Subscribe
Share
Share
Embed
Welcome to MISAC Connect Audio, the official podcast of the Municipal Information Systems Association of California (MISAC). This podcast is your go-to resource for in-depth discussions, expert insights, and community stories that go beyond our MISAC Connect forum.
Allen Hammond (00:02.294)
Hello, MISAC community. This is Alan Hammond, and I know it's been a minute. It's been a very difficult month or two, or whenever that last episode dropped. But I've got a day job, and it's very difficult to stay on top of these. will, I promise you, we're gonna start cranking out some episodes here soon.
We got Bailey standing on the sidelines ready to come in as well, not just as a substitute, but right there as a teammate. And so we're going to get this together, get some consistent episodes rolled out. But for this week, I've got some weekly highlights for everybody. First of all, I'm going to call out Squadcast. Part of the reasons I'm having some struggles getting some episodes out there, I've had not one, not two.
But four episodes crap out on me. Thank you, Squadcast. I've since moved to a different platform and if you, you you're all tech people, you like to know what's going on and get into the weeds. So let me share with you how this all works. Squadcast, which I thought would be a very reliable service, was one that while it does a great job when it works, part of the problems it's having or that I've had
was in its effort to create good quality sound, it downloads and keeps things locally. And then when the session is over, it uploads. Well, when that upload occurs, if it occurs, things can go bad. And that's what's happened. We've had four episodes where that occurred, two of which happened to the same person. And so...
I'm definitely a three strikes and you're out. I actually took one more pitch and I'm done with them. And so we've moved on. I've got a new platform. I won't tell you what I'm using quite yet. But it does rhyme with California City. so far it's been looks promising. So anyways, we'll call those the loss episodes. So I guess that's my way of defending myself and saying, Hey, look,
Allen Hammond (02:25.058)
I've got four other episodes out there that should have been online, but they aren't. And in any event, here we are. So I'm going to start out with forum highlights. These are the postings that are in MISAC Connect. I do this mainly to bring attention to some of them. These are the ones that were pretty active. Some of them may not be active, but should be. And I'd like to just highlight some of those. What I've done is
I'm also, I don't have the permission to put out over the airwaves people's names and the cities they're posting from. You know, as people know, Misak Connect is a walled garden for us. You know, it allows us sort of safe harbor to talk about the things that we need to without, I don't know, for us to just be very frank and open and not have to be guarded. So I want to respect that.
And, you know, some of the things that we talk about here are things you may not really want to share or have out there. And even if it's the case with just first names or the content is a little too on the nose, let me know and I will certainly edit that out. So anyways, we start out with first and foremost, and like with everything I've done this past year, I'm late with this.
and that is National IT Professionals Day. So that was over a week ago, but I don't think it's ever too late to celebrate National IT Professional Day. So we'd like to kick that off, this episode off with that. So on behalf of the entire MeSET community, I want to give a huge shout out to all the dedicated IT professionals out there. You are problem solvers, you're innovators, you're
often behind the scenes, being heroes and keeping the cities running, systems secure and communities connected. there was a post from Lisa Petray from the communications and education manager, expressing thanks to everyone in the IT field. She reminded us how IT teams are absolutely essential to the day-to-day services and the safety of our communities. So if you're tuning in, take a moment to recognize your colleagues.
Allen Hammond (04:48.756)
as I have you and your own IT teams. Whether you work in public sector technology or support local government operations, thank you for all you do for powering progress and for making technology work for the public good. Your dedication and expertise truly makes a difference. So happy National IT Professionals Day, even though it comes how many days after you will hear this, but it was last week and
I would argue pretty much every day should be Happy National IT Professionals Day. So moving on to a post that was submitted by Brian. The subject was estimating an app's value. it is a hot topic from time to time where an item that can get pretty complex for municipal IT leaders, and that is how do you estimate the value of an app developed for your city? So imagine this scenario.
An app developer builds a public arts app for your city for a thousand dollars and then unsolicited updates it. Now that developer is requesting a six figure charitable contribution receipt. Quite a jump. So Brian asked the community, how do you approach valuing something like this? What stood out was the real world comparison. Basic city engagement apps can cost cities, I don't know, like a hundred K, 130 K.
across 8 to 10 years. But this arts app, although not customizable, does bring value to the community and its arts commission. So the challenge, there was no original agreement in place for this kind of charitable ask. And the situation is complicated by IRS regulations. You can't issue a big charitable receipt years after the fact, and any claim would need a qualified appraisal. So some of the discussion points included determining if the app was a true donation or a contracted business transaction.
