Perking Leaps, Hedging Barriers: The Story of a Smart City

Travis Cutright, Chief Information Officer (CIO) for the City of Mesa

Travis Cutright, Chief Information Officer (CIO) for the City of Mesa

Travis Cutright is the CIO of City of Mesa. His expertise in architecture, communications, application development, database, and GIS, has made him an accomplished leader in the technology landscape. In his tenure at the City of Mesa, he has overseen numerous projects, notably interactive kiosks, free Wi-Fi for the public, parking detection, and building automation. Working to foster innovative methods to serve citizens, Cutright and his team have some impeccable plans ahead for the City of Mesa.

As per your perspective, what are the ongoing marketing pain points?

Innovations and efficiency have always been at the heart of Mesa. The Covid-19 pandemic and the resulting lockdowns entailed a "re-think" of these concepts, paving the way for many technological innovations. The inadequacy of finance to contribute to such innovations is our major pain point. The very idea of not collecting a primary property tax may sound bewitching, but in the long run, it is challenging to maintain, expand or evolve service levels without additional revenues to allocate budget.

"The Covid-19 pandemic and the resulting lockdowns entailed a "re-think" of these concepts, paving the way for many technological innovations. The inadequacy of finance to contribute to such innovations is our major pain point"

The post-pandemic scenario also triggered disillusionment in our society. The disruption of the financial structure due to subsequent shut-downs forced many organizations to lay off experienced and highly paid employees. To fill the employee vacancies hiring new and young talents was the only solution. Resorting to manual selection processes for this would be a difficult and far-fledged task as the number of people with the required skill set can be vast. However, depending on technologies like cloud computing has helped to gather precise and swift information on the desired candidate set.

Could you shed some light on the latest project you are working on?

The smart city strategic plan and climate action plan have streamlined emphasis on retrofitting the city's heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) plans to decrease energy costs. HVAC control systems can help you save up to 20 to 25 percent of energy when installed in a building. Each installation can save millions of dollars annually, which can be invested in other innovative initiatives, making investment-innovation-profit a cohesive act.

Where do you envision the City of Mesa in two years, and what are the potential disruptions and transformations that have happened so far?

In the years to come, we would like to continue serving our customers as an organization by evaluating our services to cater to new demands quickly. The archetype of the recent digital divide happened while implementing broadband connectivity and CBRS (a private cellular network) in the underserved parts of the community. Since the academic year begins in August-September, we had to get this project done quickly. To leverage both tasks hand-in-hand, we had to either resort to partner leverage or hire contractors. This was one such circumstance where we had to be flexible to remain adaptable to any situation.

How would you enlighten the upcoming professionals who aspire to work in this space?

Innovations are the mastermind of a progressive society. If you want to get things done, think of how you need to work today to achieve the results. In case of failure, do not be afraid to look into every mirror of possibility. At the end of the day, your achievement could define a whole society.