COMMUNITY TECHNOLOGY AND TELECOMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION REGULAR MEETING Wednesday – November 13th, 2024 – 6:30PM City Hall – Boards and Commission – Room 1101 301 W 2nd St, Austin, TX 78701 Some members of the BOARD/COMMISSION may be participating by videoconference. The meeting may be viewed online at: http://www.austintexas.gov/page/watch-atxn-live Public comment will be allowed in-person or remotely via telephone. Speakers may only register to speak on an item once either in-person or remotely and will be allowed up to three minutes to provide their comments. Registration no later than noon the day before the meeting is required for remote participation by telephone. To register to speak remotely, email Dan Martinez at dan.martinez@austintexas.gov. CURRENT BOARD MEMBERS/COMMISSIONERS: Steven Apodaca, Chair Keith Pena-Villa Thomas Rice Suzanne Heritage Sumit DasGupta AGENDA CALL TO ORDER PUBLIC COMMUNICATION: GENERAL Carina Alderete, Vice Chair Brian AM Williams Gabriel Nwajiaku Ibiye Anga The first ten speakers who register to speak no later than noon the day before the meeting will be allowed a three-minute allotment to address their concerns regarding items not posted on the agenda. APPROVAL OF MINUTES 1. Approve the minutes of the Community Technology and Telecommunications Commission meeting on October 9th, 2024. DISCUSSION ITEMS 2. Presentation on the Digital Storytelling Project programming provided by E4 Youth, inc. (Carl Settles, Founder/CEO, E4 Youth, Inc.) 3. Presentation on Austin Free-Net’s Digital Inclusion Week Celebration event, Tech For All Fest, (Jess Ross, CEO, Austin Free-Net) DISCUSSION AND ACTION ITEMS 4. Discussion and approval of possible after action following the Audit and Finance’s decision regarding the updated CTTC bylaws. 5. Approval of a working group focused on reduction of duplicative technologies within the city system 6. Approval of the Community Technology and Telecommunications Commission’s meeting schedule for 2025 WORKING GROUP UPDATES 7. Update from the public surveillance working group 8. Update from the Artificial Intelligence working group FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS ADJOURNMENT The City of Austin is committed to compliance with the American with Disabilities Act. Reasonable modifications and equal access to communications will be provided upon request. Meeting locations are planned with wheelchair access. If you require Sign Language Interpreters or alternative formats, please give notice at least 2 days (48 hours) before the meeting date. Please call Dan Martinez at the Community Technology Division in the Economic Development Department, at dan.martinez@austintexas.gov for additional information; TTY users route through Relay Texas at 711. For more information on the Community Technology …
COMMUNITY TECHNOLOGY AND TELECOMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION REGULAR MEETING Wednesday – October 9th, 2024 – 6:30PM City Hall – Boards and Commission – Room 1101 301 W 2nd St, Austin, TX 78701 Some members of the BOARD/COMMISSION may be participating by videoconference. The meeting may be viewed online at: http://www.austintexas.gov/page/watch-atxn-live Public comment will be allowed in-person or remotely via telephone. Speakers may only register to speak on an item once either in-person or remotely and will be allowed up to three minutes to provide their comments. Registration no later than noon the day before the meeting is required for remote participation by telephone. To register to speak remotely, email Dan Martinez at dan.martinez@austintexas.gov. CURRENT BOARD MEMBERS/COMMISSIONERS: Steven Apodaca, Chair Keith Pena-Villa Thomas Rice Suzanne Heritage Sumit DasGupta AGENDA CALL TO ORDER PUBLIC COMMUNICATION: GENERAL Carina Alderete, Vice Chair Brian AM Williams Gabriel Nwajiaku Ibiye Anga The first ten speakers who register to speak no later than noon the day before the meeting will be allowed a three-minute allotment to address their concerns regarding items not posted on the agenda. APPROVAL OF MINUTES 1. Approve the minutes of the Community Technology and Telecommunications Commission meeting on September 11th, 2024. DISCUSSION ITEMS 2. Presentation on Austin Urban Technology Movement’s Awareness to Employment programing (Michael Ward Jr, President and CEO, AUTMHQ) 3. Presentation on the Latinitas Inc STEAM & Digital Literacy programming (Gabriela Guardia Kane, Executive Director, Latinitas Inc.) 4. Presentation on the Broadband Development Office’s request for information related to broadband infrastructure and digital opportunity needs in multidwelling units (Khotan Harmon, Program Manager, Community Technology Division – City of Austin) 5. Update on the status of the Community Technology and Telecommunication Commission’s bylaws revisions DISCUSSION AND ACTION ITEMS 6. Approval of Grant for Technology Opportunities Program Updates for FY25 7. Discussion and approval of working group focused on Artificial Intelligence 8. Review and approval of the revised bylaws following input from the City Clerk’s Office WORKING GROUP UPDATES 9. Update from the public surveillance working group FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS ADJOURNMENT The City of Austin is committed to compliance with the American with Disabilities Act. Reasonable modifications and equal access to communications will be provided upon request. Meeting locations are planned with wheelchair access. If requiring Sign Language Interpreters or alternative formats, please give notice at least 2 days (48 hours) before the meeting date. Please call Dan Martinez at the Community Technology Division in …