What are the legal requirements around charitable contributions like IRS's need for contemporaneous written acknowledgement and a formal appraisal for non-cash gifts over $5,000? By the way, that was really hard for me to say contemporaneous. And I'm not going to say it again because I'll screw it up. Another talking point, the difference between value of commercial SaaS products. Easier based on licenses versus custom-built apps, which is much harder. The advice? Before jumping.
Allen Hammond (07:16.962)
To issue any kind of receipt or value, reach out to your city attorney, establish clear requirements for future projects, and consider doing an RFP to benchmark real market value. So if you're facing this as a city IT leader, ask yourself, are there clear agreements in place? Is the value independently substantiated? And are both sides clear on the difference between donation and delivered service? Sometimes the best next step is a legal counsel and formal process.
Not always a quick answer.
Moving on to another topic, and that's the help desk policy and the service levels that you set for that. This was asked by John. Recently, John reached out to the community asking for examples of help desk policies or service level agreements. John wanted to make sure all departments in his city are on the same page when it comes to what qualifies as an emergency and how issues are tiered for support. Chris, from a
district in a lovely part of the state quickly responded and shared his district's IT help desk SLA document with the group. I just want to make mention that this kind of knowledge sharing is what makes communities like MISEX so valuable. Members supporting each other by exchanging real world documents like Chris's SLA, helping everyone raise their standards for IT service management. If you're currently working on your SLA or help desk policy,
This thread is a must read. Not only can you get insights into how other cities define their response times and support tiers, but you also get a chance to adapt the documents that have proven effective in other municipalities.
Allen Hammond (09:00.227)
Got another, this is like picking a scab for me. This was brought by Joe and that's the Broadcom VMware that many, many of us are facing right now. So it's just really bringing attention to a critical issue that's impacting municipalities all across California and really any public agency using VMware. So since Broadcam took over,
We've seen nearly doubled or even tripling license costs alongside forced migrations to VMware Cloud Foundation and multi-year agreements. What's especially concerning is Broadcam's apparent strategy is to delay quotes, giving folks little time or bargaining power, and even adding hefty late renewal fees, sometimes as high as 25 % with another 10 % per week if you go late. So agencies are pushing back. Some.
are already switching platforms, moving to Hyper-V, Newtonics, even scale computing, which has been highlighted as an affordable alternative. For those who can, leveraging existing perpetual VMware license is buying time to strategize a move away from VMware. There's a common thread of frustration here, and that is Broadcom calls it a partnership, but that's not how anybody feels. Their strategy is making
IT leaders reconsider their long-term commitment to VMware, and it's clear from this forum post that cities across the state are eager to share migration plans and support each other through the transition. If you're in the same boat, you're not alone. If you want to swap notes or need contacts, the MISAC community, MISAC Connect in particular, is an invaluable resource for real-world advice and technical guidance on getting you out from under Broadcom's new playbook.
Another post came up from James, AV support for public meetings.
Allen Hammond (11:01.999)
So I want to highlight an important but often overlooked issue many of us face, that's reliable after-hours audiovisual support for our city meetings, council meetings, board meetings, and committees and commissions. They often occur at night. A recent thread on the forum shows just how challenging it is to find vendors willing to provide genuine after-hours or emergency AV support. One member even called it
very appropriately, searching for a unicorn. For most of us, it down to planning ahead, doing full equipment checks hours before the meeting, building in plenty of redundancy. Things like spare mics, backup laptops, alternate switches, even spare projectors. Some organizations have looked into vendors like AVI SPL, who offer this kind of support, but often the cost is prohibitive. Others find that even with support contracts,
True emergency response is rarely available unless you're prepared to pay a premium. So one idea that was offered was bringing in more qualified AV techs or broadcast staff to be present during those meetings. They can handle most issues on the spot, especially if they're well equipped spares on site. So I encourage everyone listening.
to proactively plan for your AV contingencies and share any of your vendor relationships or in-house strategies that are working for your city in MISAC Connect.
