By Sally Mesarosh, Special for wranglernews.com
A recent award boosts Chandler’s claim that it is a techie-lover’s dream come true.
The Center for Digital Government ranked the city No. 4 in the nation among those with a population of 250,000 to 499,999 in its Digital Cities Survey. Chandler’s population was estimated at 281,000 this past November.
The Center for Digital Government’s annual survey recognizes cities that apply technology to tackle social challenges, enhance services and strengthen cybersecurity.
“As the ‘Community of Innovation,’ our talented staff work day in and day out to ensure Chandler remains at the forefront of technological advancements and has the infrastructure in place to facilitate future opportunities,” Mayor Kevin Hartke said. “It is an honor to receive this recognition, and I look forward to continuing to share how our city uses technology to engage the community, enhance services and strengthen cybersecurity.”
Chandler, with its long-held commitment to innovation and technology, aggressively pursues opportunities for smart, sustainable solutions and innovative ideas that promote efficiency, productivity and connectivity.
Chandler Chief Information Officer Sandip Dholakia and IT Chief Technology Officer Kerstin Nold said that city staff coupled with a culture of innovation among all departments, divisions and roles account for the recognition.
City leadership encourages the generation of innovative ideas and cutting-edge concepts that are constantly being reviewed and actioned, they said. The city measures the effectiveness of innovation through identified success criteria and performance measures that result in a positive value proposition.
Recreation technology
The city’s citizen-centric technology services include recreation classes, enrichment classes, science experiments and workout sessions that moved online during the COVID-19 pandemic.
When shelter at home orders due to COVID-19 were implemented, recreation centers, libraries and the senior center were closed for extended periods. This accelerated the need for on-demand virtual classes, and the city responded with an array for senior drawing and watercolor classes as digital resources for families and caregivers looking to fill the day with practical, educational, inspirational and entertaining content.
The city also expanded remote streaming options for live concerts and events, and virtual tours of art exhibits and museums.
Chandler’s Go Play Chandler home edition at www.chandleraz.gov/recathome, offers activities and ideas in crafts, enrichment classes, sports, aquatics, wellness and fitness, therapeutic recreation for special-needs residents and outdoor discovery. Virtual programming will continue to be part of the city’s recreational offerings, officials said.
Public-safety technology
The Information Technology Department applied CARES Act funding to support a next-generation workforce, replacing desktop computers with laptops and upgrading telepresence rooms and enhancing infrastructure security.
The Center for Digital Government cited Chandler’s focus on infrastructure through its fiber-assessment program and the initiation of the first phase of improvements for fiber networking. The city also installed upgrades that enable citywide Wi-Fi capabilities.
The city’s innovative virtual threat simulator, which Chandler jumped ahead of the pack by implementing more than 10 years ago, drew praise. In 2021, the simulator technology was upgraded when City Council authorized $256,000 for a five-screen device that virtually places officers in life-like scenarios. This provides better officer training and improves techniques and real-time response to public-safety incidents. For example, the technology allows them to imagine how they might react to an active shooter.
Chandler offers the ability to text to 911, making emergency services more accessible to those who are deaf, hard of hearing or have speech difficulties.
Virtual courtrooms
Chandler responded to the recent Arizona Administrative Office of the Courts’ mandate to leverage technology to provide virtual-justice services to manage jury selection, facilitate arraignments and conduct trials. The city worked quickly to design a solution for three distinct spaces in the Chandler Municipal Court Building.
“The virtual courtroom experience has allowed the court to continue to serve the needs of the public during a challenging period and has become an efficient new way to adjudicate cases within the court and our community,” said Presiding Magistrate Alicia Skupin. “Over the last six months, the Chandler Municipal Court has addressed approximately 760 virtual cases and settings.”
Mobility
Chandler offers a number of technological solutions to improve mobility of services, enabling 700-plus employees to telecommute. It has deployed more than 1,400 laptops, offered WebEx Citywide for virtual meetings, implemented 32 collaboration conference rooms and enabled call-center employees to telecommute.
InfoMap, a digital offering for residents, is Chandler’s platform for sharing information about facilities and neighborhoods. Click on a symbol and it activates a pop-up window with the address, phone number, website and description of the facility. Road-restriction information also appears on the map as red, green or blue lines, depending on the severity of the traffic restriction.
Infrastructure and security
Finally, the city has enhanced overall security through a virtual private network upgrade, Wi-Fi expansion, automation and orchestration services and micro segmentation.
Chandler’s Digital City Award is the latest in a series of tech recognitions for the city, which also has been named among the nation’s Best Places to Find a Job and Best Cities for Women in Tech. For women working in tech who value telecommuting, Chandler ranks No. 9 on SmartAsset’s 2020 list of best cities to work from home. Smart Asset is an online publication for consumer-focused financial information.
The most-famous piece of Chandler’s high-tech reputation, the Price Corridor, is home to 15 companies on the Fortune 1,000 list at sites that include Intel’s sprawling campus, Chandler Freeway Crossing, Chandler Viridian, Park Place and Northrup Grumman.
