Local Government

The city and county of Denver’s Department of Technology Services has released a request for proposals from vendors using artificial intelligence to improve operations and the resident experience.

The platform is designed to showcase improvements to the city as they happen so that residents can know what to expect, where these things are happening and the planned timeline.

The recent groundbreaking commences work that ultimately will connect nearly 100 homes and businesses in the area with high-speed Internet. It’s paid for with federal American Rescue Plan Act and local matching funds.

Nearly 250 electric vehicle chargers will be deployed citywide this year in a push to expand charging opportunities at work and for residents living in apartment buildings. They’re the result of a three-way partnership.

The library has added Visual Accessibility Kits and more specialized items to its collection, in an effort to make content more easily accessible to patrons with low vision or blindness. The kits can be checked out at its 20 branches.

Distracted driving is so pervasive in the Minneapolis area that law enforcement is turning to artificial intelligence cameras to spot motorists who are illegally using their phones while behind the wheel.

Since 2019, the Traverse City Police Department has spent $28,000 to purchase tech tools to help officers identify unknown substances and intoxication levels, including one TruNarc device.

In separate endeavors with the technology company AidKit, Boulder County and the city of Boulder are simplifying how they deliver financial relief to residents, child-care providers and nonprofits.

The county’s IT Services Department spotted an unauthorized user on its servers Friday and began taking systems offline. Several systems were down through Wednesday including online courthouse filing. It’s unclear whether resident data was leaked.

As DOGE-driven cuts target services for people with disabilities, a new report finds that local government officials have bought into the concept of more accessibility. Even so, those officials see significant hurdles.

The private equity firm, run by a former Florida politician and his brothers, had previously raised $355 million. The fresh capital underscores the sector’s increasing role in gov tech.

Women are increasingly exploring nontraditional channels to enter into the cybersecurity workforce, according to a survey and recent analysis from a cybersecurity professionals member association.

Artificial intelligence has “significant implications for municipal governance,” according to a hearing order the City Council approved. The hearing will convene city tech cabinet members, experts on AI and others.

The Loveland City Council has approved a new technology fee on building permits that will generate enough revenue to pay annual maintenance costs and a new IT employee to support it.

While it's still unclear how federal DOGE efforts will impact state and local government, investing in tools like artificial intelligence can help do more with less while being both efficient and effective.

In the annual Digital Cities Survey, top performers are prioritizing cybersecurity and customer experience, as well as harnessing AI. The following takeaways offer a snapshot view.

The project is nearing completion, with training on the new court management system slated to begin this spring. Paid for entirely by federal funds, it will eventually allow for electronic filing of court documents.

The Cedar Rapids Police Department recently finished installing stationary license plate reader cameras, which scan plates and run them through national crime databases.