Microsoft 365 backup and archiving. This was posted or asked by Aaron. It comes up as a hot topic every once in a while. Right now, cities and agencies are backing up and archiving the Microsoft 365 data. Because oftentimes you're surprised that you assume you go to these SAF services that that's being done. Well, they're not being done to the levels that you probably did your on-prem stuff.
Allen Hammond (13:04.079)
Oftentimes you find that out when you have to recover something. So there are a wide variety of solutions out there. Some agencies are leveraging cloud-based products like Barracuda, which some have posted runs about $7 per user monthly or annually. I'm not sure. Check me on that. Veeam Data Cloud at $24 per year. That one I do know.
There's some extensive use of AFI, which is under $10 per user per year, and lets users recover their own emails taking some pressure off IT. That's always nice. If you'd like a more hardware-based solution, some folks swear by Synology, the NAS, which has no ongoing licensing costs after the initial purchase. And for more specialized needs like disaster recovery, options like Rubrik, Security Cloud, Commvault, Metallic are also in play.
I will add Cohesity to that list. We are a Cohesity shop ourself. believe if I remember correctly, it's about $28 per user per year. Bottom line is there's no one size fits all. It never is with technology for municipalities. But if your agency hasn't revisited its Office 365 backup and archiving approach recently, now might be a good time. You'll get not a
Only a better pricing, but improved features, security, maybe little less time spent on help desk tickets. Just head to the forums, see what your peers are doing with these solutions, as well as some of the migration opportunities.
This next topic is very near and dear to my heart, and that's on-prem file servers. Moving over to SharePoint, I'll add maybe OneDrive as well. This particular forum was just lighting up the forum of the community. It's one that many of us can relate to. Many of us who've been using Microsoft 365,
Allen Hammond (15:14.433)
know, OneDrive, SharePoint teams for years. But the posting, this particular posting dives into the persistent challenges of moving away from legacy file shares and truly modernizing your file storage practices. The overview of this particular topic thread was Ravikumar, and I'm sorry if I did not pronounce your name right. That's my best effort. He laid out...
what many of us are facing, and that's migrating on-premise file server, ones that can house over 100,000 files to SharePoint online. It's not as straightforward as moving files, as many of those who've gone before us know, and those who've tried and bailed. But the discussion surfaced up a range of practical limitations and pain points. Things like exceeding the limits of a single SharePoint document library.
forcing it into multiple libraries. Issues with renaming sync files and folders, which can break sync or cause errors. Granular, complex permission management across lots of libraries. Scanner to folder workflows that don't map easily into SharePoint cloud structure. Sync limitations, which confuse end users, especially with large libraries. Long path link challenges, maintaining structure and training needs. So some of the matters for discussion.
The thread asks for other users' experience and advice on tools, techniques, and best practices for things like managing permissions across multiple libraries efficiently, enabling scan to folder functions with multifunction printers, keeping sync performance reliable, structuring libraries and folders for scalability and usability. Some of the feedback from the community.
One user shared that trying to reproduce legacy folder hierarchies in SharePoint can lead to sync and permission nightmares. Instead, rethink your approach where you need unique permissions. Those subfolders should become top-level folders in SharePoint.
Allen Hammond (17:24.463)
The Quest SharePoint migration tool got a nod as a worthwhile solution. Another peer from a Bay Area city offered to share tools and lessons learned from their own large migration, encouraging others to connect for direct knowledge sharing. Multiple voices chimed in, saying these struggles definitely resonate across agencies, even for those who did their migrations long ago. Another Bay Area city flagged a technical gotcha.
Their GIS project files don't play nicely on SharePoint and may be best left on file servers for now. Watch those file path references in ArcMap documents before migration or you will break the data links. So the big picture on this, the conversation shows that even after years on Microsoft 365 platforms, breaking away from familiar legacy file shares is a huge cultural and technical shift for many agencies.
