn channel 82 files
4:01 channel 964.
4:04 Written comments MAY be sent to
4:11 the committee email at at
4:12 city@boston.Gov and will be
4:14 made part of the record and
4:15 available to all city councils.
4:21 Public testimony will be taken
4:23 at the end of the hearing or in
4:24 the middle of the hearing.
4:29 Uh depending on how many people
4:31 we have testifying, um
4:33 individual individuals will be
4:34 called in order in which they
4:36 are signed up and we'll have
4:37 two minutes justify.
4:41 But I won't cut you off if you
4:42 go over two minutes.
4:44 I want to hear what's important
4:45 to you.
4:47 If you are interested in
4:50 testifying in person, please
4:51 add your name to the sign up
4:53 sheet near the entrance of the
4:54 chamber.
4:55 When you walk in uh in our
4:57 chamber, if you are looking to
4:59 testify virtually, please email
5:02 our central staff liaison ryan
5:07 pratt and ryan are ryan dot
5:10 pratt protect@boston.Gov.
5:12 For the link and your name will
5:13 be added to the list.
5:18 Today's hearing is on docket
5:19 1085.
5:21 What's it which is a message in
5:22 order authorizing the city
5:25 of boston to accept expand the
5:25 amount of.
5:33 $20,930 in the form of a grant
5:35 the health central fellowship
5:37 grant order to catholic
5:40 charities archdiocese of boston
5:41 to be administered by the
5:43 department of innovation and
5:44 technology do it.
5:46 The grant would fund the
5:47 fellowship program for l
5:50 central it program graduates.
5:53 This matter was sponsored by
5:53 mayor.
5:55 It was referred to the
5:59 committee on JUNE 3rd 2026.
6:02 Docket 1395 message in order
6:03 authorizing the city of boston
6:10 to accept and expend the amount
6:12 of $225,125.11 in the form
6:15 of of a grant the mwbe digital
6:18 equity partnership program
6:19 award by the U.S. Department
6:20 of treasury passed to the
6:22 massachusetts technology
6:24 collaborative to administer to
6:25 be administered by the
6:26 department of innovation and
6:27 technology.
6:30 The grant would fund services
6:32 and support for residents
6:33 of the commonwealth who cannot
6:37 afford broadband service and or
6:40 internet connected devices or
6:42 lack the digital skills needed
6:46 to utilize the internet the
6:47 following the last docket,
6:49 which is docket 1397 message in
6:51 order authorizing the city
6:52 of boston to accept and expand
6:55 a gift of 43 heating,
6:57 ventilation, air conditioned
6:59 units hvac of various types
7:09 valued at $84,210 from fwc 2026
7:12 us inc. This gift is awarded to
7:13 the city of boston, the mayor's
7:15 office for the use and the
7:17 public facilities of various
7:20 departments across the city
7:21 including police stations,
7:22 schools and municipal offices.
7:25 These matters were sponsored by
7:26 mayor wu.
7:27 They were referred to the
7:31 committee on JULY 22nd 2026.
7:36 I want to say thank you to the
7:38 administration team for being
7:41 here this morning and we have
7:43 present with us brian donahue,
7:46 the chief digital equity
7:47 officer, director of broadband
7:49 and cable department,
7:51 department of innovation and
7:51 technology.
7:53 Do it sheila lee, the senior
7:55 director of operations,
7:56 department of innovation
7:57 technology.
7:59 Trish.
8:03 koski.
8:04 Frisky.
8:05 Okay.
8:08 Cafferty I'm so sorry about the
8:08 pronunciation.
8:10 The deputy chief of operations
8:12 ,real estate and capital
8:13 strategic strategies the
8:14 mayor's office.
8:21 And peter severino okay, I got
8:22 that one right there.
8:25 Uh, broadband and digital
8:28 equity advocacy department
8:30 of innovation and technology.
8:31 Um.
8:36 Would would the panel like to
8:38 speak on all dockets at the
8:39 same time or do you want to
8:41 break them down or what what is
8:42 best for you?
8:45 I would say we would probably
8:48 need to separate the um the air
8:49 conditioning docket from the
8:51 other two, but I'll be happy to
8:53 speak to whichever of them in
8:54 whichever order you prefer.
8:56 Okay, why don't we why don't we
8:58 do one talk at a time?
8:58 okay.
8:58 Okay.
9:01 let's start with the, um
9:01 let's.
9:02 Start with the first one.
9:07 Um, that's that's on that's on
9:11 the agenda which is 1085 which
9:14 is the $20,000 um grant for el
9:15 centro.
9:16 Yeah, absolutely.
9:16 Okay.
9:18 Um thank you.
9:20 Uh, chair in general for asking
9:21 us to come here and speak to
9:22 some of these programs.
9:23 We're really excited for this,
9:26 uh, opportunity to have
9:27 additional resources for these
9:28 types of programs funded.
9:30 Uh, for the el centro grant.
9:32 We had been working with this
9:34 organization in the past.
9:35 They are a subsidiary of the
9:36 catholic charities.
9:38 Um, the funding from el centro
9:40 is for an additional fellow.
