Civic Tech

Salt Lake City and Minneapolis are saving yearly staff hours and simplifying processes with an artificial intelligence-powered cloud-based work management tool. It’s helping reshape two familiar areas of municipal need.

The city’s municipal utility, EPB, which provides electricity and fiber optics to the greater metropolitan area, will spend $22 million to buy the computer. It is expected to be up and running in early 2026, officials said.

The city has rolled out a new 311 app and request platform that enhances how residents request and track help in real time. Its features include being able to show a location by dropping a pin.

The village reached an agreement this week with ParkMobile on a system that would let residents pay parking fees via cellphone — preserving meters, for now. Hours, rates and locations of use will be considered shortly by a city committee.

The site, which debuted Monday, offers an update system through which property owners can be alerted to fraud. It’s part of an endeavor underway since 2020 and involved moving millions of records to the new platform.

A state grant helped pay for the purchase of a drone. It is expected to be of assistance during search and recue operations, looking for hot spots during brush fires, and in helping warn fishermen.

The county purchased new electronic poll pads to check in voters during the May 3 municipal elections. Its elections administrator said the local government has tested the devices and is ready for the upcoming contests.

In a first, the California Department of Transportation is using two remote-controlled excavators to clear a landslide that closed a portion of Highway 1 in 2024. The equipment enables work in challenging areas.

Well over half of the electricity that powers activities at the Michigan city comes from renewable energy sources. The city has also made progress toward electrifying its vehicle fleet, including electric refuse trucks.

The ride-share service and its mobile application, which are funded by a $2.1 million state grant, expanded in March 2024. Powered by transit software firm Via, the service has around 15 drivers.

The city piloted a tool with artificial intelligence to gather more than 1 million responses from residents in just 33 days. Their feedback will help shape the direction of a 25-year strategic vision project.

The travel hub has deployed 10 of the devices for 90 days in its McNamara terminal to assist passengers with mobility issues. The wheelchairs carry passengers to the gate, then return to base automatically.

County supervisors have directed officials to study what updates should be enacted to deal with artificial intelligence as it takes further hold in everyday life. Leaders will develop a framework for how AI should be employed.

State Police have spent more than $40 million during the last two years to buy 2,000 body cameras, software, and expanded-view cameras for 1,400 patrol vehicles. All personnel are now equipped, weeks ahead of time.

More than 400 students who participated in the Congressional App Challenge demonstrated their award-winning work this week at the U.S. Capitol. The apps they designed combined technical prowess and personal experience.

The city of around 25,000 will deploy 16 cameras to be used in open cases or other specific circumstances, such as finding suspects or missing children. A grant will fund about two-thirds of the devices.

New fleet management technology for optimizing the use of electric vehicles crunches numerous variables related to battery performance, route, topography and temperature to get the most out of zero emissions.

The report, which includes information on cybersecurity, is an expanded version of a self-assessment encouraged by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Trucks are scheduled to go fully driverless in April.