The thread popularity highlights just how widespread and ongoing these challenges are. Here's some good news. This lively forum topic has caught the attention of the MISAC Education Committee and plans are in motion for a dedicated webinar to tackle these matters head on. So stay tuned for more details about that. Modernizing file storage isn't just about moving files. It's about rethinking structure, workflow, permissions, and user habits. If you...
have your own user experience or advice, please jump into that thread and keep an eye out for upcoming education series notices on that. So that wraps up sort of the post that I thought I would share out for this week. You know, we got upcoming events, which is the conference. And I just wanted to, you'll be seeing a lot of communications about this and I've got some items in.
the quarterly newsletter that I'll share out, but I just wanted to bring awareness in the upcoming events. I'm sure there's some other education series things that are coming up, and I'm sorry, but I'm ill-prepared to share that on this event, but... or in this episode, which means I will have to have another episode within a week. So, let's go to the summer 25 quarterly newsletter. That's sort of where the
Allen Hammond (19:51.662)
the seed of this particular podcast without a guest host and one that you just listened to my nasally drone. It was born out of this and that, hey, we love having a newsletter who doesn't love to read. Sometimes we don't have time to read and I'm stuck in my car a lot.
So if somebody could read me a newsletter, that would be kind of cool. And so I am that person. I am going to read you the quarterly newsletter. Um, and I got to find it. Okay. So here it is. Now this is the summer 20, 25 newsletter, you know, and we're knocking on the door of October. So yeah, I know. Um, it's not summer anymore. And this newsletter came out in August. So
But this is for those who haven't read it yet, because I know there's some out there you haven't. This one highlighted the conference. And if you're not familiar, and I'm sure you are, judging by the amount of rooms that are sold out and registrations made for the conference, you already know that the... not theme... well, maybe the theme. The theme phrase is...
take it to the limit. And of course, it is highlighted in capital I, capital T. So, very on brand and very perfect for this. I've always enjoyed all the different ways we can make IT work in a theming. So, I'm sorry, I'm vamping where I should be reading.
And I'll do that. So, MISAC members attending the 2025 MISAC annual conference scheduled for October 19th to the 22nd at the Town and Country Resort in San Diego will be taking IT to the limit. I could say taking IT to the limit as well. Totally appropriate. Both ways. IT it. Conference chairman Chris Skelly stated when he announced this year's conference theme, take it to the limit. Or known as take IT to the
Allen Hammond (22:12.205)
All right, I'll stop with that.
Allen Hammond (22:16.879)
Sorry, I make myself laugh sometimes. In addition to announcing the theme, Skelly reported some of the great activities taking place at this year's event. 35 outstanding educational breakout sessions, seven hour long periods, each with five concurrent sessions each, featuring MISAC member inventor presentations. Three stimulating general sessions. Berkey Brown.
Beyond Foundations Advancing a Human-Centric Approach to True Belonging, Mark Goodman, Risks and Rewards in the Age of Artificial Intelligence, and a panel presentation on Emergency Preparedness. little more to follow on that. New this year, three half-day concurrent sessions on Wednesday, the last day of the conference.
Foundations of IT Leadership Certificate Program hosted by Darrell Polk of PTI, a CCIC Tabletop Exercise, and Infotech Strategic Planning Workshop. New this year. Exciting Capture the Flag game with MetaCTF. Also new this year. Sunny Night Game Night.
It's not just Sunday Night Football, so that's the new part. It's going to be Sunday Night Football with games. Also new this year on Tuesday is the MISAC Luau. Expanded this year. Largest exhibit hall and most exhibitors in MISAC's annual conference history. So anytime history is being made, you're going to want to be there.
That's not in the newsletter, by the way. I added that. Also new this year, emerging vendor tabletops exhibit area. New this year, allied government agency resources tabletop area. Announcement of 2025 MISAC excellent IT awards. Of course. Announcement of 2025 MISAC achievement in IT awards winners. Of course. Announcement of 2025 MISAC quality in IT award winners. Announcement of the 2025 MISAC president award recipients.
Allen Hammond (24:36.687)
Those are hallmarks and will continue to be. We also, I think for the second time, maybe third time, is the first time attendees reception. So for your first timers, be sure to go to that. And of course, we'll have chapter meetings from the central, northern, and southern chapters.
there's a bullet point it says and much more so I don't have that to share with you but get ready for even more if that wasn't enough. Also stated here is MSEC members planning to attend this year's conference should register today. So that was August 19th. Hopefully you've registered.
And make your hotel reservations as well. Executive Director Brad Walker added when this year's theme was announced. All indications are that this year's conference is going to shatter attendance records, Walker added. We want to make sure we have space in hotel rooms for all of our members planning to attend, but we need them to help us out by acting quickly. Our 2025 MISAC Annual Conference Committee has really dedicated themselves to bringing a top-notch conference for MISAC's members this year, Skelly added.
