Mayor Michael Nutter to Address Northeast Summit
Former Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter will be a featured speaker at the Special Districts Summit Northeast in Philadelphia on June 25. Mayor Nutter joins futurist C.K. Kerley and a full slate of expert panelists on key topics at the day-long event. Check out the full agenda here. Register today for this unique conference created specifically for special districts.
Also, don’t forget that our Special Districts Summit West is just days away. Join us May 30 at Disney’s Paradise Pier Hotel in Anaheim, Calif., for insights on leadership, building your future workforce, using data more effectively and more. You’ll find all the details here. We hope to see you there.
Special Districts Advisory Board Expands
We’re welcoming two new members to the Special Districts Program National Advisory Board, adding more depth and diversity to the leadership group that designs and spearheads our program activities throughout the year.
- Emily Schapira is Executive Director of the Philadelphia Energy Authority. She leads the Philadelphia Energy Campaign, a $1 billion, 10-year initiative to advance energy efficiency and clean energy across the city, while creating more than 10,000 jobs.
- Kingman D. Schuldt is Chief of the Greater Naples Fire Rescue District in Florida. Schuldt, who has been active in fire rescue services since 1978, heads one of the largest fire rescue agencies in Southwest Florida.
In Case You Missed Them: Special Districts Podcasts
The Special Districts Podcast Series spotlights visionary leaders and innovative ideas from special districts across the nation. We’ve created more than a dozen episodes over the past few years. Here are a few highlights:
- John Miri, Chief Administrative Officer for the Lower Colorado River Authority in Austin, Texas, talks about the future of flood alerting and how he stays on mission in a world of opportunity.
- Clay Campbell, Administrative Services Director for the Downers Grove (Ill.) Sanitary District describes how his organization uses technology to improve customer experience.
- Brian Kelley, CIO of the Ohio Turnpike and Infrastructure Commission, offers a guided tour of pilot projects that are paving the way for smarter transportation.
District Spotlight: Luring Riders with Tech
The Lakeland Area Mass Transit District in Florida is implementing new technology aimed at attracting more riders to its bus system. The district, known as Citrus Connection to area residents, operates public transit and paratransit throughout Lakeland County. Earlier this month, the district’s board of directors unanimously backed a plan to free Wi-Fi and mobile charging stations to Citrus Connection buses and to develop a mobile ticketing app for customers.
The moves are aimed at reversing declining ridership, which may have been triggered by service cuts enacted a few years ago.
The Lakeland Area Mass Transit District in Florida is implementing new technology aimed at attracting new riders to its bus system. The district, known as Citrus Connection to area residents, operates public transit and paratransit throughout Lakeland County. Earlier this month, the district’s board of directors unanimously backed a plan to offer free Wi-Fi and mobile charging stations to Citrus Connection buses and to develop a mobile ticketing app for customers.
"Product drives perception," says Lakeland Mayor Bill Mutz, who sits on Citrus Connection's Board of Directors. "If we want to improve the public's perception, we need to do it through our product."
You’ll find the whole story here.
More Articles Worth a Read
Here are the latest stories from special districts around the country. Share your own news with us for inclusion in the next newsletter.
The Nashville Fire Department is working with smart cities researchers and Metro Nashville’s IT department to predict where accidents will happen in the future and speed up emergency response. The partners are using historical incident data, along with a wide range of other information such as response times, traffic conditions and weather, to build predictive models.
Plans to award a $29 million smart meter contract in Independence, Mo., sparked public outcry, prompting the city to offer customers a chance to opt-out of the new technology.
Business leaders and elected officials in Minnesota are supporting a proposed $54 million rapid bus service line connecting uptown Minneapolis to downtown St. Paul. Rapid bus service features limited stops and more frequent service than traditional bus lines.
A new report by the National Association of City Transportation Officials says micro-mobility networks offering bikes and e-scooters are seeing rapid growth in cities across the country.