(1) (2) (3) (4) (5) (6) (7) (8) (9) (10) (11) BYLAWS OF THE COMMUNITY TECHNOLOGY AND TELECOMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION ARTICLE 1. NAME. The name of the board is the COMMUNITY TECHNOLOGY AND TELECOMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION. ARTICLE 2. PURPOSE AND DUTIES. The purpose of the board is to advise the city council on regarding issues that include: community technology; telecommunications services; new sources of funding for access television projects; new sources of funding for community technology projects; allocation of annual financial support; digital equity issues; broadband development and access; digital skills; internet affordability and accessibility; the evaluation of the performance of access television contractors and other community technology contractors, including development of criteria to be used for evaluations; and information and communications technology facilities and services that are operated by the City for public use, including the City website, internet services and open government technology. The Commission shall conduct public hearings regarding issues that include: (1) The performance of access television contractors, and other community technology contractors. ; and (2) The identification of community cable, telecommunications, internet, broadband access, device and other technology needs and resources. (3) Artificial Intelligence and other emerging technologies. The Commission shall promote access to telecommunications services, community technologies, and the internet by methods including: (1) Promoting public awareness, use, and viewership of access television programming and other community media; (2) Identifying community technology needs and problems in the City and defining innovative programming approaches to those needs and problems enabling / enhancing public awareness of telecommunications policy and community technology issues. public awareness of telecommunications policy and community technology issues. (3) Collecting community input via open sessions, as and when needed, to address topics relevant to this commission. The Commission shall support the Grant for Technology Opportunities (GTOPs) in the following ways: (1) Advise city staff on the selection and approval of volunteer grant review panelists to evaluate and score GTOPs applications. (2) Appoint commission members to serve as non-voting chairs (ex-officio chair) of grant review panels as needed to provide guidance and leadership to review panelists and to support the process of GTOPs protests. (3) Appoint commission members to serve as voting review panel members as needed. (4) Advise staff on the final allocation of GTOPs awards The Commission shall serve as a coordinating forum for issues relating to the provision of every different type of telecommunications services and community technologies, by receiving reports and recommendations …
Empowering All Girls to Innovate Through Media and Technology STEAM Education Digital Equity Career Exploration Economic Opportunity Creative Media Training and Development Design Thinking curriculum Develop skills, creativity, and self-expression Access to Affordable Internet Access to Digital Devices Skills to use them effectively Youth Flagship Programs Multi-Gen Programs Bilingual program for adult learners to equip them with skills to navigate the digital world Bilingual workshops for families to explore hands-on digital activities (3-D printing, drones, robotics, VR) @latinitas latinitasonline.org
few hours of the cablecast. Schedules and video can be Community Technology and Telecommunications Commission http://www.austintexas.gov/cttc REGULAR MEETING MINUTES Wednesday –October 9th, 2024 – 6:30PM City Hall – Boards and Commissions – Room 1101 301 W 2nd St., Austin, TX 78701 Please go to http://www.austintexas.gov/cityclerk/boards_commissions/meetings/10_1.htm for backup materials associated with this agenda. All ATXN (City Channel 6) programming is cablecast on Spectrum, Grande Communications, and Google Fiber on their cable channel 6, on AT&T U-Verse Channel 99 and webcast online. Over 20 meetings per month, including this commission meeting, are available on demand online, typically within a found at: http://www.austintexas.gov/page/atxn-video-archive. The Community Technology and Telecommunications Commission convened in a REGULAR meeting on Wednesday, September 9th, 2024, at 301 W 2nd St. in Austin, Texas. Current Commission Members Keith Pena-Villa ‐ Mayor Kirk Watson Brian AM Williams ‐ Council Member Natasha Harper‐Madison, District 1 Steven Apodaca – Council Member Vanessa Fuentes, District 2 Carina Alderete ‐ Council Member José Velásquez, District 3 Suzanne Heritage ‐ Council Member José “Chito” Vela, District 4 Thomas Rice‐ Council Member Ryan Alter, District 5 Gabriel Nwajiaku‐ Council Member Mackenzie Kelly, District 6 Vacant ‐ Council Member Leslie Pool, District 7 Vacant ‐ Council Member Paige Ellis, District 8 Ibiye Anga – Council Member Zohaib “Zo” Qadri, District 9 Sumit DasGupta ‐ Council Member Alison Alter, District 10 Board Members/Commissioners in Attendance in person: Steven Apodaca, Chair Board Members/Commissioners in Attendance Remotely: Sumit DasGupta Ibiye Anga Brian AM Williams 1 Keith Pena-Villa Gabriel Nwajiaku Suzzane Heritage Board Members/Commissioners Not in Attendance: Thomas Rice Carina Alderete, Vice-Chair CALL TO ORDER Chair Apodaca called the Community Technology and Telecommunications Meeting to order at 6:40 p.m. PUBLIC COMMUNICATION: GENERAL The first ten speakers who register to speak no later than noon the day before the meeting will be allowed a three-minute allotment to address their concerns regarding items not posted on the agenda. There were no speakers registered to deliver comments. APPROVAL OF MINUTES 1. Approve the minutes of the Community Technology and Telecommunications Commission special called meeting on September 11th, 2024. Motion to approve the minutes made by Commissioner Heritage and seconded by Commissioner DasGupta. The minutes from (9/11/2024) were approved on a vote of 7- 0. DISCUSSION ITEMS 2. Presentation on Austin Urban Technology Movement’s Awareness to Employment programing (Michael Ward Jr, President and CEO, AUTMHQ) The presentation on the Austin Urban Technology Movement’s Awareness to Employment …