This promises to be MISAC's most memorable conference in history. We don't want members to miss out." Skelly concluded.
Moving on to another item in the newsletter. This one was entitled Smart Governance in the Sierra. This was insights from MISAC's annual Lake Tahoe Summit. On June 4th, MISAC brought together 75 members for the annual MISAC Tahoe Summit. I'm sorry. It's late as I record this. Set against the stunning backdrop of the Sierra's, the popular event included various golf events, miniature...
Allen Hammond (26:34.371)
golf, disc golf, and traditional golf. A dynamic leadership session and insightful vendor presentations. Prior to the three-day event, MISAC hosted its board meeting on Monday, followed by the annual strategic planning session on Tuesday. These sessions offered board members and other MISAC leaders an opportunity to reflect on the past year's progress, align priorities, and set goals for the year ahead.
The summit officially kicked off on Wednesday morning as members hit the links at the Silver Oak Golf Course. Non-golfers had the chance to unwind through alternative golf activities, disc golf in the fresh mountain air or gathering at Tipsy Putt for a lively game of mini golf or shuffleboard. Jessica Crone, who helped organize the desk event, stated, We were inspired to try something new and wanted to create a unique experience that blended leadership development
with an outdoor activity. Because the turnout and feedback exceeded their expectation, member volunteers intend to make Disc Golf a reoccurring event. Thursday's agenda allowed leading vendors, Akamie, Cohesity, and 101 Voice to present their latest cybersecurity and disaster recovery solutions. The day began with a compelling keynote address from Jeff Butler, who offered fresh insights into building an effective multi-generational workforce. Attendees and guests spent the evening
on a scenic dinner cruise aboard the iconic MS Dixie. With great food, fresh air, and meaningful connections, the cruise was memorable highlight of the summit experience, especially for the first-time attendees. For one of our attendees, Purvi Badwala from City of the South and Oaks, this year's Lake Tahoe Summit wasn't just her first time at one of Misec's signature events, it was also her first visit to Lake Tahoe.
The entire experience offered a memorable setting for connecting with peers. The Lake Tahoe Summit enhanced relationships across chapters which you don't really get to see on a day-to-day basis. I was able to visually see it and I believe it very important to create relationships across all chapters. I agree, Praveen. The success of this year's Tahoe Summit is a testament to the strength and spirit of Mesaq's municipal government community.
Allen Hammond (28:48.377)
The association is grateful to everyone who participated and helped make it memorable and we look forward to seeing even more members at next year's summit.
Allen Hammond (29:00.451)
The next item in the summer newsletter is entitled Mapping the Fight Against Mosquitoes, a GIS IT Coordinator's High-Tech Approach to Public Health. Meet Christina Falk, the GIS IT Coordinator at San Joaquin County Mosquito and Vector Control District, where she plays a vital role in protecting public health through the power of mapping and data with a passion for geographic information systems.
GIS, she uses advanced technology to track mosquito populations, analyze environmental trends, and support targeted control efforts. Her work bridges science and public service, helping the district respond proactively to disease risks and improve community safety across the region. So, Misak asked her, tell me about your job and what you do. Christine responds,
I've served as a GIS IT coordinator here at San Joaquin County Mosquito and Vector Control District. We've got to get an acronym for that. For the past three years, when I arrived, I was the first dedicated GIS and IT staff member at the district. Our main challenge was modernizing our technology infrastructure. I first familiarized myself with the organization, passed the State of California exam to become a certified mosquito control tech.
And then I started putting things into action. I identified an outdated network infrastructure and started the task of replacing the system. The old system was inadequate for operation needs and addressing modern cybersecurity threats. While researching the replacement, I was simultaneously patching and troubleshooting the old network. It still needed to be functional for day-to-day operations after decommissioning the old system and installing the new infrastructure.
Our district grew more secure and operations began running optimally. Because of the... I'm not even going to try to say this, but it's a species of mosquito. So you can Google it. It's...
