Local Government

The city’s former Director of IT Alyssa Rodriguez has been appointed chief infrastructure officer/assistant city manager. Russell Nelson, now acting director of IT, had been Henderson’s deputy CIO for more than a decade.

Grove City, Ohio, has taken a cautious, intentional approach to regulating artificial intelligence. An AI policy enacted late last year specifies implementation of AI-powered tools is approved on a case-by-case basis.

The University of Michigan said its public safety department's phone system was down Friday, and some faculty and students might be affected. Henry Ford College also had to close for the day.

The new app, created in partnership with SaferWatch is mainly used by law enforcement and schools. The county will offer real-time alerts and information on local events through it; it can also intake tips to the county sheriff.

Over 67 acres owned by a Catholic liberal arts university in Irving, Texas, have been rezoned for a data center, slated for completion in 2027, that would support regional needs for data collection and artificial intelligence.

The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority, in partnership with Cubic Transportation Systems, will introduce new contactless tap-to-ride technology, where riders tap a credit card or digital wallet to pay transit fares.

Interim CIO Michael Makstman, in place since Jan. 1, has been made permanent and will lead the city-county’s Department of Technology. Makstman has been with San Francisco more than six years and was previously its CISO.

The local government declared a “local disaster emergency” due to a “significant disruption in services as a result of a criminal ransomware attack.” This follows disruptions to the county courthouse and probation/community corrections.

The first-place finishers in this year's Digital Counties Survey from the Center for Digital Government are those that have focused on modernizing major systems while also championing innovation.

The agency received a $99.49 million grant to upgrade its Meadowlands Bus Garage. It will enable the 30-year-old facility to house, charge, and maintain electric buses, and increase service.

The county, the state’s largest by land area, will offer voters a new service via Missouri-based software company KNOWiNK. Ballots in future elections will have QR codes and be trackable online.

Nine Connecticut municipalities, including Danbury and New Milford, will receive conditional awards from the state Department of Transportation to build out electrical vehicle charging stations. The awards top $5 million.

Services affected in the incident, detected June 19, have been restored, and the incident did not “materially” affect the city’s service provision, according to a statement. It’s unclear how far the attack went before it was detected.

The cities of Buffalo, Rochester and Syracuse collectively received funding via a “tech hub” competition run by the U.S. Economic Development Administration. They’ll use it to develop an area semiconductor industry.

The company, which sells digital tools to local public agencies, plans to use its own data, survey reports and analysis to help officials decide how to invest in technology, craft budgets and do other jobs. The man leading the effort explains the thinking behind it.

The local government, the state’s fifth largest by population, has migrated to a new website with a “.gov” domain address. The protocol meets federal recommendations and has advanced security features.

I’m always looking for best practices and examples to share around government AI and cyber projects. Monty 2.0 is certainly praiseworthy and a GenAI project to watch and learn from.

The application, DROPS, or Direct Resource Outreach and Placement Service, enables city staff to create and track digitized case files. It’s intended to streamline access to resources and avoid disconnections in the process.