Civic Tech

Lorain, Ohio, will roll out software it hopes will help it and residents fight the never-ending war against problems like potholes, long grass and the neighbor who wants to store a rusting old vehicle in their backyard.

The Hallandale Beach Police Department is adding 13 Tesla Model Y vehicles to its fleet in an effort to bring down emissions and save money on fuel. Twelve of the 13 new electric vehicles will be used by detectives.

Crittenden County, Ark., which is home to roughly 50,000 people, is trying to create a one-stop shop for its residents to find services, ranging from government to nonprofits to local churches.

The state is set to receive $110 million in federal funds to expand high-speed Internet access to about 22,000 families and businesses in rural parts of the state. The money comes from the American Rescue Plan.

Mayor Ras J. Baraka has announced the launch of a website meant to help residents locate affordable housing options. The tool is part of the administration’s long-term goals related to equity in the city.

After serving as St. Paul, Minn.’s CIO for more than four years, Sharon Kennedy Vickers has left the role to serve as a the CEO of Software for Good. The company develops web and mobile apps geared toward environment and social change.

The state Legislature in Massachusetts is expected to extend the provision that allows remote access and participation within municipal meetings, with the provision set to expire this coming Friday.

The city of Paterson, N.J., has partnered with Quickbase to expand a technology solution that will help those suffering with opioid addiction get access to medication-assisted treatment when and where they need it.

Plus, New York audits its ongoing broadband program work; a program in Colorado aims to distribute broadband grants throughout the state; the FCC announces $159 million in new Emergency Connectivity Funding; and more.

There’s a long history of effective public-sector infrastructure investments and services being implemented in the region — programs some conservatives might deride as socialism — and working exceedingly well.

Sitting beneath the photo of a Tesla sedan floating in orbit tacked to his bedroom wall, he programmed a Twitter account to automatically post the movements of a certain private jet, a Gulfstream G650ER.

The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation grant will aid the city's meter upgrade project to continue working on improving water use efficiency, according to a city of Greeley, Colo., news release.

Unemployment benefits that were delayed this week for more than 12,000 Tennesseans due to a computer outage should be restored soon if, as expected, computer network service for the state labor agency is fixed.

Police in Lima, Ohio, are looking to custom-built technology to address a staffing shortage. The mobile device has cameras, sound detection, facial recognition software and license plate recognition capabilities.

Organized by Bloomberg Philanthropies in partnership with the Aspen Institute, speakers for CityLab 2022 will include former NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg, Baltimore's chief data officer, and more.

Plus, Texas has released its initial 2022 broadband plan; Kentucky is investing more than $200 million in high-speed Internet; the GSA has announced its first cohort of 40 U.S. Digital Corps fellows; and more.

One county leader wants to form a $10 million Opioid Innovation Fund to support and test new strategies for combating the opioid epidemic, but County Council is divided over whether it’s needed and how it might work.

The controversial surveillance camera technology on public streetlights has raised calls for oversight from privacy and civil rights advocates. A City Council vote could change the rules around how the tech is governed.