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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2026/07/15 - ADMIN - Agenda Packets - Community Technology Advisory Commission - Regular Community technology advisory commission meeting July 15, 2026 6 p.m. If you need special accommodations or have questions about the meeting, please call Jacque Smith at 952.924.2632 or the administration department at 952.924.2505. Community technology advisory commission The community technology advisory commission is meeting in person at St. Louis Park City Hall, 5005 Minnetonka Blvd., in the Westwood Room on the third floor. Members of the public are welcome to attend in person. Visit www.stlouispark.org/government/boards-commissions to view the agenda and reports. Agenda 5:30 – 6 p.m. Orientation for new members 1. Call to order – roll call (6 p.m.) a. Welcome new and returning members: Elsa Anderson, Edward Bulliner, Lindsay Keogh, Asha Murugesan and Benjamin Straus 2. Approval of minutes – April 15, 2026 a. Note: no quorum in May, June meeting was canceled 3. Presentations - none 4. Business a. Review and approve purpose statement b. Work plan items: background, workgroups, progress 5. Communications and announcements a. Staff b. Commission members 6. Adjournment Future meeting/event dates:  Aug. 19, 6 p.m., regular meeting  Sept. 14, 6 p.m., CTAC annual meeting with council  Sept. 16, 6 p.m., regular meeting  Oct. 21, 6 p.m., regular meeting  Nov. 18, 6 p.m., regular meeting  Dec. 16, 6 p.m., regular meeting Community technology advisory commission meeting April 15, 2026 6 p.m. Community technology advisory commission Minutes Members present: Reid Anderson, Rudyard Dyer, Konnor Slaats, Kayla Stautz, Benjamin Straus, Tom Marble Members absent: Shane Leverenz Staff liaison: Jacque Smith, communications and technology director 1. Call to order – roll call The meeting was called to order at 6:06 p.m. A roll call was conducted; Commissioner Leverenz was absent. Commissioner Straus arrived at 6:32 p.m. 2. Approval of minutes – March 18, 2026 It was moved by Commission Member Slaats, seconded by Commission Member Anderson, to approve the March 18, 2026, minutes. The motion passed. 3. Workplan Items Commission members split into two groups to discuss their respective projects, one on the city’s mystlouispark app and the other on generative AI use cases for the city. Members discussed for about 25 minutes, then returned to the full group. The AI group agreed to work on a report while the app group agreed more understanding of the look and feel of the new website and its mobile capabilities is needed before proceeding with a recommendation on the app. 4. Communications and announcements - none 5. Adjournment It was moved by Commissioner Slaats, seconded by Commissioner Stautz to adjourn the meeting. The motion passed; meeting adjourned at 6:54 p.m. These minutes were created with the assistance of a generative AI transcript service, then edited and finalized by a city staff person. Proposed draŌ purpose statement: The Community Technology Advisory Commission advises the city council and other city bodies on the use of city-provided, public-facing technology. By researching emerging technologies, assessing their potential impact, and recommending solutions grounded in clearly defined problems, the commission helps ensure that technology decisions support the city’s long-term strategic goals. Original statement: The Community Technology Advisory Commission advises the City Council and other city bodies on how technology can improve services and enhance quality of life. It evaluates technology applicaƟons, idenƟfies strategic opportuniƟes, and supports responsible and effecƟve use of digital tools. By offering guidance, submiƫng annual reports, and carrying out assigned advisory tasks, the commission helps ensure that technology decisions reflect community needs and advance the city’s long-term goals. Board and Commission Annual work plan Presented to council: February 18, 2025 Approved by council: 1 2025 work plan │ Communications and Technology Commission 1 Initiative name: Support citywide Vision 4.0 process Initiative type: ☒ Staff support (review project, policy or program and provide feedback) ☐ Independent research project ☐ Gather community feedback ☐ Lead community event Initiative origin: ☐ Applicant-initiated ☒ Staff-initiated ☐ Commission-initiated ☐ Council-initiated Legally required (e.g. response to Legislative changes or Judicial decisions)? ☐ Yes ☒ No Commissioner lead(s) name(s): None, all will be involved. If joint commission initiative, list other board or commission: Is this an established work group? ☐ Yes ☒ No Initiative description: Support the citywide Vision 4.0 process by participating directly and/or encouraging others to participate, and by sharing information with other community members about the process. Strategic Priority: ☐ 1 ☐ 2 ☐ 3 ☐ 4 ☒ 5 ☐ N/A Deliverable: ☐ Research report ☐ Summary of community input ☒ Other ☐ N/A Target completion date: 3Q 2025 This section to be completed by staff: Council request (if applicable): ☐ Review and comment or reply ☐ Review and decide ☒ Informational only – no response needed Budget required: None Staff support required: Communication from staff liaison about opportunities with Vision 4.0 Liaison comments: Plan to keep the commission informed about opportunities to assist with the citywide Vision 4.0 process.  