9:42 These uh these folks are coming
9:45 to us from nontraditional
9:46 backgrounds learning technology
9:50 skills, uh, doing on on on site
9:52 job training.
9:53 And we've been thrilled to be
9:55 able to, uh, have five fellows
9:57 work with us previously and
9:59 hire two of them into full time
9:59 roles.
10:00 So it's really exciting.
10:02 These two fellows are getting
10:04 hands on experience and
10:05 cybersecurity and technology
10:05 programs.
10:08 Uh, and the most recent
10:09 projects that have been worked
10:11 on are and it has it inventory
10:15 for uh computer replacement uh
10:16 vulnerability uh notifications
10:18 from a uh cybersecurity
10:20 standpoint and uh,
10:21 cybersecurity training and
10:24 content creation for uh those
10:25 types of uh offers that you
10:26 probably get in your email
10:28 every once in a while to uh,
10:30 get your cybersecurity skills,
10:31 uh, upgraded.
10:33 So, uh, we're thrilled to have
10:35 this opportunity to, uh, add
10:36 another fellow to the program
10:38 and we'll be happy to answer
10:39 any questions you might have.
10:41 Excellent.
10:42 thank you.
10:53 Well, as you can see, I was I
10:54 wanted to have the hearing to
10:57 give my councilor colleagues
11:00 the opportunity to learn more
11:01 about the important work you're
11:01 doing.
11:02 Yes, sir.
11:06 I apologize that no one no
11:06 one is here.
11:10 Let me let me start.
11:12 I'm not I'm going to kind
11:13 of not give an opening
11:15 statement, but let me just try
11:16 to go on the first docket okay.
11:20 So my question.
11:25 What are the what are the
11:26 specific.
11:28 Outcomes or employment
11:28 opportunities.
11:33 Well results in this grant.
11:35 Is there an opportunity for
11:37 young people that want to get
11:42 this training to get into a a
11:43 career field?
11:45 Well they have the skills that
11:46 that are needed or.
11:47 Or at least developed some
11:49 skills so that they can get
11:49 advanced skills.
11:51 That's that's the that is the
11:53 core idea of this program is
11:54 that they go through a certain
11:56 amount of training leading up
11:57 to the program itself and then
11:59 what we're providing is the
12:00 space and the support for that
12:01 on the job training.
12:03 Uh, we've been very successful
12:05 with this in the past from the
12:07 standpoint of um, you know,
12:07 bringing folks in.
12:09 They get familiar with the city
12:10 systems and they get familiar
12:11 with the technology that
12:13 they'll be working on, you
12:14 know, really in any kind of a
12:15 job like this across the city.
12:17 But we are uh, really impressed
12:18 with the number of those, uh,
12:19 folks who've been in the
12:21 program and we're able to hire
12:23 two of them into those entry
12:25 level positions in the city's,
12:27 uh, I.T okay.
12:29 Is is the training itself.
12:32 Where is that provided?
12:34 Um, she I don't know if we.
12:36 Um el centro has a program uh,
12:38 it program for them to learn
12:39 the skill sets and then they
12:40 apply it while they're, uh
12:42 while they do their fellowship
12:43 at the city.
12:43 Okay.
12:48 okay, I'm on on that
12:49 specific document docket.
12:51 questions.
12:51 I don't have any other
12:54 Um, is it okay if we go to the
12:54 next docket?
12:55 That's fine by us.
12:55 Okay.
13:02 So the next docket.
13:07 Which is docket 1395.
13:10 Do you want me to go into
13:10 questions now.
13:12 If you'd like.
13:13 I think that if you wanted just
13:14 a quick maybe maybe a quick
13:15 overview that would.
13:15 Be yeah.
13:17 that would be excellent.
13:18 Yeah why don't you want to do
13:18 the overview.
13:18 Yeah.
13:20 So so the massachusetts
13:21 broadband institute
13:22 partnerships program is a
13:23 program that we've been
13:24 receiving funding for for over
13:25 three years now.
13:25 It is.
13:27 Funded I believe the majority
13:29 of it is out of the state arpa
13:29 funding.
13:31 Uh we've been very successful
13:33 in a number of previous rounds
13:35 of this funding and they
13:36 identified us as a candidate
13:38 uh, in the most recent round.
13:39 Uh, with.
13:40 the specific focus of trying
13:42 to help uh from a standpoint
13:44 of high literacy and then also,
13:46 uh, folks who are returning
13:49 citizens who uh, need support
13:53 uh devices, um and uh
13:54 connectivity in order to
13:56 properly reenter society.
13:57 So we're thrilled to be able.
13:59 To have been identified for
14:00 this type of partnership and
14:02 it's also going to help us
14:03 benefit to expand some of our
14:05 ai literacy programing which is
14:07 focused on the folks staying
14:10 safe online in the age when all
14:11 of these new types of scams
14:13 have been uh, really
14:14 detrimental to a lot of a lot
14:16 of folks who have basic tech
14:17 literacy but don't maybe have
14:19 that next level and I'd be
14:21 happy if uh if we had a couple
14:22 minutes for for peter to maybe
14:23 walk through the previous uh,
14:25 success that we've had with
14:27 this these programs including
14:29 our digital equity fund and uh,
14:30 kind of what we're looking at
14:31 for this this funding that's
14:32 been identified at.
