June, 2023

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How small cells are empowering local governments to build smarter cities

Open Access Government - Technology News

Ian Newbury, Business Development Director at BT Wholesale, describes how small cells can support greener and more sustainable technology infrastructure and facilitate a better digital future for everyone Speak to anyone working in the sector today, and it is clear that promoting digital inclusion and achieving a decarbonised future are among the key aims of most local authorities.

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How AI is improving constituent experiences in government

Google Public Sector

For years, Google has been working with state and local governments to focus on the needs of the mission, using data to improve the constituent experience and offer more accessible digital services, while helping government workers operate more efficiently. Artificial Intelligence (AI) has been core to helping agencies achieve these goals. As a pioneer in AI, Google has been investing in responsible AI research for years, as well as advancing the state of the art with Google AI and DeepMind.

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Freight Rail Safety—Potential Impacts of Longer Trains

GAO (US Government Accountability Office)

Some recent derailments and other rail incidents have had something in common: they involved longer freight trains. Federal rail regulators are investigating the exact causes of these incidents and GAO has not examined them. But, we have reviewed.

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The Grassroots Movement That Built Puerto Rico’s First Community-Owned Microgrid

Next City

In the small mountain town of Adjuntas, an "energy insurrection" is building a model for clean, reliable power across the island.

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Holiday Safety Tips for Municipal Operations

The holiday season brings joy and celebration, but it also introduces unique challenges for municipal operations. From ensuring safe snow removal and managing icy sidewalks to organizing festive events and addressing increased community needs, municipalities play a critical role in keeping residents safe and operations running smoothly. This eBook provides actionable safety tips to help your team navigate the holiday season effectively, protect staff and citizens, and ensure compliance with safe

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SCP 189: Remix: Spicing up Rainy Day

Summer Camp Programming

SHOW NOTES This is the episode to listen to now, not when it’s too late! If you host a camp anywhere water falls from the sky, you need to have a plan ready. Unlike the rains down in Africa, these aren’t blessed days. Check out this week’s episode for new ideas (and remixed ideas from […] The post SCP 189: Remix: Spicing up Rainy Day appeared first on Summer Camp Programming.

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A ‘NORAD-like’ Model for Disaster Response in North America

Disaster Zone blog

This is being proposed by Canadian officials.

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Changing lives with a new wearable glucose monitor

Open Access Government - Technology News

We could be about to see the world’s first truly non-invasive, real-time, continuous wearable glucose monitor change the lives of those with diabetes forever Afon Technology, a small Welsh-based med-tech startup, is working to develop Glucowear®, the world’s first truly non-invasive, real-time, continuous wearable glucose monitor. The team, headed up by founder Dr Sabih Chaudhry are edging closer to transforming the lives of those living with diabetes around the world with their wearable wristwa

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Unleashing developer productivity with generative AI

McKinsey Public & Social Sector Insights

A McKinsey study shows that software developers can complete coding tasks up to twice as fast with generative AI. Four actions can maximize productivity and minimize risks.

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New York Finally Gets Its First Worker-Owned Cooperative Cocktail Bar

Next City

Despite the exploitative labor environment in bars and restaurants, this may be the first worker-owned cooperative in New York City’s hospitality sector.

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Ep 20: Consequences of Actions

Summer Camp Programming

SHOW NOTES Kelie and Shauna discuss what constitutes acceptable reasons when to bring a staff member back after they’ve been fired. Want to add to our conversation? Have a question you want us to discuss? Email Us: exploringcampsides@gmail.com HOSTS KELIE COOK SHAUNA GUGLIELMO The post Ep 20: Consequences of Actions appeared first on Summer Camp Programming.

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How Breckenridge, CO Ensures Tax & Licensing Compliance

Breckenridge’s short-term rental boom—over 4,200 licenses —put intense pressure on the town’s small staff and manual processes. Facing compliance and efficiency challenges, the town teamed up with GovOS to automate its STR licensing. The new system: Cut admin time Reduced errors Improved the experience for property owners and town staff Discover the full impact of automation on Breckenridge’s STR management—download the case study.

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Artificial Intelligence's Impact on Jobs

Disaster Zone blog

Technology tends to automate tasks, not entire occupations.

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Supporting Military Service Member and Veteran Well-Being Through the Arts

NLC (National League of Cities)

There are more than half a million military service members who are living with conditions that compromise their mental health and well-being, such as post-traumatic stress disorder and traumatic brain injury. With 62% of the veteran population falling outside federal healthcare systems, the burden falls on local communities to step in.

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Changing Narratives and Engaging Communities Toward Better Policy: New York City’s Low-Density Neighborhoods Event Recap

The Stoop (NYU Furman Center)

New York City’s least-dense community districts are permitting new housing at lower rates compared to the rest of the city, raising questions for policymakers over how to achieve fair and equitable housing growth across a broad range of neighborhood types, according to a recent report from the NYU Furman Center. Data analyzed by the Furman Center shows that the city’s lowest-density community districts take up 44.7 percent of the total land across the five boroughs but contain just 2

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Unlocking commerce in the metaverse

McKinsey Public & Social Sector Insights

Consumers already know what they want at the intersection of virtual and physical retail. It’s up to companies to evolve their strategies to capture growth and long-term value.

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Empower Digital Government: Strategic Workbook for Modern Transformation

Digital transformation is reshaping government interactions, bringing agencies closer to the communities they serve. However, while many have adopted new digital tools, few have implemented comprehensive strategies to maximize their benefits. Our Strategic Workbook for Modern Government offers a step-by-step guide to developing a sustainable digital strategy.

