Finance

The Dayton City Commission this week approved an expansion of license plate reader camera technology in the city. Three other contracts related to police technology were also approved.

City staff are close to proposing a deal with an Internet service provider that would build a citywide fiber-optic network. An official said they are negotiating with a potential vendor.

Starting Jan. 1, 2024, the Oklahoma Broadband Office will begin to administer more than $1.3 billion in federal grant funding to bring broadband Internet service across the state.

While the city is without a formal plan for artificial intelligence, the budget for the upcoming year includes having the IT department investigate potential applications for the technology.

Albuquerque's legislative wish list includes some $40 million to boost video surveillance capabilities through the Real Time Crime Center as well as an expansion of the existing gunshot detection system.

The Minnesota Department of Transportation has opened the application process for private and public entities to tap into federal funds to own and operate electric vehicle charging stations.

Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger is asking legislators for $4.7 million to buy devices that would allow voters to confirm that the QR codes and printed text on ballots match before being scanned and counted.

Idaho County took a step forward with the broadband project between Grangeville and Orofino with an $11.5 million fiber-optic conduit grant from the Idaho Broadband Advisory Board. A $14.5 million grant was awarded in November.

Credit union solutions provider Ongoing Operations experienced a cyber incident in late November. About 60 credit unions are believed to be suffering a level of disruption as a result.

The grant award to Dairyland Power Cooperative comes through the National Telecommunications & Information Administration. Dairyland will supply the infrastructure groundwork for others to bring broadband Internet to rural areas.

The Portland City Council voted unanimously this week to spend up to $2.6 million to outfit more than 800 police officers with body-worn cameras next year, making permanent a pilot program that launched this summer.

The Ohio Federal Research Network has awarded $6.85 million to several businesses and colleges in the state to pursue national security-focused research. The hope is that the work will lead to new jobs and even new companies.

Every state is poised to receive a large amount of federal money to expand broadband access, but they have a lot of work to do to meet the government’s requirements for distributing it.

Boyd, Carter and Rowan counties are among the counties to benefit from a $30.7 million project to expand broadband access to approximately 33,000 households across 16 counties and 196 communities.

The Metropolitan Transportation Commission in the Bay Area is holding public meetings for community feedback on a plan to add tolling to the region’s most-crowded freeways to generate new funding for transit and other projects.

Henderson County commissioners have approved an agreement with ISP Brightspeed to enhance regional broadband services. The project will connect nearly 5,000 locations by mid 2026.

The fiscal challenges transit is facing are nothing new. To be financially resilient, transit agencies will need to rethink its funding options, and put more pressure on states to funnel federal cash.

Finance automation, powered by artificial intelligence technology, is helping to save Mt. Lebanon, Pa., a significant amount of time and is simplifying the accounts payable process.