Allen Hammond (31:05.263)
yeah. but it's an invasive mosquito species taking hold in our county. I'm working on creative ways to GIS data to enhance knowledge of this species. Eventually these GIS layers will assist in operational efficiency, saving the district time, money, and reducing the invasive mosquito population. All right, I'm not a quitter. I'm going go back and try to get that. It's Aedes aegypti? I assume it's Latin of some sort, but
If you want to take what I've just sort of hammered out the best I can and put that in the AI engine, maybe you'll get the species name. So anyway, Misacks asks, what is your district integrated emergency technology such as AI, GIS mapping, or drone surveillance into mosquito control and monitoring strategies?
Christine answers, by the way, I want to make sure, it's Christina. I'm glad I checked. And I knew that. Sorry, Christina. Christina answers, we have integrated technology to track inspections, treatments, and lab surveillance into innovative mosquito control specific platform. This system allows information to be ready for district technicians in the field and when responding to service requests.
I designed an organic properties layer so that our technicians can generally identify these properties within their zone when making treatments. It's always nice to have a visual that reminds them of where they are. And something else that's really innovative about our GIS environment is that we have technicians throughout the county knocking on doors to inspect our mosquito development. At our district, the safety of our deployed technicians is paramount. So we created a safety layer.
that allows us to document homes with less than positive reactions upon arrival. For the safety of our technicians, this layer is visible when planning a return to the property. If the situation was difficult or hazardous in the past, we would only provide service with the assistance of proper authorities." Some people must love their mosquitoes. So, Misak asks, can you give any examples of when encounters become too extreme? well, all right. Well, this is good.
Allen Hammond (33:21.243)
Christina answers, in one particular encounter, a resident became aggressive towards a staff member at the time of service, slamming the door in the face of one of our technicians and denying access. We later discovered that the same resident had a search warrant served by law enforcement to allow us access. Because of the prior incident, we were met with hostility.
This new safety layer prevents a similar situation from reoccurring. If people refuse to allow us to inspect after several attempts, we have the legal authority to mitigate a potential public health risk by obtaining a search warrant. These inspections are especially important when conducting surveillance in a neighborhood, educating the residents and discussing their situations. Well, there you go.
Misak then asks, what roles do data analytics or machine learning play in predicting mosquito development hotspots or potential vector-borne disease outbreaks? Christina answers, the district uses historical lab data to create a picture of the past and analyzes that data, interpolating future mosquito populations. This data is used for efficient mosquito control methods.
I aim to utilize GIS to create hotspot visualization maps of our historic West Nile virus data to identify – you know what? Why can't we just call – never mind – to identify trends and patterns? This will lead to reduction of mosquito-borne diseases in the human population. On another note, recently integrated technology includes our drone surveillance and treatment program. Our district is unique in that we have so many different land uses within our county.
For example, we have residential, commercial, industrial, and agricultural, including dairy farms. These property types create unique situations in mosquito prevention and can be very individualized when it comes to mosquito treatment methods. Some agricultural sites, such as rice fields, are physically inaccessible. Other sites may require personnel to treat the area with a backpack spreader full of material and walk the entire area.
Allen Hammond (35:23.673)
Can you imagine having to refill these hot and heavy backpacks multiple times walking back and forth from the service truck to the last spot treated? We've needed multiple technicians to treat these fields, which has taken a lot of time. Our drone program will eventually minimize these situations, saving resources and lending the safety of our technicians. For background information, our four drone pilots comply with regulatory guidelines for the F Federal Aviation Administration.
and the California Department of Pesticide Regulation. Our drone pilots are licensed in both. Misaks asks, are there any other challenges the district has faced in trying to adopt or scale advanced technologies? Christina answers, each technological implementation has presented itself with different challenges. But a common obstacle that we come across is a lack of documentation about previous practices.
thoroughly document all procedures and practices for creating future policy, avoiding the repetition of the past. Then there was a steep learning curve that came with this job because it hadn't worked in IT until now. In addition, my coworkers had to learn with me. As safe practice software changes in hardware were updated, I found a unique ways to encourage our most seasoned coworkers to accept the challenges. But now the gap has significantly lessened because what we're doing
is new to all of us. We have to figure out the process as a team. This requires listening, discussing, and trying many solutions. And finally, Misak asks, what non-technical skills were you able to bring to your department that really helped implement these technologies? Christina answers, I think my nothing's impossible, let's go for it attitude and willingness to learn.
contribute to my unique success. My positive energy and optimism have reduced the hesitancy the district experienced in the past in trying new things. My supervisor states that I'm a fast learner while being a humble person, but this dual role in IT and GIS has been an immense challenge and I've conquered it. Great job, Christina. And that was a great insight and a member highlight.