Commission members received information from the community engagement coordinator throughout the Vision 4.0 process, including invites to participate in surveys and to host community meetings. Board and Commission Annual work plan 2  Commission member Benjamin Straus hosted a community meeting at his apartment complex.  Commission members reviewed the Dec. 8, 2025, Vision 4.0 council report presented to the city council, to inform CTAC additional workplan goals for 2026. 2 Initiative name: Participate in city website redesign review process Initiative type: ☒ Staff support (review project, policy or program and provide feedback) ☐ Independent research project ☐ Gather community feedback ☐ Lead community event Initiative origin: ☐ Applicant-initiated ☒ Staff-initiated ☐ Commission-initiated ☐ Council-initiated Legally required (e.g. response to Legislative changes or Judicial decisions)? ☐ Yes ☒ No Commissioner lead(s) name(s): None, all members or a small group will be involved. If joint commission initiative, list other board or commission: Is this an established work group? ☐ Yes ☒ No Initiative description: While the exact process for the redesign has yet to be determined, we plan to draw on the expertise of the CTAC by involving members, or a small group of members, in potential user group testing or other review of a draft redesign of the city website. Strategic Priority: ☒ 1 ☐ 2 ☐ 3 ☐ 4 ☒ 5 ☐ N/A Deliverable: ☐ Research report ☐ Summary of community input ☒ Other ☐ N/A Target completion date: 3Q 2025 This section to be completed by staff: Council request (if applicable): ☐ Review and comment or reply ☐ Review and decide ☒ Informational only – no response needed Budget required: None Staff support required: Staff liaison Liaison comments: The primary goals of the redesign are to ensure compliance with upcoming ADA requirements, ensure mobile accessibility and improve search function. CTAC will be asked to focus on these items in its review.  CTAC members Konnor Slaats and Kayla Stautz each participated in one of two user experience workshops Sept. 9 and 11, both two hours each. Both were provided with recordings of the workshop they didn’t attend, and provided comments on user feedback, as well as suggested wireframe and design elements. Board and Commission Annual work plan 3 3 Initiative name: Stay informed about pending legislation affecting cable and technology Initiative type: ☒ Staff support (review project, policy or program and provide feedback) ☐ Independent research project ☐ Gather community feedback ☐ Lead community event Initiative origin: ☐ Applicant-initiated ☒ Staff-initiated ☐ Commission-initiated ☐ Council-initiated Legally required (e.g. response to Legislative changes or Judicial decisions)? ☐ Yes ☒ No Commissioner lead(s) name(s): None, all will be involved If joint commission initiative, list other board or commission: Is this an established work group? ☐ Yes ☒ No Initiative description: CTAC is asked to stay informed about pending legislation that may affect the city’s cable franchise, or other technologies vital to the community such as broadband. Strategic Priority: ☐ 1 ☐ 2 ☐ 3 ☐ 4 ☒ 5 ☐ N/A Deliverable: ☐ Research report ☒ Summary of community input ☐ Other ☒ N/A Target completion date: Ongoing This section to be completed by staff: Council request (if applicable): ☐ Review and comment or reply ☐ Review and decide ☒ Informational only – no response needed Budget required: None Staff support required: Information and updates from staff liaison Liaison comments: Staff liaison will stay informed of pending legislation through contact with state and national advocacy organizations, as well as through the city’s legislative staff and lobbyists. Information affecting cable and technology will be shared with CTAC members. Board and Commission Annual work plan 4 4 Initiative name: Whitepaper – Future of Generative AI for Cities Initiative type: ☐ Staff support (review project, policy or program and provide feedback) ☒ Independent research project ☐ Gather community feedback ☐ Lead community event Initiative origin: ☐ Applicant-initiated ☐ Staff-initiated ☒ Commission-initiated ☐ Council-initiated Legally required (e.g. response to Legislative changes or Judicial decisions)? ☐ Yes ☒ No Commissioner lead(s) name(s): Konnor Slaats, Kayla Stautz, Benjamin Straus If joint commission initiative, list