Houston, TX "Smart City" Contract Documentation (Houston Department of Public Works)

Please visit www.houstontx.gov/publicinformation<http://www.houstontx.gov/publicinformation> to submit your request. When submitting on the portal, please send your request to the following depts:

-Controller’s
-Finance
-Information Technology

Have a good day.

Roberto Medina, MBA, CPM
Senior Staff Analyst
City of Houston | Houston Public Works

If you submitted your request to the 3 city depts identified on my 12/28 email, then please follow up with those 3 depts. As you can see below, the City Controller’s Office is the official keeper of contracts. Thanks.

CITY CONTROLLER

Max Moll
City of Houston
P.O. Box 1562
Houston, TX 77251

Dear Rebecca Williams:
Thank you for your interest in public records of City of Houston. Your request has been received and is being processed in accordance with Chapter 552 of Texas Government Code, the Public Information Act. Your request was received in this office on 12/3/2021 and given the reference number W047297-120321 for tracking purposes. Records Requested: To Whom It May Concern:

Pursuant to the Texas Public Information Act, I hereby request the following records:

This request for contract documents related to all smart city technology purchased or in operation by this agency for the period from 1/1/2015 - present.

These smart city technologies include any contract document that contains:
- The terms “smart city.”
- Internet of Things (IoT) technologies (such as connected sensors, lights, and meters that collect data).
- Mobility data collection (such as “intelligent transportation system" or rideshare or cell-phone location data agreements).
- Video technologies (such as “closed-circuit television,” traffic, security, or streetlight cameras).

Specifically, I am requesting contract documents to which this agency and any smart city technology vendor are parties. These materials include:
- Any lists of related contracts.
- Any contracts, including any pilot, proof-of-concept, and public-private partnership agreements.
- Any data purchase, licensing, or exchange agreements.
- Any privacy policies or terms of use/service.
- Any vendor distribution lists for related requests for proposals.

If another office would be a more appropriate destination for this request, I would be happy to forward this request according to your direction. If additional agencies or jurisdictions would also have responsive or associated materials, the provision of the names of those entities would also be appreciated.

These records will be used to inform research on “smart city system” best practices as part of Harvard Kennedy School’s Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs’ Technology and Public Purpose (TAPP) Project that culminates in May 2020. To accommodate this deadline and inclusion in analysis please expedite this request so that it is filled by February 2020. Because of our not-for-profit status and the fact that this request is about a matter in the public interest, I request a fee waiver. If you have any questions or would like to discuss narrowing the request, please contact me directly at rebeccawilliams@hks.harvard.edu or ‪(857) 400-0323.

The requested documents will be made available to the general public, and this request is not being made for commercial purposes.

In the event that there are fees, I would be grateful if you would inform me of the total charges in advance of fulfilling my request. I would prefer the request filled electronically, by e-mail attachment if available or CD-ROM if not.

Thank you in advance for your anticipated cooperation in this matter. I look forward to receiving your response to this request within 10 business days, as the statute requires.

Sincerely,

Rebecca Williams

Upload documents directly: https://www.muckrock.com/
Your request will be forwarded to the relevant City of Houston department(s) to locate the information you seek and to determine the volume and any costs associated with satisfying your request. You will be contacted about the availability and/or provided with copies of the records in question. PLEASE NOTE: The Chapter 552 of Texas Government Code, the Public Information Act does not require a governmental body to create new information, to do legal research, or to answer questions.

You can monitor the progress of your request at the link below and you'll receive an email when your request has been completed. Again, thank you for using the Houston Public Information Request Center.
City of Houston
To monitor the progress or update this request please log into the Houston Public Information Request Center (https://u8387778.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=6HtRfOYLt5fXvpttM-2FU1HZe9G0VpsixVoPvt8UrrwpcgPSxZaywZRpuh1WhDFL5bousMD9syTG-2BzNzxsj2pS9dlwM5QqaXcvrG-2FnbDicmAY-3D0OEO_RZcET9bhkxtJOWaSUC3OKV2FkgbK2jYF9UT3eO1i1XfOVawSW-2F21aRiAPDj0gJovpY9FP-2FztaR3w4kTwU8sb9iqFOI1uz-2BKw4R8-2BufOSV3K7r56ICiuqafqCm4FDV3SCAAGYE-2BqkkAM2fiQmLQuCzyzdKBKInJokOxxvUliE8HXprKZGuAgQYaqH-2BbefqsDPC7xQkyV9VtmQ6yslqUlgT31Dcf3ondRGN7a9pi0pIrE-3D)