COMMUNITY TECHNOLOGY AND TELECOMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION REGULAR MEETING Wednesday – September 11th, 2024 – 6:30PM City Hall – Boards and Commission – Room 1101 301 W 2nd St, Austin, TX 78701 Some members of the BOARD/COMMISSION may be participating by videoconference. The meeting may be viewed online at: http://www.austintexas.gov/page/watch-atxn-live Public comment will be allowed in-person or remotely via telephone. Speakers may only register to speak on an item once either in-person or remotely and will be allowed up to three minutes to provide their comments. Registration no later than noon the day before the meeting is required for remote participation by telephone. To register to speak remotely, email Dan Martinez at dan.martinez@austintexas.gov. CURRENT BOARD MEMBERS/COMMISSIONERS: Steven Apodaca, Chair Keith Pena-Villa Thomas Rice Suzanna Heritage Sumit DasGupta AGENDA CALL TO ORDER PUBLIC COMMUNICATION: GENERAL Carina Alderete, Vice Chair Brian AM Williams Gabriel Nwajiaku Ibiye Anga The first ten speakers who register to speak no later than noon the day before the meeting will be allowed a three-minute allotment to address their concerns regarding items not posted on the agenda. APPROVAL OF MINUTES the Community Technology and Telecommunications 1. Approve the minutes of Commission meeting on July 10th, 2024. DISCUSSION ITEMS 2. Presentation on Austin Urban Technology Movement’s Awareness to Employment AUTMHQ) (Michael Ward President CEO, and Jr, programing 3. Briefing on budget amendment related to artificial intelligence focused training and upskilling for City of Austin Employees (Daniel Culotta, Chief Innovation Officer, City of Austin Office of Innovation) 4. Presentation on the National Telecommunications and Information Administration’s notice of funding opportunity for the Digital Equity Competitive Grant Program and the Digital Empowerment Community of Austin’s (DECA) collective proposal plan (Jamie Castleberry, Director of Grants, Goodwill Central Texas) 5. Announcement of awardees for the Grant for Technology Opportunities Program Mini and Capacity pathways (Dan Martinez, Business Process Specialist, City of Austin Community Technology Division) DISCUSSION AND ACTION ITEMS 6. Approval of a working group to draft a recommendation regarding the level of public surveillance across Austin 7. Approval of Grant for Technology Opportunities Program Updates for FY25 FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS ADJOURNMENT The City of Austin is committed to compliance with the American with Disabilities Act. Reasonable modifications and equal access to communications will be provided upon request. Meeting locations are planned with wheelchair access. If requiring Sign Language Interpreters or alternative formats, please give notice at least 2 days (48 hours) before the meeting …
Artificial Intelligence at the City of Austin: Governance, training, & strategy for City-wide AI tools Daniel Culotta | Chief Innovation Officer | August 14, 2024 Contents 1. History 2. Policies and Guidelines 3. Training 4. Security and Monitoring 5. Governance 6. Pilots, Studies, Tools, and Use Cases 7. Future 2 Background Increasing staff inquiries on AI use, availability, rules, etc. Form AI working group to create guidelines, research how AI is used in the org. Update security and privacy policies. Summer 2023 Fall 2023 Spring 2024 Summer 2024 Begin AI tool and use research Guidelines, GovAI Coalition, Training Use cases and Council Resolution Departments create applications and use cases. City Council passes resolution to form an AI Advisory Committee, security guidelines, and workforce plan. Continue to participate in GovAI Coalition working groups, help develop templates. Governance City core team works on resolution, recruits AIAC and facilitates meetings. Core team creates AI plan to fulfill AIAC recommendations and advance internal AI strategy. Working group continues internal research, benchmarking. Create Generative AI Standards. Join GovAI Coalition with gov partners to share experiences and resources. Provides data ethics, governance, and AI tool training to City staff. City of Austin AI Strategy Pillars Policies & Guidelines asdf Training Governance Security & Monitoring Tools & Use Cases 4 Policies & Guidelines Training Security & Monitoring Governance Tools & Use Cases Policies and Guidelines Current COA policies and guidelines ● City of Austin Code of Ordinances, Chapter 2-11 Additional plans and guidelines in development Vendor FactSheet ● Vendor Agreement ● ● Use Case Template Information Management Security and Privacy Controls Policy Information Privacy Program Charter ● ● ● Data Classification Policy ● Cybersecurity Incident Response Plan ● Policy Clarification on the Use of AI Services for City Data Processing ● Generative AI Standards ● Acceptable Use Policy ● ● Employees required to report AI use Employees required to cite use 5 Policies & Guidelines Training Security & Monitoring Governance Tools & Use Cases Training and Workforce Readiness Training ● Provide training via courses, learning cohorts, speakers, use cases, and online resources ● Developing mandatory training on proper use and policies ● Developing and consolidating training and skills-building resources accessible to all employees ● More extensive training for specific use cases Workforce Readiness ● Gathering feedback and data on use cases, tools, readiness ● Identify, assess, and prioritize high-value use cases, processes, work flows ● Identify potentially …
