Put Technology to Work
The Arlington City Council adopted“ Put Technology to Work” as a new priority for fiscal year 2016. Technology touches all parts of life within the City of Arlington – the organization, residents and businesses. Advancing new technologies, building infrastructure for the future, promoting transparency, and engaging our data and security privacy are among the ways the City is striving to be innovative and create better lives for its citizens.
City Data Strategic Plan Unveiled
Tapping into data can help City employees improve internal efficiencies, analyze current and future needs and opportunities, and increase transparency for Arlington’ s citizens and business communities.
Thanks to the City Data Strategic Plan, Arlington has a better understanding of current data inventories, platforms, connections and business processes. This will help drive decisions about future data management and integration strategies, analytic capabilities and open data.
City Continues Energy Efficiency Program, LED Streetlight Conversion
The Arlington City Council designed to improve energy efficiency approved funding for Phase II of the at various City-owned facilities. The City Public Works and Transportation also continued retrofitting with new
Department’ s Energy Efficiency
LED lighting and technology. Besides Program. The $ 3.3-million project, appearing brighter than the former engineered, designed, constructed yellow sodium vapor lights, the LED and commissioned by OpTerra Energy fixtures save energy, enhance street Services, includes installation of building safety and generate cost savings for the energy control systems, and upgraded City. HVAC systems and modifications
Arlington, UT-Arlington Partner to Investigate Sewer Lines
Technology can be a useful tool to help gather information in places where humans can’ t or don’ t want to go. One such place is underground sewer pipes. Last year, Arlington Water Utilities and the University of Texas at Arlington engineers partnered together to test a more efficient, cost-effective way to explore miles of large-diameter sewer pipes. As part of the project, the team will use a multisensor robot to look for cracks and other defects inside the pipes using a highdefinition camera, lasers and sonar.
Once a weakness is discovered, a joint University-City team digs down to extract a segment of the pipe. Researchers will then analyze the pipe sample in the laboratory by using analytic methods to determine its current condition and remaining life. The information provides City staff and elected officials valuable information to determine maintenance costs now and needed capital replacement costs for the future.
New Electric Contract Saves City Millions
A new 9-year retail electricity supply contract with TXU of Irving is expected to save the City an estimated $ 2.5 million a year. Arlington hired Priority Power Management, LLC, to solicit bids from various electricity firms and help negotiate a contract for the City, which consumes more than 72.6 million kilowatt-hours of electricity a year. Seven electric companies responded with bids. After negotiations, the Council approved a contract with TXU to deliver an estimated $ 23.5 million, or 32.8 percent, savings in electricity costs over the term.
Fans Can Access Free WiFi at Levitt Pavilion
Spectrum, formerly TWCWiFi, provides fast and reliable broadband Internet access at no charge on WiFi enabled devices across the entire Levitt Pavilion venue. Cable subscribers receive unlimited broadband access and non-cable subscribers receive 1 hour of free broadband service with the option to purchase additional access.
Arlington Police Test Body Worn Cameras
In 2016, the Arlington Police Department conducted a 6-month, $ 50,000-pilot program to evaluate the organizational impact of police body camera usage. User surveys conducted both internally and externally provided feedback on the experience. At the direction of City Council, body worn cameras were included in the 2017 budget. The Police Department, which received a state grant to help defray the cost of the initial equipment, anticipates it will implement approximately 350 body worn cameras by fall 2017.
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