Local Government

The refreshed metrics dashboard offers more insights into vacation rental compliance and tourism metrics. It lets officials get a sense of where travelers hail from and how much they’re spending — but also which properties may not conform.

The deal comes amid a period of growth for MDF, which recently began working with the state of Hawaii. KKR’s $189 million plan, still subject to shareholder approval, reflects the growing presence of private equity in gov tech.

The move by League City follows an increase in vehicle break-ins with 28 license plate-reading cameras. Police have also begun a grant program letting subdivisions and homeowner associations apply to place cameras in their neighborhoods.

The Joplin City Council is considering a pact with Allo Missouri for citywide fiber-optic broadband. Joplin would contribute $4 million from an American Rescue Plan Act grant, and only eligible expenses would be paid from city funds.

A $445,650 grant from the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency will pay for body-worn cameras and related tech for police in Meadville and Vernon Township. For the former, deployment will be April 1.

New York City leaders on Thursday announced milestones met in the city’s Artificial Intelligence Action Plan. These include the establishment of an AI Steering Committee and the publication of guiding principles.

Some voters Tuesday in Tarrant County, Texas, waited in long lines to cast their ballots. The county is working with KNOWiNK, which provides its electronic poll book system, to provide wait times to the public online.

Some small-scale AI use cases are already underway. But in a webinar, “The Local Imperative: Policy and Use of AI,” state and local officials in North Carolina urged caution before employing the new technology in wider applications.

Collaborations among transit agencies, research universities and big tech companies like Google are using AI and cloud computing to harness tech for operational efficiency. Projects aim for regional benefits.

A partnership with Verizon is expected to bring high-speed Internet to four townships in Pennslvania’s Westmoreland County. The areas of the state’s second most populous county currently lack service.

The shuttle, which operated in downtown, was taken out of service after a crash Nov. 4. A review determined human error prompted it to move into the path of another bus. Test runs restarted Tuesday.

The Syracuse, N.Y., Office of Analytics, Performance and Innovation and its partnership with the Department of Public Works demonstrates the cascading effects of what happens when traditional services go digital.

Federal agencies must transition to zero-trust cybersecurity postures by September of this year. Establishing a similar deadline for state and local agencies would spur action to lock down systems.

Officials at Eau Claire County, Wis., have debuted a new dashboard that displays “up to the minute information” on weather, fires and related events. Issues identified in an update of the county Hazard Mitigation Plan also will be incorporated.

The Chelan County Public Utility District, which serves around 50,000 customers, said the incident kept a nationwide vendor from mailing and emailing statements last week. It’s unclear whether personal information was compromised.

AT&T has asked the California Public Utilities Commission to drop it as a “carrier of last resort,” which requires it to provide landline service in its coverage area. San Mateo County supervisors question the impacts to 911 and emergency services.

The city will contract with San Francisco-based micromobility firm Spin for as many as 100 e-scooters and 50 e-bicycles. The devices are already available on the Washington State University campus in Pullman.

The 20-year contract will enable the purchase of solar photovoltaic energy and battery storage from Bonanza Solar. It moves the city closer to sourcing electricity from carbon-free sources by the end of 2030 and replacing coal-fired energy.