Digital Equity Competitive Grant Program Intro • Launched as a product of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act of 2021, Division F, Title III, also known as the Digital Equity Act. • This is the third grant opportunity funded by this bill, which has a total allocation of $2.75 billion, administered by the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA). o $60 million – State Digital Equity Planning Grant Program o $1.44 billion - State Digital Equity Capacity Grant Program o WE ARE HERE: $1.25 billion – Competitive Grant Program NTIA Grant Funding Objectives 1. Develop and implement digital inclusion activities that benefit one or more of the Covered Populations; 2. Facilitate the adoption of broadband by the Covered Populations in order to provide 3. educational and employment opportunities; Implement training programs for the Covered Populations that cover basic, advanced, and applied skills; Implement workforce development programs; 4. 5. Make available equipment, instrumentation, networking capability, hardware and software, or digital network technology for broadband services to Covered Populations at low or no cost; 6. Construct, upgrade, expand, or operate new or existing public access computing centers for Covered Populations through community anchor institutions;Collaborative Strategies Covered Individuals: 1. Individuals who live in covered households; 2. Aging individuals; 3. Incarcerated individuals (as defined by the State or Territory), other than individuals who are incarcerated in a Federal correctional facility; 4. Veterans; 5. Individuals with disabilities; 6. Individuals with a language barrier, including individuals who— a. Are English learners; and b. Have low levels of literacy; 7. Individuals who are members of a racial or ethnic minority group; and 8. Individuals who primarily reside in a rural area. Eligibility to Apply 1. A political subdivision, agency, or instrumentality of a State, including an agency of a State that is responsible for administering or supervising adult education and literacy activities, or for providing public housing, in the State. 2. An Indian Tribe, an Alaska Native entity, or a Native Hawaiian organization (“Native Entity”). 3. A foundation, corporation, institution, or association that is – a. a not-for-profit entity; and b. not a school. 4. A community anchor institution. 5. A local educational agency. 6. An entity that carries out a workforce development program. 7. A partnership between any of the entities described in paragraphs (1) through (6). Applying entity must not be a current or past administrating entity for State Digital Equity Planning Grant Program or …
2024 GTOPs Mini + Capacity Awardees August 13, 2024 What’s Inside What is GTOPs? GTOPs Mini GTOPs Capacity 2 1 What is GTOPs? 3 GTOPs Vision and Mission Digital Inclusion Vision A community where all citizens have access to the internet, devices, and knowledge needed to fully participate in digital society Digital Inclusion Mission To provide matching grant funds to Austin organizations for projects that create digital opportunities and promote digital equity in innovative ways. 4 GTOPs 2024 Grant ● Total funding for all pathways: $400,000 Award Pathways: $315,000 5 $25,000 $60,000 2 GTOPs Mini 6 Scoring Process Overview Application Phase • Organizations submit application, budget of request, performance measures and annual revenues 11 applications received (5 less than last year) 6 awarded and fully funded (1 more than last year) • • Evaluation Phase • Originally had 5 reviewers, 3 of which could not commit to panel duties • An additional 3 panelists were brought in from known and trustworthy past GTOPs collaborators 7 Alejandra B. - Age 15 GTOPs Mini Final Decision - Awarded Organization Award Request Averaged Score Latinitas $10,000 Museum of Human Achievement $10,000 Art Spark Texas Changing Expectations Economic Growth Business Incubator E4 Youth Inc $10,000 $10,000 $10,000 $10,000 89 84.6 78.6 78.6 75.4 75.2 8 GTOPs Mini Final Decision - Not Selected Organization Award Request Averaged Score Austin Urban Technology Movement $10,000 Black Mamas Village $10,000 Texas Folklife Resources $8,500 BRAVE Communities Open Austin $10,000 $10,000 73 73 72 68.4 61.4 9 GTOPs Mini - Awarded Projects Welcome to my Homepage Digital Artist Residency ● Online program teaching web design for creative means TRUE TALES by Disability Advocates ● Teaching disabled clients to use creative media tools to record and publish podcasts Family Tech Literacy and Exploration ● Two gen model to assist parents and youth in digital literacy and STEM exploration workshops 10 GTOPs Mini - Awarded Projects Small Biz Tech Clinic ● 8 hour bootcamp for small business owners to learn how to tackle common tech obstacles Digital Skills Training and Support for Educators ● Workshops for teachers to learn to integrate digital tools into their curricula Youth Creating AI Chatbots with Microsoft Copilot Studio ● Transition the program from IBM Watson to Microsoft CoPilot Studio. Students create AI chatbots to discuss social justice 11 3 GTOPs Capacity 12 Scoring Process Overview Application Phase • Organizations submit application and annual revenues • …
