NOTE NEW LOCATION: ARTHUR STILWELL ROOM (LEVEL C)
From Google Fiber to the Startup Village, Kansas City is becoming a technology hub … But how do we ensure our elected officials are using this new technology to make our city smarter, stronger and safer?
Join KC Digital Drive and the Code for America Brigade on Monday, February 23, at Union Station’s City Stage ARTHUR STILWELL ROOM, for a City Council Technology Forum from 3-5pm followed by a cocktail reception and Civic Apps Showcase from 5-7pm.
The Forum & Showcase are part of Code for America’s CodeAcross celebration, an event series designed to get technology advocates actively involved in their community.
COUNCIL TECH FORUM (3-5pm): Moderated by KCPT’s Nick Haines, this exciting town hall will let candidates running for City Council in the April 7 Kansas City, Missouri, Primary Election discuss how they think technology should play a role in city hall and at the neighborhood level.
What Will We Discuss?
- The Digital Divide: How can citizens without access to computers or the internet take part in society?
- Open Data: How does the city making its data available enable and empower all people, not just technologists?
- Procurement: How can the city’s byzantine procurement process be improved through technology?
- Economic Development: How can we attract, encourage and retain technology business?
- Innovation: What do “smart city” projects like free public wifi and sensors in streetlights bring to the community?
- And more!
CIVIC APPS SHOWCASE (5-7pm): KC Digital Drive and the Code for America Brigade are seeking to highlight local app developers, startups, government workers and others who have built or used technology applications to make local government work better. Those selected will make a five-minute Ignite-style presentation during the showcase. If you are interested, please fill out this form.
Who Should Attend?
This is a public event. We are inviting concerned, plugged-in citizens who have an interest in Kansas City’s future prosperity through the lens of technology. This includes entrepreneurs, educators, civic hackers, young urbanists, makers, developers, designers and anyone with a passion to make their city better.
Admission is free but please register as space is limited. You may also tweet your questions and comments for the candidates to @kcdigitaldrive using the hashtag #civictechkc.
AGENDA
COUNCIL TECH FORUM – 3 to 5pm:
All 39 city council candidates have been invited. Those who have confirmed as of Jan. 26 are in bold. *Denotes incumbent.
1st District At-Large
Scott Wagner*
Jeffery Roberts
1st District
Heather Hall
Jane Rinehart
Dick Davis*
Louie Wright
2nd District At-Large
Teresa Loar
Jason Hodges
2nd District
Dan Fowler
Bill Super
3rd District At-Large
Quinton Lucas
Virginia Evans
Karmello Coleman
Forestine Beasley
Carol Gatlin
Stephan Gordon
3rd District
Shaheer Akhtab
Jermaine Reed*
Jamekia Kendrix
Bryan Dial
Rachel Riley
4th District At-Large
Jared Campbell
Jim Glover*
Bryan Stalder
Katheryn Shields
4th District
Jolie Justus
John Fierro
5th District At-Large
Theresa Garza Ruiz
Dennis Anthony
Lee Barnes Jr.
5th District
Alissia Canady
Lance Conley
Kenneth Bacchus
Bilal Muhammad
Edward Bell
6th District At-Large
Scott Taylor*
6th District
Terrence Nash
Henry Klein
Kevin McManus
Reception – 5 to 6pm
Enjoy a cash bar with light snacks and the chance to mingle with candidates and others in the technology space.
CIVIC APPS SHOWCASE – 6 to 7pm
1. UrbanIQ: A system for predicting water/sewage related issues in Kansas City using 311, weather, street centerline, and census data.
2. Structural Fabric: A community-focused tool that allows the public to discover and contribute information about the physical world around them.
3. EfficienCity: An app that provides interactive, purpose built data visualizations to help local government agencies set budgets, plan operations and manage risks.
4. Wi-Fi Amber: Wireless geo-fencing and geo-tracking device that allows caregivers to track children who do not carry smartphones. Developed by the UMKC Computer Science Dept.
5. CommunityKC.org: A community mapping tool for urban development projects throughout the Kansas City metro area to invite collaboration between neighborhood groups.
6. mySidewalk: Inspired by MindMixer’s work with nearly 1,000 communities over the past four years, mySidewalk is a website for civic-minded people to connect and have conversations on the issues they care about most, like education, elections, and the economy.
8. 311 DailyBrief: In the works from the Code for KC Brigade, this tool integrates the city’s open data portal to provide notifications on open and closed 311 requests.
9. VoteSharp & KanVote: For candidates, a mobile app that assists with constituent communications and tracking. For voters, a mail subscription service that sends completed ballots to your home to be delivered to the election office.
10. PublicWay & Airspace Awareness Tool: PublicWay mashes data from existing municipal systems without the need for a centralized database. City workers, officials, and the public can view open work orders, 311 calls, and projects all in the same view.
