Quick Hit News
Detroit Mayor Mike Dugganʼs administration and the Economic Growth Corporation have launched the Detroit Small Business Technology Fund, a microgrant program backed by the Rocket Community Fund that will provide $1,000 grants to 140 Detroit microbusinesses to buy hardware and software and adopt emerging tools like AI platforms, with nine neighborhood partner organizations distributing grants and tracking outcomes such as revenue changes, efficiency gains, customer growth, digital adoption, and job creation.
Illinoisʼs century-old oil boom left southern Illinois with thousands of abandoned and orphan oil and gas wells, nearly 4,000 of which remain unplugged and continue leaking oil, brine, and methane, putting farmland and groundwater at risk. The Illinois Department of Natural Resources estimates the cleanup bill for plugging known orphan and abandoned wells alone will reach about $160 million, exposing long-standing gaps in oversight, bonding requirements, and the fees that were meant to cover the true cost of remediation.
Hawaii has received final federal approval to begin spending nearly $149 million in BEAD funding on its Connect K kou broadband plan, targeting about 7,000 unserved and underserved locations with roughly 82% slated for fiber and 18% for low-Earth-orbit satellite, where fiber isnʼt feasible.
Community Spotlight
Mayor Rick Blangiardi, Honolulu: Make City Service Requests Transparent
Honolulu is modernizing the way residents and visitors report everyday city problems such as broken streetlights, damaged sidewalks, and clogged storm drains. The city has introduced a redesigned HNL 311 website and mobile application that streamlines issue reporting, making the process quicker, more reliable, and easier to use. By consolidating reporting into one platform, the city aims to reduce confusion and ensure that concerns are addressed more efficiently.
A central improvement in this upgrade is the focus on routing and accountability. Requests submitted through the app or website are automatically directed to the appropriate city department, eliminating delays caused by misdirected reports. Residents can also track the progress of their requests, receiving updates when an issue is assigned and when it has been resolved. This transparency strengthens trust between the public and city services by showing clear follow- through on reported problems.
The system was built entirely in-house by the Department of Information Technology, underscoring Honoluluʼs commitment to accessible and efficient service delivery. Rather than forcing residents to navigate multiple department- specific channels, HNL 311 now serves as a single, straightforward entry point for reporting concerns. Director Brian McKee emphasized that the goal is to simplify the experience for residents, ensuring that reporting a basic issue no longer requires navigating a maze of disconnected systems.
Covering more than seventy service categories, HNL 311 guides users to select the appropriate service type, mark a location with a pin or enter an address, provide details or photos, and then submit the request. Each submission generates a confirmation number, allowing residents to track the progress of their issue from start to finish.
To make the process smoother and reduce unnecessary duplication, several improvements have been built into the system. These include a single HNL Info login that works across city applications, a modern interface that adapts to mobile devices, faster request entry through keyword search, and a map view that highlights nearby existing requests of the same type to prevent repeat tickets.
Residents can access the service at any time through the mobile app available in the Apple App Store and Google Play, or through the HNL311.com portal.
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Resources & Events
📅 PERFORM 2026 (Las Vegas, NV - January 26-29, 2026)
Dynatraceʼs flagship Perform conference will bring together technology leaders, government stakeholders, and innovators to explore how AI-driven observability accelerates automation, digital transformation, and business growth. Attendees can expect inspiring keynotes, hands-on workshops, breakout sessions, and exclusive previews of upcoming Dynatrace platform advancements. Details →
📅 CMS Industry Day (Woodlawn, MD - February 19, 2026)
An in-person forum hosted by CMSʼs Office of Acquisition and Grants Management featuring briefings from CMS components, executive leaders, and industry leaders. Details →
📊 Report Spotlight: Federal Telework and Service Delivery at SSA (U.S. GAO)
This report finds that while telework has become a permanent feature of federal operations, the Social Security Administration lacks a clear plan to ensure critical skills are maintained as work patterns shift. GAO warns that without stronger workforce planning, training, and performance management, telework could exacerbate staffing gaps and slow service delivery. Read →
Insight of the Week
Local governments across the U.S. are advancing public library modernization projects, using federal and state funding to upgrade facilities with technology- enabled learning spaces, workforce development resources, digital access, and community services that position libraries as hubs for education, economic mobility, and civic engagement.
For the Commute
You Can Accomplish Big Things in a Small City (City Speak Podcast)
Evan Vogel reflects on moving from the Minnesota Attorney Generalʼs office into city administration, explains why small cities can still deliver major community projects despite limited tax base and staff, and emphasizes culture-building, celebrating frontline public employees, and questioning the way things have always been done.
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