Allen Hammond (37:39.651)
But was not the member highlight. Our member highlight in this issue was Shawn Smith. So let me take you through that.
Allen Hammond (37:55.02)
In this edition, we highlight Sean Smith, Senior Management Analyst for the City of Fairfield.
Allen Hammond (38:12.505)
Sean Smith has been a public servant for over 14 years. However, he only recently made the leap into city government three years ago after establishing his career in the county's government circuit. This quarter, Smith shares how city government has allowed him to expand his skill set.
Misak asks, how did you get into IT? Sean answers, I began my career working with Solano County Health and Human Services. My background was in budgeting, management, finance, and contracts. I then accepted an analyst position at Napa County and was promoted to supervising analyst. It was then that I got to learn a lot about IT that I hadn't really known before. Misak asks, what exciting IT initiatives are going on in the city of Fairfield right now? Sean answers,
We're working on a transparency portal to make data available to the community. Within the portal, we have a council goals, performance score, police transparency, open data, and capital improvement projects. Ultimately, we'd like to prove ourselves as a department by becoming more transparent within the community.
Misak asks, as a former county employee, what would you say is the major difference between California County and California County and city government? Sean answers, from my perspective, the biggest difference is that the county side is much larger and as a result, their services differ from the city. On the city side of it, I was exposed to a lot more projects and I've been able to work with a lot of stakeholders and was able to see a much broader picture from my insulated view. Working with the city,
I have a lot more knowledge of what's going on and I feel like we're part of the almost everything and everybody is all hands on deck. I hadn't had the experience until three years ago when I joined the city of Fairfield. In contrast, some of the departments within counties are bigger than the whole city staff. Health and Human Services for Solana County is significantly more staffed in one department in the whole city of Fairfield. You may not even see your department head.
Allen Hammond (40:11.245)
very often, whereas at the city, I'm meeting with the mayor and the city manager periodically. I feel like the connection is an important part of the team. Misak asks, you recently joined the communications committee. What inspired you to join? Sean answers, well, I think a couple of reasons. My background in school originally was in both business and marketing. I studied business administration with a concentration on marketing and HR management. And so it was
perfect opportunity to be able to use that experience within the Communications Committee. In my current position, I get to help promote some of the accomplishments from our department. For example, retirement announcements. I think the MISAC Communications Committee is very similar, and I think it's important because IT does always do a great job of that. But the Communications Committee seems to be effective. I'd like... You know what? Let me roll that back. And I think it's important because IT does not always do a great job with that.
I had to say I knew that was wrong because I thought that was a little weird the way I said it because I know we don't always do a great job with that. So anyways, the communications committee seems to be effective. I'd like to be at least a small part of the success of the community. Misak asks, what is your favorite thing about Misak? Sean says, I would say the people. I joined Misak in 2022 and was honored that I was selected for a conference scholarship in 2023 at Palm Springs. I was impressed by how welcoming everybody was.
I have a few colleagues that were able to attend and introduce me to folks. One of the reasons I decided to join the communications committee was the fact that everyone was very positive and helpful. Thank you, Sean. And as a member, fellow member of the community committee, thank you for being on there and for your help there. Our final item, if you're still with me,
Or maybe you paused it and came back. We have this final item in the summer 2025 newsletter and it is entitled, MISAC member Ryan Nelson Steers AI Task Force into Phase 2. So it's been nearly a year since MISAC officially launched its first ever AI Task Force, a group dedicated to fostering education and open dialogue among MISAC members as they explore and adopt AI technologies. Ryan Nelson.
Allen Hammond (42:36.757)
a MISAC member and AI expert from the city of Mission Vieux, recently stepped up to co-chair the task force alongside Raj Singh from the city of Santa Clara as the group enters an exciting new phase in its development. Today, Nelson shares insights into upcoming AI task force projects and reflects on the evolving frontier of AI and municipal IT. MISAC asks Ryan, what inspired you to take on the role of co-chair for MISAC's
AI Task Force. Ryan answers, it really comes down to a deep desire to give back to the community. I've been with the city of Mission Viejo for a little over three years. And from the very beginning, MESEC has been an invaluable resource for me, whether through the materials they provide, the unmatched networking opportunities, or the relationships I've been able to build. I see this as a chance to pay it forward. My decade of experience in AI paired with my background in cybersecurity gives me a perspective I hope
can further advance the task force and bring meaningful value to the entire MISAC organization.