other board or commission: Is this an established work group? ☐ Yes ☒ No Initiative description: This is a proposed whitepaper seeking to explore the question: how might cities need to adapt to be generative artificial intelligence (AI)-compatible in the future? The whitepaper will explore policy adaptations cities, including St. Louis Park, may need to make in a generative AI-enabled future. Peer cities and use cases for generative AI tech will be explored in areas such as public works, public-facing chatbots, planning and zoning, external resources and coalitions, and public engagement. Strategic Priority: ☐ 1 ☐ 2 ☐ 3 ☐ 4 ☐ 5 ☐ N/A Deliverable: ☒ Research report ☐ Summary of community input ☐ Other ☒ N/A Target completion date: Q3 2026 This section to be completed by staff: Council request (if applicable): ☐ Review and comment or reply ☐ Review and decide ☒ Informational only – no response needed Board and Commission Annual work plan 5 Budget required: Staff support required: Liaison comments: CTAC has reviewed the generative AI guidelines generated in November 2024 for city staff, and is aware of the data assessment project conducted in 2025 to move the city toward the goal of having reliable, organized data to “feed” any future generative AI project. Data cleanup will continue in 2026. 5 Initiative name: mystlouispark (city customer response management system) assessment Initiative type: ☐ Staff support (review project, policy or program and provide feedback) ☒ Independent research project ☐ Gather community feedback ☐ Lead community event Initiative origin: ☐ Applicant-initiated ☐ Staff-initiated ☒ Commission-initiated ☐ Council-initiated Legally required (e.g. response to Legislative changes or Judicial decisions)? ☐ Yes ☒ No Commissioner lead(s) name(s): Rudyard Dyer, Shane Leverenz, Tom Marble (school district staff liaison) If joint commission initiative, list other board or commission: Is this an established work group? ☐ Yes ☒ No Initiative description: The commission team members will conduct an assessment and review of the current MySLP app. We will document the current feature set, capabilities, accessibility (language options), and integrations. Research will be conducted on industry best practices and peer municipality apps to determine if there are any opportunities to expand, further integrate, or modify the existing MySLP app in any way to provide more or better benefits to residents. We will also examine whether the MySLP app is even necessary. The end deliverable will be a report outlining the current condition and capabilities of MySLP with recommendations for any changes, enhancements, or modifications to the platform. Strategic Priority: ☐ 1 ☐ 2 ☐ 3 ☐ 4 ☒ 5 ☐ N/A Deliverable: ☒ Research report ☐ Summary of community input ☐ Other ☒ N/A Target completion date: This section to be completed by staff: Council request (if applicable): ☐ Review and comment or reply ☐ Review and decide ☒ Informational only – no response needed Board and Commission Annual work plan 6 Budget required: Staff support required: Liaison comments: City staff are currently evaluating this product for compatibility with other software being used in the city for tracking work requests internally, in an attempt to eliminate duplicate efforts. Initiative Origin Definitions  Applicant-initiated – Project initiated by 3rd party (statutory boards)  Staff-initiated – Project initiated by staff liaison or other city staff  Commission-initiated – Project initiated by the board or commission  Council-initiated – Project tasked to a board or commission by the city council Strategic Priorities 1. St. Louis Park is committed to being a leader in racial equity and inclusion in order to create a more just and inclusive community for all. 2. St. Louis Park is committed to continue to lead in environmental stewardship. 3. St. Louis Park is committed to providing a broad range of housing and neighborhood oriented development. 4. St. Louis Park is committed to providing a variety of options for people to make their way around the city comfortably, safely and reliably. 5. St. Louis Park is committed to creating opportunities to build social capital through community engagement Modifications  Work plans may be modified, to add or delete items, in one of three ways:  Work plans can be modified by mutual agreement during a joint work session. Board and Commission Annual work plan 7  If immediate approval is important, the board or commission can work with their staff liaison to present a modified work plan for city council approval at a council meeting.  The city council can direct a change to the work plan at their discretion. Future ideas Initiatives that are being considered by the board or commission but not proposed in the annual work plan. Council approval is needed if the board or commission decides they would like to amend a work plan. Initiative Comments