The City of Venice placed 6th in the nation in the population category of up to 75,000 residents.

 

 

 

The City of Venice placed 6th in the nation in the population category of up to 75,000 residents.

 

Through interviews with departments and the review of current processes, City IT staff completed a 45-page questionnaire, complete with screenshots as added backup for our submission. This survey was completed for the chance of an award from the National League of Cities and it examined the overall technology direction for the City.

“I always felt that the City of Venice is a municipality that leads in technology,” said IT Director Christophe St. Luce. “Despite being a smaller city, technology initiatives are many here, and staff are eager to innovate their business processes. While completing the survey was an arduous task, IT Manager Jeff Kasson was diligent in scribing and documenting the submission process. The City of Venice has been on the map for its beautiful beaches, its welcoming residents, and now, as a featured technology city in the state of Florida.”

Usually, the award is picked up in person during the November National League of Cities conference. However, due to COVID-19, this year’s ceremony was held virtually today (Tuesday, 11/10). The link to the webpage with details on Venice’s category can be found here. In part, it states: “Among its many initiatives surrounding technology, the City of Venice’s quick response to the novel coronavirus pandemic warrants mentioning. In a short amount of time, IT staff were able to deploy virtual meeting capabilities, mobility infrastructure and digital processes for residents.”   

“Innovative cities are utilizing technology and analyzing data to better serve their citizens, respond quickly to citizen needs around COVID-19, and support digital experience initiatives,” said Phil Bertolini, co-director of the CDG, a national research and advisory institute focused on technology policy and best practices in state and local government. “The Center for Digital Government congratulates this year’s winners for their hard work and efforts to use technology to enhance citizen interactions with government.”