Agenda Item 2b — original pdf

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City of Austin FY21 Budget Recommendations Community Technology & Telecommunications Commission Nehemiah Pitts III, Chair Commissioner Grant for Technology Opportunities Program (GTOPs) ● GTOPs is an essential component to implementing the COA Digital Inclusion Strategy adopted in 2014 with Council Resolution No. 20140320-056. ● COVID-19 has increased need for Digital Inclusion…. ○ Digital Inclusion resource accessibility ○ Digital Inclusion Ecosystem innovations ○ Outcome focused alignment ● GTOPs budget was doubled last year and 2020 awards have been issued, with additional funding pathways and awardees depending upon funds. CTTC Budget Recommendation: $400,000 (as initially approved for FY-2020) City Council Vote Tabulation ● Citizen Communication originated 2019 inquiry aligned with CTTC mission ● Open data portal enables the capability ● Other major Texas cities have vote tabulation systems ○ (e.g. Dallas City Council & Socrata) ● Meetings with City Clerk Office have confirmed… ○ Goal is a “Database of Votes” ○ Commercial Systems will require customization ○ Additional FTE resources will be required to work on Council voting history ○ Additional FTE resources could also address speaker sign-up and City Hall engagement CTTC Budget Recommendation: $101,858 ----- OR -------- $75,400 1.) IT Database Administrator --------- OR ------------ 2.) IT Application Developer Residential Technology Study ● Current Residential Technology Study provides critical data on the levels of connectedness, device access, and digital literacy in Austin, particularly on our most vulnerable constituents. ● Current Residential Technology Study occurs every (3) years and is slated to take place in 2021, with a purposive sampling taking place this year. ● COVID-19 pandemic dynamics indicate greater frequency than (3) years is required to fairly address widening digital divide. ● Discussions with City Councilmember(s) about education and children being left further behind confirms need to more frequently assessment CTTC Budget Recommendation: $XX,XXX - Specific amount to be calculated with Staff assistance Remote Meeting Participation ● Spring of 2018 CTTC began discussing changes to the COA ordinance on video conferencing for Commission meetings to allow for remote participation ● Summer of 2018 CTTC began to meet with City Clerk’s Office and City Hall IT management to discuss possibilities January of 2019 CTTC submitted a Council Committee Agenda item request ● ○ http://www.austintexas.gov/edims/document.cfm?id=313283 ● Spring 2019 Council Committee Agenda item reviewed at Audit and Finance Committee meeting with agreement to convene working group with City Clerk’s Office Fall 2019 CTTC pilot effort began with one completed round of testing January/February 2020 City Hall IT re-engaged about pilot efforts ● Summer 2019 WG meetings began with CTTC, CTM, Legal and ATXN contacts present ● ● ● March 2020 COVID-19 impacts all meetings ● April 2020 City of Austin evaluating remote participation for all and assuming direction on the effort. CTTC Budget Recommendation: N/A or TBD - Pending question with City Clerk’s Office about Board & Commissions Transition Taskforce. - http://austintexas.gov/page/boards-and-commissions-transition-taskforce-members Digital Inclusion Stakeholder Summit ● COVID-19 has increased need for…. ○ Digital Inclusion resource accessibility ○ Digital Inclusion Ecosystem innovations ○ Outcome focused alignment ● COVID-19 pandemic management ○ COA has necessarily restricted large gatherings ○ 60M budget shortfall will reduce likelihood of approval ● Transition to online delivery planning has begun CTTC Budget Recommendation: N/A - Pending confirmation on in-kind & corporate TARA funding options with staff. Police Video Processing ● Citizen Communication and local media generated inquiry about APD Police video processing delays ● Michael Morton Act requires swift handling of video processing to prevent deferred justice, aka justice denied. ● APD video processing is reliant upon legacy, disparate systems that require manual processes and dedicated time currently borrowed from sworn unit ● Additional FTE focused on processing would diffuse the backlog CTTC Budget Recommendation: TBD - Pending FTE count needed and salary requirements