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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2025/06/25 - ADMIN - Minutes - Community Technology Advisory Commission - Regular Community technology advisory commission meeting June 25, 2025 6 p.m. Community technology advisory commission Minutes Members present: Rudyard Dyer, Nat Johnson, Shane Leverenz, Rolf Peterson, Kayla Stautz, Benjamin Straus Members absent: Nat Johnson, Konnor Slaats Staff liaison: Jacque Smith, communications and technology director 1. Call to order – roll call Meeting was called to order at 6:02 p.m. with Dyer, Leverenz, Johnson and Stautz in attendance. Peterson volunteered to serve as chair in absence of a chair or vice chair. 2. Welcome new members Peterson and Dyer and new members Shane Leverenz and Kayla Stautz traded introductions. Ben Straus later joined and introduced himself. 3. Chair/vice chair positions A nominated slate of Konnor Slaats for chair and Rudyard Dyer for vice chair was approved 4-0 by commission members in attendance. 4. Approval of minutes – May 21, 2025 Dyer was unclear about the item under staff updates that stated Straus would host a meeting at his apartment complex. Peterson clarified that referred to a Vision 4.0 meeting. Smith said she’d edit the minutes to make that clear. Dyer moved, Stautz seconded approval with that change included. Motion was approved 4-0 by members in attendance. 5. Work session Members discussed the commission’s evolution from the Telecommunications Advisory Commission that was tightly focused on the city’s cable franchise, to the Community Technology Advisory Commission that has much broader potential. They reviewed past work focusing on smart cities, including committees that focused on geographic information systems (GIS), connected community and sustainability. Members discussed ideas for new work such as using AI responsibly and helping boost resident awareness and engagement with city technology tools such as the website and the mystlouispark app, to enhance service delivery and accessibility. Smith shared that generative AI guidelines are in place for city staff, based on state of Minnesota and League of Minnesota policies. She showed navigation for the mystlouis park app and shared how it is used to report and resolve issues. Other discussion was around free city WiFi and affordable internet service for residents Smith shared the website page showing locations of city-hosted WiFi access points around the city. She also noted the equipment was upgraded last year, and additional access points added at The Rec Center, ROC and Aquatic Park to accommodate larger crowds who gather there. Leverenz reported that USI offers a reduced-cost internet plan. Dyer noted that Xfinity continues to offer an Internet Essentials plan despite the sunsetting of the Affordable Connectivity Program. Members agreed on next steps: • Each member should develop 1-3 ideas for potential projects or initiatives related to the city’s digital services and technology. • Bring those ideas to the July 23 CTAC meeting. They’ll be posted and members will vote on which proposed ideas to pursue. Smith reminded commission members to submit the paperwork that was sent to them, or will be sent, by Pat Coleman, community engagement coordinator. 6. Next meeting: July 23, 2025 7. Adjournment Dyer moved, Straus seconded a motion to adjourn the meeting, all voted in favor. Meeting ended at 6:58 p.m. These minutes were created with the assistance of a generative AI transcript service, then edited, reviewed and finalized by a human.