Committee on Technology meeting
March 18, 2026, 11:30 AM
The Committee on Technology held its FY2027 preliminary budget hearing on the Office of Technology and Innovation. The committee took testimony and recorded no votes.
What was discussed
- Committee gavels in for the OTI preliminary budget hearing Chairperson Carmen De La Rosa opened the Committee on Technology's Fiscal 2027 preliminary budget hearing on the Office of Technology and Innovation, and counsel administered the affirmation to the agency panel.
- OTI's new Chief Technology Officer presents the agency's budget Lisa Gelobter, the recently appointed Chief Technology Officer leading OTI, delivered the agency's testimony, noting she was about two weeks into the role and citing metrics OTI had already met.
- How will OTI meet its savings targets, and what new needs are in the plan? Chairperson Carmen De La Rosa pressed on cuts; CTO Lisa Gelobter said OTI has named a Chief Savings Officer, that its savings plan was still a work in progress due Friday and subject to OMB negotiation, that OTI must meet the same vacancy-fill limits as other agencies, and that the FAST team carries
- What is the future of Big Apple Connect under the Affordable Broadband Act? Asked by Chairperson Carmen De La Rosa about the state's $15 broadband cap, CTO Lisa Gelobter said Big Apple Connect is currently provided at no cost to residents, includes both broadband and cable TV, and that the program's future is open for reconsideration.
- What is the future and scope of the MyCity portal? Pressed by Chairperson Carmen De La Rosa, CTO Lisa Gelobter and Deputy Commissioner Ruby Choi said child care remains a priority for MyCity, that it was not meant to duplicate the Access HRA portal, and that the whole program is being reviewed, with no committed public roadmap, timeline, or budget
- Can technology streamline benefits access across providers? Finance Chair Linda Lee, drawing on her nonprofit background, urged better data-sharing to streamline benefits enrollment; CTO Lisa Gelobter agreed it is a core goal and said OTI would pursue offline follow-up and a cost analysis of what such integration would require.
- Why have 311 wait times risen, and can service hold with fewer staff? Council Member Shahana Hanif questioned rising 311 wait times; Deputy Commissioner Joe Morrisroe said average wait rose from a 30-second target to 42 seconds due to 2024 staffing challenges, that the call center has 248 representatives, that vacancies partly reflect staff moving to other city
- How does OTI handle cybersecurity and partnerships with other agencies? Council Member Kevin Riley asked about cybersecurity and collaboration; CTO Lisa Gelobter said OTI coordinates with other agencies' chief information security officers and trains staff against threats, and Deputy Commissioner Edwin Pemberton said $12.8 million is budgeted this round for data
- How many contracts does OTI hold, and how are they procured? Asked by Council Members Jennifer Gutiérrez and Shahana Hanif, Deputy Commissioner Ruby Choi said MyCity involves 117 contracts worth about $135 million (26 direct orders, the rest competitively bid MWBE solicitations), and Deputy Commissioner Edwin Pemberton said OTI holds roughly 224 contracts
- What is the status of the new Office of Algorithmic Accountability? Council Member Shahana Hanif asked about the office mandated by local law; CTO Lisa Gelobter and Deputy Commissioner Ruby Choi said OTI is working to stand it up, targeting roughly June, and is still scoping the cost and staffing with OMB.
- Is LinkNYC's CityBridge current on what it owes the city? Council Member Shahana Hanif asked about LinkNYC payments; Deputy Commissioner Edwin Pemberton said CityBridge is up to date, that the city meets with them quarterly with no late-payment problems, and that of roughly $87.5 million owed under the deal they have so far paid less than half.
- Can NYPD access NYCHA residents' Big Apple Connect Wi-Fi? Council Member Jennifer Gutiérrez raised privacy concerns from NYCHA residents; CTO Lisa Gelobter and Deputy Commissioner Chantal Senatus said the service is common-area Wi-Fi, not in apartments, that OTI provides only the connectivity, and that they would confirm NYPD's access policies, which they
- How are the DOE Chromebook connectivity and asylum-seeker tech budgets changing? Asked by Chairperson Carmen De La Rosa, Deputy Commissioner Ruby Choi said the 350,000-Chromebook rollout completed in February as part of a digital-equity effort, Deputy Commissioner Edwin Pemberton said T-Mobile holds the $198 million, four-year LTE contract chosen via existing procurement, and
- Are the Smart City Testbed and Blockchain initiatives still funded? Asked by Chairperson Carmen De La Rosa, CTO Lisa Gelobter and Deputy Commissioner Ruby Choi said neither the NYC Smart City Testbed nor the Blockchain initiatives have budgeted expense or capital funding, and that the prior-administration programs are under review with no set evaluation timeline
- Will OTI modernize the city's aging open-data platform? Council Member Gale Brewer pressed on the open-data platform she championed; CTO Lisa Gelobter said the Office of Data Analytics sits under OTI, that platform improvements are on the roadmap, and that OTI works with all agencies on open data as required by law.
- Public testimony on technology and the OTI budget Mauricio Deflin testified before the Committee, after which Chairperson Carmen De La Rosa made a final call for witnesses and closed the hearing with no vote taken.
Agenda
1 item
- T2026-1364 New York City Council Budget and Oversight Hearings on The Preliminary Budget for Fiscal Year 2027, The Preliminary Capital Plan for Fiscal Years 2027-2030 and The Fiscal 2026 Preliminary Mayor’s Management Report 11:30 a.m. Office of Technology & Innovation 1:00 p.m. Public Hearing Held by Committee