few hours of the cablecast. Schedules and video can be Community Technology and Telecommunications Commission http://www.austintexas.gov/cttc REGULAR MEETING MINUTES Wednesday –September 11th, 2024 – 6:30PM City Hall – Boards and Commissions – Room 1101 301 W 2nd St., Austin, TX 78701 Please go to http://www.austintexas.gov/cityclerk/boards_commissions/meetings/10_1.htm for backup materials associated with this agenda. All ATXN (City Channel 6) programming is cablecast on Spectrum, Grande Communications, and Google Fiber on their cable channel 6, on AT&T U-Verse Channel 99 and webcast online. Over 20 meetings per month, including this commission meeting, are available on demand online, typically within a found at: http://www.austintexas.gov/page/atxn-video-archive. The Community Technology and Telecommunications Commission convened in a REGULAR meeting on Wednesday, September 11th, 2024, at 301 W 2nd St. in Austin, Texas. Current Commission Members Keith Pena-Villa ‐ Mayor Kirk Watson Brian AM Williams ‐ Council Member Natasha Harper‐Madison, District 1 Steven Apodaca – Council Member Vanessa Fuentes, District 2 Carina Alderete ‐ Council Member José Velásquez, District 3 Suzanne Heritage ‐ Council Member José “Chito” Vela, District 4 Thomas Rice‐ Council Member Ryan Alter, District 5 Gabriel Nwajiaku‐ Council Member Mackenzie Kelly, District 6 Vacant ‐ Council Member Leslie Pool, District 7 Vacant ‐ Council Member Paige Ellis, District 8 Ibiye Anga – Council Member Zohaib “Zo” Qadri, District 9 Sumit DasGupta ‐ Council Member Alison Alter, District 10 Board Members/Commissioners in Attendance in person: Steven Apodaca, Chair Board Members/Commissioners in Attendance Remotely: Carina Alderete, Vice-Chair Sumit DasGupta Ibiye Anga 1 Brian AM Williams Keith Pena-Villa Gabriel Nwajiaku Suzzane Heritage Board Members/Commissioners Not in Attendance: Thomas Rice CALL TO ORDER Chair Apodaca called the Community Technology and Telecommunications Meeting to order at 6:47 p.m. PUBLIC COMMUNICATION: GENERAL The first ten speakers who register to speak no later than noon the day before the meeting will be allowed a three-minute allotment to address their concerns regarding items not posted on the agenda. Liani Lye of Open Austin spoke to the commission regarding the city’s integration of AI into their day-to-day operations, calling for public concerns to be addressed before AI integration. Kevin Welch of EFF Austin spoke to the commission regarding the same subject and emphasized the privacy and security concerns regarding AI and called for regulations to prevent misuse. APPROVAL OF MINUTES 1. Approve the minutes of the Community Technology and Telecommunications Commission special called meeting on July 10th, 2024. Motion to approve the minutes made by …
COMMUNITY TECHNOLOGY AND TELECOMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION REGULAR MEETING Wednesday – August 14th, 2024 – 6:30PM Permitting and Development Center – Event Center– Room 1405 6310 Wilhelmina Delco Dr, Austin, TX 78752 Some members of the BOARD/COMMISSION may be participating by videoconference. The meeting may be viewed online at: http://www.austintexas.gov/page/watch-atxn-live Public comment will be allowed in-person or remotely via telephone. Speakers may only register to speak on an item once either in-person or remotely and will be allowed up to three minutes to provide their comments. Registration no later than noon the day before the meeting is required for remote participation by telephone. To register to speak remotely, email Dan Martinez at dan.martinez@austintexas.gov. CURRENT BOARD MEMBERS/COMMISSIONERS: Steven Apodaca, Chair Keith Pena-Villa Thomas Rice Suzanna Heritage Sumit DasGupta AGENDA CALL TO ORDER PUBLIC COMMUNICATION: GENERAL Carina Alderete, Vice Chair Brian AM Williams Gabriel Nwajiaku Ibiye Anga The first ten speakers who register to speak no later than noon the day before the meeting will be allowed a three-minute allotment to address their concerns regarding items not posted on the agenda. APPROVAL OF MINUTES the Community Technology and Telecommunications 1. Approve the minutes of Commission meeting on July 10th, 2024. DISCUSSION ITEMS 2. Presentation on Austin Urban Technology Movement’s Awareness to Employment AUTMHQ) (Michael Ward President CEO, and Jr, programing 3. Briefing on budget amendment related to artificial intelligence focused training and upskilling for City of Austin Employees (Daniel Culotta, Chief Innovation Officer, City of Austin Office of Innovation) 4. Presentation on the National Telecommunications and Information Administration’s notice of funding opportunity for the Digital Equity Competitive Grant Program and the Digital Empowerment Community of Austin’s (DECA) collective proposal plan (Jamie Castleberry, Director of Grants, Goodwill Central Texas) 5. Announcement of awardees for the Grant for Technology Opportunities Program Mini and Capacity pathways (Dan Martinez, Business Process Specialist, City of Austin Community Technology Division) 6. Approval of a working group to draft a recommendation regarding the level of public DISCUSSION AND ACTION ITEMS surveillance across Austin FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS ADJOURNMENT The City of Austin is committed to compliance with the American with Disabilities Act. Reasonable modifications and equal access to communications will be provided upon request. Meeting locations are planned with wheelchair access. If requiring Sign Language Interpreters or alternative formats, please give notice at least 2 days (48 hours) before the meeting date. Please call Dan Martinez at the Telecommunications and Regulatory Affairs …
Artificial Intelligence at the City of Austin: Governance, training, & strategy for City-wide AI tools Daniel Culotta | Chief Innovation Officer | August 14, 2024 Contents 1. History 2. Policies and Guidelines 3. Training 4. Security and Monitoring 5. Governance 6. Pilots, Studies, Tools, and Use Cases 7. Future 2 Background Increasing staff inquiries on AI use, availability, rules, etc. Form AI working group to create guidelines, research how AI is used in the org. Update security and privacy policies. Summer 2023 Fall 2023 Spring 2024 Summer 2024 Begin AI tool and use research Guidelines, GovAI Coalition, Training Use cases and Council Resolution Departments create applications and use cases. City Council passes resolution to form an AI Advisory Committee, security guidelines, and workforce plan. Continue to participate in GovAI Coalition working groups, help develop templates. Governance City core team works on resolution, recruits AIAC and facilitates meetings. Core team creates AI plan to