Allen Hammond (43:43.556)
Misak asks, what typically happens during the AI Task Force meeting? Ryan answers, the energy in our meetings is incredible. Members share their experiences with the latest AI tools. Agencies collaborate to learn from one another. And perhaps most importantly, we work on initiatives that benefit the wider Misak community. A big focus has been on creating resources like policy templates and usage guides that help our members navigate AI adoption more seamlessly. It's a truly collaborative environment where we all grow together.
Misak asks, what was the AI Task Force accomplished since its inception? Ryan answers, we made significant progress, including drafting example policies, crafting incident response templates, and developing other documentation to support Misak members. We also started building a curity list of vetted vendors. These vendors are evaluated by Task Force members to verify the validity of their claims, assess the security of their products, and ensure they meet the needs of our community.
It's about creating a library of trusted tools and resources that everyone can rely on.
Misak asks, how does this task force differ from other AI coalitions? Ryan answers, every coalition has unique strengths. For example, the San Jose AI coalition does a fantastic work around procurement and policy development. What sets the Misak AI task force apart is its focus on specific needs of California-based agencies and fostering collaboration among them. Misak has longstanding reputation for bringing agencies together, and the task force is an AI-focused extension of that.
We concentrate on what actually works for agencies of all sizes, whether it's policy language, practical tools, or insights tailored to government organization. Our smaller size allows us to meet regularly, maintain flexibility, and have meaningful conversations with vendors looking to serve government entities. But what truly makes this team special is the passion and expertise of its members. Everyone involved generally loves what they do, and that energy makes all the difference. Misak asks, what's next for the ITAS Force?
Allen Hammond (45:46.148)
Ryan answers, we're entering what we are calling phase two of the task force. This phase is about refining what we've learned so far. In phase one, we focus on understanding the rapidly changing AI landscape. It really felt like the Wild West, and to some extent, it still does. But now we're more comfortable evaluating tools, assessing their capabilities, and determining what constitutes a good or bad product. In phase two, we're aiming to produce a valuable, actionable resource for our members.
For instance, we hope to develop educational materials for executive teams that explain concepts like difference between AI and machine learning, implementation guides for deploying tools like LLMs, and guidance for leveraging popular AI solutions like Co-Pilot or Madison AI. Ultimately, our goal is to help members identify AI-driven solutions that offset costs, streamline workflows, and improve efficiencies without overextending their resources. Misak asks,
Where can members find these resources once the ITAS Force completes the project? Ryan answers, look, no further than MESEC Connect. As soon as the deliverable is ready, we'll post it here. To keep things organized, we'll create parent posts with links to related threads so members can easily follow updates and dive into specific topics as needed. MESEC asks, do you have any final thoughts to share? Ryan answers,
I just want to say how honored I am to work with such an amazing group of people in the task force. The level of talent, enthusiasm, and collaboration within the group is truly inspiring. As we move into phase two, I'm really looking forward to seeing what we can accomplish together. There's a lot of excitement and momentum behind this, and I think we're scratching at the surface what's possible. Stay tuned. This is only the beginning. That is it, MISAC family. I'm...
Happy to close this one out and give you a little bit of what's coming ahead. We will have an episode dropping next week, I hope, with the famous Brad Walker, our executive director for MISAC, and the aforementioned Ryan Nelson. I had reached out and hoped to get some
Allen Hammond (48:07.241)
a conversation with him about what he just shared in this newsletter. And maybe we can, you know, zig a little bit where he zagged or dive a little deeper. And so that's coming up. I'm also trying to get a strategic partner on who specializes in UCAS and has some conversation of that. A lot of us are in the same boat of having a legacy VoIP system. It's weird to say that VoIP is legacy, but...
I know we do. So we have a legacy system that is beyond end of life and coming up on end of support and end of everything. And so we have some tough choices to make. I'm hoping they're not too chuffed though. It's just we have a choice to make and there are directions that we can go in. So I'd like to talk to somebody about that. those are some of the things that we hope to have. I hope to also, you will be hearing from Bailey soon as well. And so...
With that, have a great week.