THE SMART CITY OF MODESTO

WRITTEN BY: JOHN O’HANLON

PRODUCED BY: TOM VENTURO

We talk to Scott Conn, recently appointed CIO, about the challenges and rewards of placing technology at the service of an urban population

The more you learn about Modesto, California, the more attractive it seems as a place to live. Certainly its ideal climate and contented lifestyle were among many factors that brought its new CIO Scott Conn to the city in May 2022 as a key member of its 12-strong executive team. “Modesto is a very diverse, familyoriented community primarily involved in farming and ranching, for which the climate is well suited. It’s located near the foothills of the California Sierras and it’s the perfect place to raise a family: we have great values and endless opportunities, with sports facilities and a vibrant downtown area.” And sitting less than 100 miles from San Francisco, he says, it’s well placed to take advantage of the technological hotspots of Silicon Valley - he summarises it as ‘an awesome and up-and-coming place.’

Modesto, on Scott Conn’s watch, has recently been named among the top ten in the digital cities in the USA by the govtech. com Center for Digital Governmentcities that elevated their municipalities' resilience while bolstering services and prioritising engagement with their residents. “This award recognises how we are leveraging technology to communicate with our entire community. The more we digitise, the easier it is for people to find information, the faster it is for them to find

Modesto: a smart city getting smarter

the information, and the more transparent the city itself becomes. When we know something, our citizens know it too.”

Delivering the plan

When Conn arrived he joined a municipality nearing the mid-point of a well-thought out five-year strategic plan. “My task coming on board was to embrace that plan, see how far along we've come from a technology perspective, and then determine what are the priorities going forward.” The largest part of the delivery still lies ahead, with three years of the plan to be accomplished.

And his priority is to bring Modesto fully into the community of Smart Cities - a process much of which has already been achieved. “Now everybody has a different definition for a smart city. It really comes down to again making the city more digital, more technology oriented and more online. For example you no longer have to come down to city hall to get a business permit. You can get all this done online from the comfort of your business or the comfort of your home. It’s about things like understanding how parking meters are utilised in the city, which ones are available, which ones are not available, and sharing that information for people driving around looking for a parking spot. Or understanding traffic lights and whether it appears somebody is about to run a red light. We have AI running in the background that keeps the other lights red if we suspect somebody may run the intersection.”

Things like this help cut the accident rate and are among the initiatives that the 33-strong IT department headed by Scott Conn is required to configure, design, implement and then support, taking Modesto further along the smart city route. Apart from that, the most important priority

Scott Conn

TITLE: CIO

INDUSTRY: GOVERNMENT

ADMINISTRATION

LOCATION: CALIFORNIA, US

Scott Conn became the Chief Information Officer for the City of Modesto in May 2022 where he puts his 40+ years of C-level private sector, Executive Consulting, and local government Information Technology experience to work. Scott has a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration and Management from Santa Clara University, is a retired Varsity Football and Women’s Basketball Head Coach. Also, Scott is an active member of the Municipal Information Systems Association of California (MISAC) serving on the Communications Committee and is the current President of MISAC’s Northern Chapter.