CRA hears staff proposal for non‑advertising digital kiosk pilot but does not reach consensus

City staff presented an update on digital‑kiosk options for downtown Boca Raton and asked the CRA for direction on vendor, number of kiosks and locations. Downtown manager Ruby Riley recommended Toshiba Outdoor Solutions as a non‑advertising vendor for a small pilot (1–5 units) with turnkey installation, five‑year lease/purchase options and full content integration with the Downtown Boca website.

Riley described site options near transit (Brightline station, Federal Highway corridor and stops near Palmetto, a Trader Joe’s location and Camino Real/Pubix area) and noted the pilot would include maintenance and a service plan for the initial five‑year term. She stated staff’s proposal offered ‘‘an option … without advertising’’ and that Toshiba’s product would be durable, graffiti resistant and integrated with civic‑plus content services.

Commissioners questioned whether kiosks offer materially different features from smartphones, whether a five‑year locked lease is appropriate, and whether advertising revenue models (previously proposed by other vendors) would better offset costs. Commissioner Thompson raised concerns about potential visual clutter and use of sidewalk space, describing the units as possible “visual pollution.” Commissioner Drucker and others pointed to pilot programs in West Palm Beach and other cities but said the current non‑advertising model increases the city’s cost burden.

Outcome: the board did not reach consensus to approve procurement or lease at this meeting and directed staff to explore alternatives and provide additional information about costs, pilot length, cancellation clauses, usage data from comparable kiosks and potential revenue models.