Title
Recommendation to Review, Comment and Provide Direction on Preliminary Needs Assessment and Recommendations for Development of Smart City Master Plan. (Information Technology 60626070) [Continued from September 21, 2021]
Body
To: Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Council
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
At the September 19, 2017 City Council Meeting, City Council initiated a City Council Referral to investigate options to provide free public Wi-Fi throughout the City of Alameda (City) as part of the Smart City Initiatives in the Information Technology Strategic Plan (2017). With the recent Shelter in Place orders and increased distance learning and remote work, the need for available public Wi-Fi has increased. At the December 15, 2020 City Council Meeting, City Council received an update on the Smart City initiatives related to the City Council referral and approved the consultant contract for Iteris to develop a Smart City Master Plan, which will guide the City's use of new technology to improve community members' lives. Exhibit 1 is the Draft Needs Assessment and Recommendations Memo, which describes the preliminary draft recommendations that are intended to guide the City on how best to strategically invest in new technologies.
BACKGROUND
Multiple departments in the City are working together to develop a Smart City Master Plan. City staff also has been working with the Alameda Unified School District (AUSD), Alameda Family Services, Alameda Point Collaborative and Alameda Education Foundation to explore ways to address the "digital divide" to ensure all community members have equitable internet access, which is now considered an essential service. In Alameda, community members are fortunate to have multiple internet service provider options - Comcast, Sonic, Monkey Brains and AT&T; however, the services can be slow, pricey and unreliable, especially at Alameda Point. A recent request to improve Alameda Point service at one location, would total $23...
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