Council revives Internet master plan proposal, seeks regular reports on shelter air conditioning
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Summary
Council Member Jennifer Gutierrez introduced two bills: one to require an Internet master plan from the Office of Technology and Innovation to improve home broadband access, and another to require biannual reporting on air conditioning availability in homeless shelters.
Council Member Jennifer Gutierrez introduced Intro 11-22a and Intro 12-08a, bills aimed at broadband and shelter conditions.
Gutierrez said the city's previously developed Internet master plan was abandoned by the Adams administration in favor of short-term programs and that the city "lost 4 years of potential progress and spent over a $100,000,000 without delivering permanent solutions," according to her remarks. Intro 11-22a would require the Office of Technology and Innovation to develop and publish an Internet master plan with timelines, public reporting and accountability measures, prioritizing community-driven infrastructure.
Gutierrez also introduced Intro 12-08a, a reporting bill that would require the Department of Social Services and the Department of Housing Preservation and Development to issue a biannual report on the availability and functionality of air conditioning in homeless shelters, notify council members of outages, and conduct a one-time assessment of the cost to ensure shelters can maintain residents' safety during extreme heat.
"Extreme heat is now 1 of the deadliest weather related hazards we face," Gutierrez said, and she tied the AC reporting measure to the need to protect shelter residents from heat exposure. Both measures were presented on the agenda for consideration; the transcript does not record final vote outcomes.