14:33 yeah.
14:33 This point.
14:34 That would be excellent, peter
14:34 europe.
14:35 Sure thing.
14:36 Uh, good morning counselor.
14:36 oh.
14:37 I'm sorry to interrupt you.
14:39 Um, I just want to acknowledge
14:42 we are joined by city council,
14:43 uh, culpeper.
14:44 City council culpeper.
14:45 Thank you for being with us.
14:47 Um, peter, I'm sorry to
14:48 interrupt.
14:48 Go ahead.
14:50 Morning, COUNCILMAN.
14:50 Good morning, councilor dull.
14:52 Um, so yeah.
14:53 So to kind of piggyback off
14:55 of but, uh, brian was talking
14:56 about so our our digital equity
14:58 fund has been one of our more
15:00 successful programs over the
15:01 past almost ten years now.
15:04 Um, most recently we funded uh
15:06 ,36 community based
15:08 organizations, uh, with a total
15:09 of $1.4 million coming from uh
15:10 this digital equity
15:13 partnerships program grant um
15:14 31 focused on digital
15:16 navigation work specifically,
15:17 you know, basic tech help
15:19 getting folks, uh, hooked up to
15:22 internet, uh, devices um, as
15:23 well as we funded two
15:25 organizations for you all to
15:26 help, uh, with efforts to
15:27 improve telehealth programing
15:29 uh, and then three
15:31 organizations to do device.
15:31 Refurbishment work.
15:33 Um, and that has resulted into
15:35 a great number of partnerships
15:36 across the city.
15:40 Um, this work is impacts every
15:41 resident it's these projects
15:43 have been taking place across
15:44 every boston neighborhood which
15:46 of.
15:46 is something we are very proud
15:49 Um and additionally we work
15:51 with um these projects focus on
15:53 a wide range of target
15:55 populations including uh older
15:57 adults, veterans, uh folks who
15:58 um who.
15:59 Don't speak.
16:00 english as their main
16:02 language um youth public
16:04 housing residents so on so on.
16:06 Um and that's been one of our
16:08 we we are trying to make sure
16:10 that everyone who you know
16:12 needs devices needs tech help,
16:14 um has the opportunity to to
16:16 get that and so um, you know,
16:18 just uh some some high level
16:19 data from this most recent
16:22 digital equity fund, um, across
16:24 all programs just um just over
16:27 11 uh thousand residents were
16:28 served by by this work.
16:32 Um, we had about almost 2700
16:34 devices distributed to
16:36 households across the city um,
16:40 20 roughly 26 uh, that 2600
16:42 residents receive basic skill
16:45 uh development work um
16:48 similarly about 2400 received
16:50 um intermediate skill training
16:53 and um about 1300 residents
16:55 worked on advanced technology
16:55 skills.
16:58 Um and so that's just uh at a
16:58 very high level.
16:59 So um some information happy to
17:01 follow up more with uh the rest
17:01 of the data.
17:04 Um, but this is a nice segue
17:05 into our next round of the
17:07 digital equity fund which, uh,
17:08 we're currently in the process
17:11 of getting out the door um,
17:13 based burger's basically uh,
17:14 shifting the focus a little bit
17:15 from, you know, just uh,
17:16 digital navigation and
17:17 community technology training
17:19 work, uh, including um from
17:21 what we heard from a lot of uh
17:23 ,community organizations, um,
17:25 about, you know, opportunities
17:27 to uh to teach their residents
17:28 about uh, artificial
17:29 intelligence whether it's, you
17:31 know, basic misinformation, um,
17:32 how to avoid scams,
17:34 cybersecurity, um, especially
17:35 you know, with youth, um, and
17:36 older adults.
17:38 Um, and then the other focus
17:40 refurbishment work.
17:40 area is device distribution and
17:42 So once again just getting
17:43 devices into the hands of folks
17:45 who need the most uh no cost to
17:45 them.
17:50 Um, and lastly, uh one other
17:51 highlight one other thing that
17:54 we want to lift up from that
17:55 results from this this
17:56 partnership grant is our
17:58 collaboration with the office
17:58 of returning citizens.
18:01 Um, so since JANUARY of 2025
18:05 we've been working with awc um
18:07 to provide uh biweekly tech
18:08 skills to our tech help
18:10 sessions or kind of like tech
18:11 office hours, uh, to folks who
18:13 are formerly incarcerated.
18:15 Um, and we've it's been one
18:17 of our longest standing uh,
18:18 partnerships with uh with uh.
18:21 So far um and this you know, we
18:23 these office hours cover a wide
18:25 range of topics such as, you
18:26 know, basic, affordable, uh,
18:28 getting affordable internet
18:29 access, uh, helping folks put
18:31 resumes together, uh, to apply
18:33 for jobs, um, learning how to
18:35 use gmail etc. Etc. Um, and
18:37 it's kind of such fun what
18:38 brian was talking about.