Counties in Northern California Selected for the Digital Counties Award

Nine California counties were recognized for their IT achievements in three different population categories by the annual Digital Counties Survey. This year’s poll, provided by Government Technology* and performed by the Center for Digital Government, recognized 56 counties nationwide.

Four Northern California jurisdictions in two population categories completed our coverage of this year’s remaining Digital Counties winners.

Three winners—one for the up to 150,000 population category and one for the 250,000 to 499,999 population category—represented the state. This year, no counties in California were chosen for the 150,000 to 249,999 group.

POPULATION CATEGORY: 250,000–499,999

5th: Placer County

The primary goal of Placer County is to provide equal service solutions while prioritizing economic responsibility and its residents. In light of this, the IT division has made the transition from a service provider to a strategic business partner by interacting with all other county departments to comprehend problems and spot chances for technological solutions.

The county’s approach started with data governance rules, which included procedures to safeguard sensitive data, a training program for data governance, and the appointment of a data sponsor.

For Placer County, having technical resources to support data processes is equally critical. The implementation of software-defined networking has improved internal network monitoring, and the county’s administration is committed to facilitating the development of broadband service to underserved areas.

The communications team utilizes Zencity, a social listening technology, to assess resident attitudes. Resident feedback is an essential resource for Placer’s overall service improvement. Additionally, the county collaborates with FlashVote to quickly survey residents online in order to get feedback and concerns for upcoming service platform choices.

On the county website, the Frase chatbot engine helps citizens by providing answers to a variety of questions. With the addition of ChatGPT, the chatbot can now provide even more thorough answers.

Going forward, Placer County is committed to expanding its citizen-centric service strategy through the use of cloud-based service applications, online appointment scheduling for all departments, and the implementation of a customer relationship management tool.

5th: Sonoma County

This year, the Information Systems Department (ISD) of Sonoma County, under the direction of Director Dan Fruchey, placed fifth in its population category for sticking to its primary goal of offering technology solutions that enable local government to efficiently serve the public.

The department’s collaboration with the Sonoma County Safety Net Collaborative on the Transition Age Youth at Risk (TAY) project, which included a cloud-based care plan and Google Maps integration to serve youth (18+) facing homelessness, mental health crises, and involvement in the justice system, was one of its more noteworthy recent accomplishments.

After the trial, which featured a specially designed mobile-responsive web app, ended in March, program participants saw a decrease in warrants and arrests, a gain in housing and food, and an increase in employment, enrollment in school, and housing numbers. In a similar vein, ISD has made the ACCESS Sonoma effort a top priority as it attempts to simplify the county’s Safety Net system.

Staff members can fill out an electronic version of the Release of Information document for client consent authorizations in the field thanks to recently introduced capabilities. The care management system’s digital cards compile client data and provide a thorough dashboard overview of their challenges and accomplishments.

Building the foundation for a private cloud that would serve as the initial stage of an integrated justice system was another significant endeavor. Because it is almost 40 years old, the current system is unable to support the most recent security and analytics technologies.

With improved detection and response tools via a Security Information and Event Management platform and a Security Operations Center, ISD has also been stepping up its cybersecurity efforts. In order to augment its cyber personnel, the county is also looking into automated patching technologies.

Additionally, Sonoma has been actively working to provide high-speed Internet service to underserved and unconnected areas of the region. Work on connecting priority zones—which are determined by characteristics like population density, median household income, construction viability, and other relevant variables—is being carried out in collaboration with the Golden State Connect Authority.

9th: Solano County

Solano County prioritized creative workforce development tactics and put a strong emphasis on employee engagement this year, which helped to turn the tide on a wave of recruitment issues. A notable endeavor associated with these endeavors is the county’s Investing in You program, which aims to establish a workplace that is culturally sensitive.

To help individuals get ready for future employment prospects, the program offers focused professional training and formal development plans. The county works to identify skill gaps in order to develop a workforce that is prepared for the future. It does this by collaborating with educational institutions to give internships, continuously improving its talent management policies, and offering internal training.

IT leaders in the county are emphasizing the expansion of rules, procedures, and measurements that are in line with business objectives, with a particular focus on data management. Additionally, the Accela citizen access portal and Esri GIS enterprise portal are the focal points of Solano County’s service delivery initiatives. The GIS portal is a map-centric platform that makes it simple for locals to find GIS resources, interact with spatial data directly, share their perspectives, and work together on county projects.

By centralizing applications for licenses, permits, and service requests, the Accela citizen access portal facilitates citizen engagement with government services. These portals, which offer access to several county operational areas, highlight the secret to Solano County’s prosperity: a coordinated and cooperative strategy for citizens, regional organizations, and commercial enterprises.

UP TO 150,000 CATEGORIES OF PEOPLE

4th: Nevada County

With careful preparation, Nevada County is able to maintain its technology spending and operates under an Information Systems Strategic plan that spans 2023–2025. Before tech initiatives are brought before the county Board of Supervisors for approval, a number of factors are taken into account, including business value, potential dangers, long-term funding, and others.

New website redesigns included an AI-assisted chatbot, updated county logo and design, and moved to.gov domains. AI is currently being utilized to make research within public papers easier. Previously, AI assisted emergency services professionals in mapping hypothetical evacuation scenarios.

The groundwork was also prepared for a later official policy by new guidelines on AI usage. The county can map data with the aid of geographic information system tools to see whether different demographic groups have equal access to voting places.

The county has implemented a novel initiative to increase openness by providing a free 10-week Citizen’s Academy that allows citizens to observe how various government departments, such as public safety and IT, operate. In addition, the county employs technologies to scan emails from residents and comments on social media for recurrent issues. In order to better inform planning, the county also polls the public on subjects like broadband speeds and general priorities.

The goal of the movement toward departmental shared solutions is to improve interoperability while lowering expenses and the quantity of support work required. Transferring file sharing to external cloud storage also guarantees their accessibility in the event of a disruption to the local data center.

The county updated its cybersecurity guidelines to more closely follow the NIST Cybersecurity Framework, and IT started collaborating with agencies to examine their IT configurations and identify the technology supporting essential services, particularly those provided to vulnerable groups. Next, in order to maintain services in the event of a disruption, IT and the agency draft continuity of operation plans.(Source)