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How A Nonprofit Reunites Separated Families At The U.S.-Mexico Border

Next City

At the annual Hugs Not Walls event, it's a logistical challenge to clear the way for families to reunite in the river while border patrol officers promise not to intervene.

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How State and Local IT Agencies Can Best Prepare for Natural Disasters

State Tech Magazine

The National Centers for Environmental Information recently released the final update to its 2022 Billion-Dollar Weather and Climate Disasters report. Last year tied 2017 and 2011 for the third-highest number of billion-dollar disasters in the U.S., with the cost of 18 weather events totaling more than $175 billion. The report indicates that natural disasters are becoming more prevalent, expensive and diverse, with a mix of floods, winter storms, wildfires and other predictable and unpredictable

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AZ Begins to See the End of Water

Disaster Zone blog

Groundwater can’t be replaced anytime soon.

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How Transportation Can Drive Economic Mobility

NLC (National League of Cities)

As local leaders look to increase the economic mobility of their residents and reduce poverty in their communities, a key emerging area to address is transportation.

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7 Signs Your Local Government ERP Is Holding You Back: A Guide for Small Municipalities

Local governments and municipalities serving populations under 200,000 face distinctive challenges in delivering efficient and effective services to their communities. To overcome these challenges, many rely on Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems tailored to their specific needs. Not all ERP systems are created equal, and some may hinder progress rather than support it.

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Hyperautomation Adoption Increases Across Federal Agencies

FedTech Magazine

Several federal agencies have embraced artificial intelligence, machine learning, robotic process automation and digital process automation to streamline processes and optimize efficiency, but few have put all of the pieces together to adopt hyperautomation. “In the commercial world, there’s a lot of interest and investment in hyperautomation for the returns that it can provide,” says Jason Payne, CTO for Microsoft Federal.

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HR rewired: An end-to-end approach to attracting and retaining top tech talent

McKinsey Public & Social Sector Insights

Technology companies are shedding the very talent that incumbent players need to meet their own digital objectives. Here’s what HR teams in traditional organizations can do to capitalize.

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Inside The Fight To Kick Out Rochester’s Power Company

Next City

In New York’s third-largest city, locals are sick of skyrocketing bills and dirty fuel sources. They’re fighting against long odds for the public to own the grid.

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SIEM vs. SOAR vs. XDR: Strengthening Cybersecurity

State Tech Magazine

State and local governments have the crucial responsibility of protecting essential utilities and citizen data from cyberattacks.

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ASPA TIMES Magazine: Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

PA TIMES Magazine is a publication of the American Society for Public Administration (ASPA), a not-for-profit corporation. This edition focused on diversity, equity and inclusion in public administration, including guest columns, insights for the field and interviews with city government DEI officers about their work at the local level.

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State Farm Pulling Out of Home Insurance Market in California

Disaster Zone blog

Rates statewide went up 30 percent year over year.

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What Causes “Urban Prairies” in Shrinking Cities?

Center for Community Progress

From Smaller Cities in a Shrinking World: Learning to Thrive Without Growth Copyright © 2023 Alan Mallach. Reproduced by permission of Island Press, Washington, D.C. It has been edited for blog format. If the one common feature of shrinking cities is population decline, it would follow that vacant properties should be the most direct consequence, as fewer people need fewer houses, stores, and workplaces.

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Advanced Analytics Is Changing How Agencies Fight Fraud

FedTech Magazine

The Department of Justice is using advanced data analytics to discover suspicious healthcare activity, enabling the agency to crack down on healthcare fraud. Through analytics, 16 people in Michigan and Ohio — including 12 physicians — were sentenced last year for their roles in submitting more than $250 million in false claims and illegally distributing more than 6.6 million opioid pills.

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Getting a read on the state of organizations

McKinsey Public & Social Sector Insights

A new McKinsey report reveals how organizations are faring in a post-COVID-19 world. Here, two of its coauthors offer suggestions for managing through the uncertainty.

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Boost Revenue With Simple Short-Term Rental Registration and Tax Collections

Government agencies that rely on tax revenue to fund critical services and infrastructure are finding it more urgent than ever to bridge the gap between under-reported tax revenue and taxpayers’ understanding of the processes. This is especially true as things like short-term rentals (STRs) have grown in popularity and become new sources of income for residents.

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The Upstate Town That Took Back Its Power

Next City

Massena residents fought the local utility to bring their electric grid under public control. Forty years later, they say it’s still paying off.

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Local Governments Continue to Prioritize Broadband Expansion

State Tech Magazine

Broadband expansion remains a priority for state and local governments. Reports indicate that both Placer County, Calif., and Crawford County, Pa., are set to bolster their broadband networks. According to Placer County, its Board of Supervisors approved $31 million in funding to bring broadband to new neighborhoods, expanding to almost 11,000 new homes.

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The Fallout from Smoke and Fires in Canada

Disaster Zone blog

Canada expected to create a disaster agency.

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How EdIndia Foundation uses AWS to upskill teachers and increase student success

AWS Public Sector Blog

India has made great strides in supporting the availability of primary education across the country. However, providing high quality pedagogy and content delivery in the classroom remains a challenge. According to the Annual Status of Education Report (ASER) released in 2019 , 70 percent of students in grade three remain behind grade level, 57 percent of students in grade nine cannot solve a simple division problem, and almost 50 percent of students drop out of the school system before reaching

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Overcoming Operational Challenges in Parks & Recreation

Speaker: Noratek

Maintaining parks and recreation facilities efficiently is no easy task, especially when faced with scheduling issues, aging infrastructure, and inconsistent inspections. Join us for this insightful webinar where we explore the most common challenges departments like yours are facing and how digital tools like CityReporter can help you streamline operations, ensure safety, and make better use of your resources.