Local Government

Officials in Fresno, Kern, Kings, Madera, Merced, San Joaquin and Tulare counties are asking why the San Joaquin Valley received just 6.6 percent of the first $804 million California gave out to increase access to affordable broadband.

As a new federal administration prepares to assume control, the GovAI Coalition Summit showed the local promise of artificial intelligence, from solutions available to the leaders ready to make them work.

Mayor Ben Walsh’s administration wants to expand the use of body-worn cameras to its code enforcement staff, but city lawmakers want questions answered before they’ll go along with buying the equipment.

A so-called “man-in-the-middle” cyber attack last month compromised the city’s transfer of nearly half a million dollars to pay for excavation during a water infrastructure replacement project. The FBI is among agencies investigating.

A new front in the battle over the benefits of AI versus its risks is opening up in law enforcement, where police are increasingly using the software to write up incident reports — to the concern of civil libertarians.

As the capital of Silicon Valley, San Jose has become a leading force in pushing local government agencies to be more efficient and deliberate by applying artificial intelligence.

White Lake Township was “a victim of a sophisticated cybersecurity attack,” its police chief said. The incident has compromised a portion of $29 million in infrastructure bond funds. Federal authorities and local police are investigating.

The environmental costs of using artificial intelligence tools is an area of growing concern for government technology officials. Transparency from vendors can shed light on their energy and water usage.

The funding, via a Fleet-ZERO grant from the Colorado Energy Office, will help pay for the city’s internal Electric Vehicle Action Plan and enable the transition to EVs and their supporting infrastructure.

Officials in Austin, Texas, received a racially targeted public comment during a recent City Council meeting, generated by artificial intelligence. They are now working to ensure this time is reserved for actual constituents.

According to city of Odessa officials, state-provided software meant to enhance cybersecurity effectively protected city systems, and staff is now restoring operations using secure backups.

He takes over for Reenie Askew, who had held the job since 2019. Charlotte has recently won recognition for its technology leadership, and Storay brings both city and federal experience to his new job.

The City Council in Meriden, Conn., voted to increase its body camera, taser and training budget to allow for an artificial intelligence program that, among other things, quickens police report writing.

The local government will migrate to Civic Plus next year, after county commissioners voted to spend more than $20,000 to do so. The county’s existing offering was bought out and officials decided to look elsewhere, querying other counties to learn what they used.

Last month, King County Metro started a pilot project mounting cameras equipped with artificial intelligence on two buses to watch for drivers in transit-only lanes.

Jason Balderama, a county technology official, has started working as a consultant for the housing authority to coordinate the investigation and advise on how to strengthen its Internet defenses.

Cache County, located in the northern part of the state, wanted to move beyond spreadsheets and papers in seeking federal funding for playgrounds and other facilities. Its new solution offers a unified view.

Denver appointed a new chief information security officer, Merlin Namuth, in October. He is building relationships as the foundation for a people-centered approach to cybersecurity in the city and county.