Civic Tech

Plus, the FCC has opened an inquiry seeking public comment on what constitutes digital discrimination, New York state undertakes major effort to enroll eligible families in federal broadband programs, and more.

In a joint release Wednesday, Cuyahoga County Executive Armond Budish and councilmembers outlined a dozen initiatives they plan to fund this year using the county’s American Rescue Plan money.

The group, which was formed as a volunteer response to the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, is celebrating its second anniversary today, as it continues to expand the scope and focus of its work.

The New York State Office of Information Technology Services issued an RFQ to secure a software platform to streamline the state’s process in receiving, processing and responding to public info requests.

Residents in Yakima County, Wash., can apply for rental assistance through a new online portal that launched this week. The portal is helping streamline the application process and improving accessibility.

Houston, Texas, has started deploying digital kiosks throughout the city. In addition to offering wayfinding services and municipal resources to residents and visitors, they also serve as Internet connectivity hubs.

Plus, the Pew Charitable Trusts launches Opportunity Broadband; the National Urban League releases a new digital equity white paper; and New York City Open Data Week 2022 is now underway.

Specialty docket clients in some Ohio courts will begin using the Anchored To Hope platform, which includes machine intelligence and VR meditation to combat addiction through 24/7 access to resources.

Plus, why this weekly column has a new name, the NTIA awards $277 million in grants to enhance broadband in 12 states, and a new Illinois broadband program announces its inaugural cohort.

For a total of nine drop-box locations, the Orange County Registrar of Voters will see how new ballot-tracking technology during the upcoming June primary election affects the process of voting.

Greensburg, Pa., residents and developers will no longer have to step foot into City Hall for permitting services in the coming months. The city may move other services online depending on the success of this initiative.

The Tennessee Governor’s Office of Diversity Business Enterprise has announced internal and external dashboards to monitor government contracting with underrepresented groups across state agencies.

Gov. Kristi Noem recently announced the launch of the South Dakota Citizen Portal, an updated website that improves service delivery for residents and collects new resources in one place.

Plus, the Colorado Broadband Office is planning to connect more than 99 percent of households in the state, Arizona is investing $68.1 million in connectivity, and lawmakers ask the FCC to translate broadband labels.

Nigel Jacob, co-founder of the Boston Mayor’s Office of New Urban Mechanics, has announced his departure from his role with the city to share the model with new cities. He now holds the title of mechanic emeritus.

The task management software firm is building a larger customer base among local and state governments as the pandemic continues and the Biden administration pushes for more vaccine spending.

Plus, the National League of Cities announces the innovation projects that have won its 2021 Capstone Challenge; applications are now open for a pair of digital inclusion grant programs in Maryland; and more.

The efforts to extend language translation capabilities across all state websites that offer public services and COVID-19 information could be given more time by the state Legislature through a recent amendment.