Funding AI-powered building-code permitting

The Department of Housing and Urban Development last month offered state and local governments up to $3 million to deploy AI-powered building code permitting systems. Julia Richman, the former chief transformation officer of Colorado and a vice president of the software company Clariti, said on the Priorities Podcast that her company offers a solution to some of these common challenges with permitting, and is helping governments to apply for the grant funds before the mid-July deadline. “Our AI studio is aimed to help communities really understand how AI could apply in their workflows and also what are the right kinds of AI to be considering,” Richman said.

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Texas Gov. Greg Abbott announced the launch of a “one stop shop” website for comprehensive information related to the New World screwworm, and the state’s response to the spread of the flesh-eating parasite across parts of Texas and New Mexico. The website provides information on the outbreak of New World screwworm cases and resources for farmers, veterinarians and residents. 

California officials recently kicked off the pilot phase of the state’s Career Passport, a new digital credentialing tool designed to help workers showcase skills and qualifications gained through education, military service, job training and work experience, regardless of whether they hold a four-year degree. The effort builds on California’s broader push to modernize workforce development and reduce barriers to state employment for workers without bachelor’s degrees.

North Carolina’s Department of Information Technology announced that it has selected Tanium as the statewide endpoint management and cybersecurity platform for SecureNC, the state’s collaborative cybersecurity program. Tanium will help consolidate the state’s management and security operations on a single platform, with real‑time data and automated investigations of security threats. The voluntary initiative will roll out in phases across local governments, higher education institutions and other public entities that participate in SecureNC.

New episodes of StateScoop’s Priorities Podcast are posted each Wednesday. For more of the latest news and trends across the state and local government technology community, subscribe to the Priorities Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Soundcloud or Spotify.