fulfill AIAC recommendations and advance internal AI strategy. Working group continues internal research, benchmarking. Create Generative AI Standards. Join GovAI Coalition with gov partners to share experiences and resources. Provides data ethics, governance, and AI tool training to City staff. City of Austin AI Strategy Pillars Policies & Guidelines asdf Training Governance Security & Monitoring Tools & Use Cases 4 Policies & Guidelines Training Security & Monitoring Governance Tools & Use Cases Policies and Guidelines Current COA policies and guidelines ● City of Austin Code of Ordinances, Chapter 2-11 Additional plans and guidelines in development Vendor FactSheet ● Vendor Agreement ● ● Use Case Template Information Management Security and Privacy Controls Policy Information Privacy Program Charter ● ● ● Data Classification Policy ● Cybersecurity Incident Response Plan ● Policy Clarification on the Use of AI Services for City Data Processing ● Generative AI Standards ● Acceptable Use Policy ● ● Employees required to report AI use Employees required to cite use 5 Policies & Guidelines Training Security & Monitoring Governance Tools & Use Cases Training and Workforce Readiness Training ● Provide training via courses, learning cohorts, speakers, use cases, and online resources ● Developing mandatory training on proper use and policies ● Developing and consolidating training and skills-building resources accessible to all employees ● More extensive training for specific use cases Workforce Readiness ● Gathering feedback and data on use cases, tools, readiness ● Identify, assess, and prioritize high-value use cases, processes, work flows ● Identify potentially …
Digital Equity Competitive Grant Program Intro • Launched as a product of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act of 2021, Division F, Title III, also known as the Digital Equity Act. • This is the third grant opportunity funded by this bill, which has a total allocation of $2.75 billion, administered by the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA). o $60 million – State Digital Equity Planning Grant Program o $1.44 billion - State Digital Equity Capacity Grant Program o WE ARE HERE: $1.25 billion – Competitive Grant Program NTIA Grant Funding Objectives 1. Develop and implement digital inclusion activities that benefit one or more of the Covered Populations; 2. Facilitate the adoption of broadband by the Covered Populations in order to provide 3. educational and employment opportunities; Implement training programs for the Covered Populations that cover basic, advanced, and applied skills; Implement workforce development programs; 4. 5. Make available equipment, instrumentation, networking capability, hardware and software, or digital network technology for broadband services to Covered Populations at low or no cost; 6. Construct, upgrade, expand, or operate new or existing public access computing centers for Covered Populations through community anchor institutions;Collaborative Strategies Covered Individuals: 1. Individuals who live in covered households; 2. Aging individuals; 3. Incarcerated individuals (as defined by the State or Territory), other than individuals who are incarcerated in a Federal correctional facility; 4. Veterans; 5. Individuals with disabilities; 6. Individuals with a language barrier, including individuals who— a. Are English learners; and b. Have low levels of literacy; 7. Individuals who are members of a racial or ethnic minority group; and 8. Individuals who primarily reside in a rural area. Eligibility to Apply 1. A political subdivision, agency, or instrumentality of a State, including an agency of a State that is responsible for administering or supervising adult education and literacy activities, or for providing public housing, in the State. 2. An Indian Tribe, an Alaska Native entity, or a Native Hawaiian organization (“Native Entity”). 3. A foundation, corporation, institution, or association that is – a. a not-for-profit entity; and b. not a school. 4. A community anchor institution. 5. A local educational agency. 6. An entity that carries out a workforce development program. 7. A partnership between any of the entities described in paragraphs (1) through (6). Applying entity must not be a current or past administrating entity for State Digital Equity Planning Grant Program or …
2024 GTOPs Mini + Capacity Awardees August 13, 2024 What’s Inside What is GTOPs? GTOPs Mini GTOPs Capacity 2 1 What is GTOPs? 3 GTOPs Vision and Mission Digital Inclusion Vision A community where all citizens have access to the internet, devices, and knowledge needed to fully participate in digital society Digital Inclusion Mission To provide matching grant funds to Austin organizations for projects that create digital opportunities and promote digital equity in innovative ways. 4 GTOPs 2024 Grant ● Total funding for all pathways: $400,000 Award Pathways: $315,000 5 $25,000 $60,000 2 GTOPs Mini 6 Scoring Process Overview Application Phase • Organizations submit application, budget of request, performance measures and annual revenues 11 applications received (5 less than last year) 6 awarded and fully funded (1 more than last year) • • Evaluation Phase • Originally had 5 reviewers, 3 of which could not commit to panel duties • An additional 3 panelists were brought in from known and trustworthy past GTOPs collaborators 7 Alejandra B. - Age 15 GTOPs Mini Final Decision - Awarded Organization Award Request Averaged Score Latinitas $10,000 Museum of Human Achievement $10,000 Art Spark Texas Changing Expectations Economic Growth Business Incubator E4 Youth Inc $10,000 $10,000 $10,000 $10,000 89 84.6 78.6 78.6 75.4 75.2 8 GTOPs Mini Final Decision - Not Selected Organization Award Request Averaged Score Austin Urban Technology Movement $10,000 Black Mamas Village $10,000 Texas Folklife Resources $8,500 BRAVE Communities Open Austin $10,000 $10,000 73 73 72 68.4 61.4 9 GTOPs Mini - Awarded Projects Welcome to my Homepage Digital Artist Residency ● Online program teaching web design for creative means TRUE TALES by Disability Advocates ● Teaching disabled clients to use creative media tools to record and publish podcasts Family Tech Literacy and Exploration ● Two gen model to assist parents and youth in digital literacy and STEM exploration workshops 10 GTOPs Mini - Awarded Projects Small Biz Tech Clinic ● 8 hour bootcamp for small business owners to learn how to tackle common tech obstacles Digital Skills Training and Support for Educators ● Workshops for teachers to learn to integrate digital tools into their curricula Youth Creating AI Chatbots with Microsoft Copilot Studio ● Transition the program from IBM Watson to Microsoft CoPilot Studio. Students create AI chatbots to discuss social justice 11 3 GTOPs Capacity 12 Scoring Process Overview Application Phase • Organizations submit application and annual revenues • …
COMMUNITY TECHNOLOGY AND TELECOMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION REGULAR MEETING Wednesday – July 10th, 2024 – 6:30PM Permitting and Development Center – Event Center– Room 1405 6310 Wilhelmina Delco Dr, Austin, TX 78752 Some members of the BOARD/COMMISSION may be participating by videoconference. The meeting may be viewed online at: http://www.austintexas.gov/page/watch-atxn-live Public comment will be allowed in-person or remotely via telephone. Speakers may only register to speak on an item once either in-person or remotely and will be allowed up to three minutes to provide their comments. Registration no later than noon the day before the meeting is required for remote participation by telephone. To register to speak remotely, email Dan Martinez at dan.martinez@austintexas.gov. CURRENT BOARD MEMBERS/COMMISSIONERS: Steven Apodaca, Chair Keith Pena-Villa Thomas Rice Ibiye Anga AGENDA CALL TO ORDER PUBLIC COMMUNICATION: GENERAL Carina Alderete, Vice Chair Brian AM Williams Gabriel Nwajiaku Sumit DasGupta The first ten speakers who register to speak no later than noon the day before the meeting will be allowed a three-minute allotment to address their concerns regarding items not posted on the agenda. APPROVAL OF MINUTES the Community Technology and Telecommunications 1. Approve the minutes of Commission meeting on June 12th, 2024. DISCUSSION ITEMS 2. “You’re Being Watched – AI & Surveillance in Public Places” Presentation (Sharon Strover – Director, Technology & Information Policy Institute, Phillip G. Warner Regents Professor of Communication, Moody College of Communications, University of Texas at Austin) 3. “AI Coding Makerspace: Youth Creating AI Voice Chatbots for Social Justice and other inclusion (Dr. Phillip Eaglin, Founder, Changing literacy programs” presentation by community digital inclusive AI organization, Changing Expectations Expectations) 4. Summary report of the digital inclusion town hall listening session for veterans and military families held on 6/1/2024 (Nehemiah Pitts III, Founder, Shining Light Consulting) DISCUSSION AND ACTION ITEMS 5. Review and approval of 2023 CTTC Annual Report 6. Approval of digital communications enhancements for City of Austin Commissions resolution FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS ADJOURNMENT The City of Austin is committed to compliance with the American with Disabilities Act. Reasonable modifications and equal access to communications will be provided upon request. Meeting locations are planned with wheelchair access. If requiring Sign Language Interpreters or alternative formats, please give notice at least 2 days (48 hours) before the meeting date. Please call Dan Martinez at the Telecommunications and Regulatory Affairs Department in the Financial Services Department, at dan.martinez@austintexas.gov for additional information; TTY users route through Relay …
Being Watched Embedding Ethics in Public Cameras Building technical, legal, and social approaches to maximize the trusted use of public camera-generated video data Technology & Information Policy Institute Dr. Sharon Strover, Leo Cao University of Texas at Austin September 13, 2023 Community Technology and Telecommunications Commission, Austin TX & Good Systems Agenda Project Overview Research Approaches Major Issues & Questions Preliminary Conclusions Next Steps A multi -component research approach Understand conceptions of privacy among citizens, local journalists, and city officials Identify open records law at State level and relevant data management issues Build and test differential access models Design smart city literacy training and initiate citizen engagement for traffic control Research Approaches Rely on experts, city officials, ordinary people, and city units in order to understand variations in informational norms. Delphi survey interviews case studies (e.g., Austin Public Library) focus groups public survey (fall 2023) workshops Toward Differential Access & Civic Policies Smart City Technologies Austin Fire Department ShotSpotter (not in use in Austin, as of 2021) H.A.L.O. cameras CCTV cameras traffic cameras red light cameras Austin Transportation Department Privacy, Contexts, and Publicness contextual integrity approach to examine norms& critical social values actors: subjects, senders, receivers types of information transmission principles– consent, reciprocity, etc. contexts e.g., How do you think about camera-mounted drones used by fire departments when fighting fires? s ubje ct: drone s , ca me ra s s e nde r: fire de pa rtme nt re ce ive r: re s ide nts , city units type s : ima ge s of pe ople , buildings , e tc. tra ns mis s ion: purpos e s , be ne fits , goa ls Research Methods qualitative illuminate meanings, values & norms associated with public technology + privacy seven focus groups: identify benefits and concerns seniors; students; EFF; civic activists; tech workers; tech executives; library users in-depth case study: Austin Public Library tour of camera system infrastructure, group & individual interviews w/ IT, Security, Frontline staff interviews with other City units: Fire Department; Mobility (transportation); Chief Privacy Officer; Innovation Officer Core Findings: Focus Groups benefits & concerns security aspects of surveillance tech younger people assume no privacy anyway; make sure tech is used for "good" …
