Denver council rejects extensions for 311 chatbot and tech contractor

Denver City Council rejected a five-year extension for Sunny, the city’s 311 chatbot, and a separate three-year extension for technology contractor Slalom on Oct. 13. Staff said the city would not continue Sunny after its current paid period; without Slalom, some projects could go unfinished if the city cannot find other suitable capacity. The Citibot resolution failed 9-3 and the Slalom resolution failed 10-2, the meeting recording shows.

Council members questioned whether Sunny, which is provided by Citibot, gives residents reliable information and enough value to justify an extension. Councilmember Sawyer described Sunny directing her to a park outside Denver. Other critics said the city had not sufficiently measured the chatbot’s accuracy or user satisfaction, and argued that investment in automation should not come at the expense of 311 staffing and human responses.

Technology Services staff said about 40% of 311 inquiries arrive through digital channels. They argued self-service can handle simpler requests and leave staff more time for complex cases. A voice assistant was only a possible future pilot, not a settled part of the city’s plan. The city’s request for the Citibot extension described voice service as contingent on funding; staff estimated it would cost about $600,000 a year and said funding had not been identified.

Staff said Denver would not pay for or continue Citibot without an extension and would discuss next steps with the company. They said the city was paid through the current cycle, which they believed ran through the end of October. The proposed extension resolution is marked failed.

The Slalom proposal would have added $5 million and three years to the contract, extending it through 2029. The existing contract runs through Dec. 31, 2026. The city describes the on-call work as technology and data projects, including business intelligence, technology development and deployment, data analysis and strategic planning. The proposed Slalom resolution is marked failed, and the city’s request form lists the existing contract term.

Council members raised concerns about outsourcing, contract oversight and hourly rates of up to $380. A Technology Services representative described Slalom as a source of specialized or short-term capacity and said the contract did not specifically cover artificial-intelligence services. Staff said Denver would need to seek similar workers from other vendors after the current contract ends; if it could not find suitable capacity, some projects might not be completed.