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City opts for real‑time dashboards and 311 overhaul as libraries absorb higher janitorial and security costs
Summary
Officials briefed the Budget Committee on a multi‑year IT roadmap for real‑time financial and service dashboards tied to 311, and library officials explained higher materials-and‑supplies costs reflecting a new citywide janitorial contract and expanded security at some branches.
Finance and executive staff told the Budget Committee the city is investing in financial and operational dashboards to give council members and department leaders near‑real‑time visibility into grants, expenditures and service requests. Tanika Jennings, deputy CFO, said the finance team is building dashboards that will show grants, reimbursements and operating metrics “at a click of a finger,” and the IT office will integrate those tools with a broader enterprise migration to a cloud platform over the next 12–24 months.
Council members repeatedly pressed for 311 improvements and single, shared terminology and ticketing workflows so residents receive clear status updates. Karen Goss, special assistant to the mayor, described ongoing work to make PJA (partnership/joint agency) follow‑ups consistent and said some PJAs operate independently while others rely on mayor’s office staff for follow‑up; 311 managers and IT staff are collaborating to standardize workflows so tickets are closed by the worker in the field when the service is complete.
Library officials described program and facilities activity and explained an increase in materials-and‑supplies spending tied to two principal factors: a citywide janitorial contract (ServiceMaster) that consolidated multiple cleaning solicitations and a separate security contract that places armed security at some branches. Chris Mars, deputy director of libraries, said the larger janitorial and security outlays account for a significant portion of the library materials-and‑supplies budget and that the administration meets with vendors monthly to monitor performance. Mars said high‑glass features at newer facilities require occasional specialized services outside the routine janitorial contract and that the FY26 CIP includes continued funding for building improvements.
Council members asked for operational details and schedules for the dashboards and for a clearer explanation of how janitorial and security scopes were procured and allocated across city buildings. Finance and libraries pledged to provide more granular vendor and contract detail to council staff so members can reconcile year‑over‑year changes.
Ending: IT and finance officials said partial dashboard capabilities are already available for general‑fund spending and more comprehensive integration will roll out later this year, with fuller enterprise capability in about a year to 18 months; library staff said they will supply the council with vendor allocations and scheduled deliverables for the new janitorial and security contracts.