Annual Internal Review This report covers the time period of 7/1/2023 to 6/30/2024 Community Technology & Telecommunications Commission (CTTC) 1. Describe the board's actions supporting their mission during the previous calendar year. Address all elements of the board's mission statement as provided in the relevant sections of the City Code. (C) The commission shall advise the city council regarding issues that include: (1) Community technology; (2) Telecommunications services; (3) New sources of funding for access television projects; (4) New sources of funding for community technology projects; (5) Allocation of annual financial support; (6) The evaluation of the performance of access television contractors and other community technology contractors, including development of criteria to be used for evaluations; and (7) Information and communications technology facilities and services that are operated by the City for public use, including the City website, Internet services and open government technologies. (D) The commission shall conduct public hearings regarding issues that include: (1) The performance of access television contractors and other community technology contractors; and (2) The identification of community cable, telecommunications, and technology needs. (E) The commission shall promote access to telecommunications services and community technologies by methods including: (1) Public awareness, use, and viewership of access television programming and other community media; (2) Identifying community technology needs and problems in the City and defining innovative programming approaches to those needs and problems, and (3) Public awareness of telecommunications policy and community technology issues. (F) The commission shall serve as a coordinating forum for issues relating to the provision of every different type of telecommunications services and community technologies, by receiving reports and recommendations from other City boards and commissions and from City departments and forwarding these to the city council. (H) The Commission may create a Grant Review Committee consisting of up to seven members to review grant applications, conduct interviews, and evaluate applications for the purpose of providing recommendations to the Commission for grant awards under the City's Grant for Technology Opportunities program. The Commission may appoint persons to the Grant Review Committee who are not members of the Commission, but must appoint one member of the Commission to the Grant Review Committee who shall serve as ex-officio chair of the Grant Review Committee. All members of the Grant Review Committee are subject to Article 4 of Chapter 2-7 of the Code (Code of Ethics). Activities and Engagement: AI Advisory Committee Representation for the …
BOARD/COMMISSION RECOMMENDATION Community Technology & Telecommunications Commission Recommendation Number: (YYYYMMDD-XXX) (XXX is the agenda item number): WHEREAS, the City Council Message Board is running on software whose last major update was in 2007, the time before smartphones. The software is named “phpBB”, where “BB” stands for “bulletin board”, a technology from the era of dial-up modems. WHEREAS, Austin is known as a technology city. We are home to chip manufacturers like IBM, NXP, AMD, and Samsung. WHEREAS, Austin has a significant presence of technology companies such as Apple, Google, Dell, and Meta and Indeed. WHEREAS, Austin is home to the University of Texas at Austin, one of the top technology universities in the world. WHEREAS, Technology is part of Austin’s brand and our city’s government should be using the most modern applications available. WHEREAS, the city council message boards of Port Aransas and Amarillo are using WordPress, a newer software than Austin’s. WHEREAS, there is a new generation of collaboration software based on instant messaging and designed with smartphones in mind. This includes such proprietary apps such as Slack and Discord, as well as open-source alternatives like Zulip and Matrix. This innovative technology is being used by the boards of for-profit and nonprofit organizations to communicate and collaborate. WHEREAS, our Mayor, Kirk Watson, when in the Texas Senate, authored and championed changes to the Texas Open Meetings Act . The addition of Section 551.006 to the Texas Government Code permits government bodies to use online real-time communication that is visible to the public. Thus enabling the Austin City Council Message Board which now has thousands of posts and millions of views. WHEREAS, the City of Austin’s Boards and Commissions play an important role in city government. They are vital in adjudication, monitoring rights, monitoring the environment, and oversight of critical industries. They improve Austin by cherishing amenities, fostering the arts, and providing expert advice to City Council and serve as the inclusive interface for communities that are often overlooked by the government. WHEREAS, the City of Austin’s Boards and Commissions do not have message boards and, therefore, still suffer under the restrictive provisions of the Texas Open Meetings Act prior to the addition of Section 551.006 by then Senator Kirk Watson. THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Technology Commission recommends the City of Austin: 1. Research and implement modern technology solutions for the current City Council Message Board. 2. Develop …
