IMPERIAL — The City of Imperial is stepping up its efforts in innovation with the recent approval of a Strategic Technology Plan by City Council. Supported in June by an $809,400 budget appropriated for the 2024-2025 fiscal year, the plan paves the way for significant upgrades aimed at modernizing city operations and enhancing public services.
City Council unanimously approved a strategic technology plan on Wednesday, Aug. 21, outlining a comprehensive approach to developing the city's digital infrastructure over the next five years. The plan focuses on increasing efficiency, security and scalability across all departments.
“Our IT director is very good and we have complete confidence in him,” Imperial Mayor Robert Amparano said, reflecting the city's confidence in Innovation and Technology Director Alejandro Estrada.
Estrada, who spent nearly two decades as a consultant to the city of Imperial, became head of the city's Innovation and Technology Department when it was created in 2018. He sees STP as a way to communicate complex technical information to city leaders and lay out the department's vision for the city's technological future.
“What I've presented to the City Council is basically something that helps us all be on the same page about what the IT department is doing,” Estrada said. “It opens the door to communicating with them.”
Alejandro Estrada, Director of Innovation and Technology, Imperial City | Photo courtesy of Imperial City
The strategic technology plan highlights nine key areas that the IT department will focus on over the next five years: infrastructure, cybersecurity, cloud computing, open data, innovation, disaster recovery, software and applications, artificial intelligence, and policies and procedures. These areas are designed to address both immediate operational needs and future technology growth.
The STP is a dynamic document that Estrada plans to update annually with new presentations to city leaders. “We're going to improve it every year. We're going to get more projects in the future and we're going to have more information. This is just the beginning for us,” Estrada said.
A large portion of the STP is dedicated to maintaining and improving the city's infrastructure, including upgrading servers, workstations, and the wireless broadband network that supports critical services like public Wi-Fi and traffic control systems. The focus on infrastructure is intended to ensure that the city can continue to operate seamlessly, even in the event of natural disasters, power outages, or other disruptions.
Cybersecurity is another central element of the plan, focusing on managing the Information Security Framework (ISF) to protect the City's digital assets. The ISF is based primarily on the federal Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) framework and outlines key actions to strengthen the City's overall protection against digital threats through training and education, software applications such as firewalls, and other digital security measures.
Following a ransomware attack on the Imperial County website in 2019, cybersecurity has risen to the forefront of technology in both government and the private sector amid a global rise in phishing and malware attacks. To address these growing threats, the City of Imperial recently filled a cybersecurity manager position that was approved as part of the 2023-2024 budget. “We’ve already gone through the process and hired someone for this position,” Estrada said. “Security is a big concern for us.
“Sometimes people think we just fix computers, but it's important for people to know what we actually do,” Estrada added. “It's important to show everyone what the department actually does.”
STP also highlighted the City's increasing reliance on cloud computing to boost its technology capabilities. By moving more of its operations to cloud-based systems, the City aims to make its IT services more efficient and flexible, make it easier to scale when needed, and reduce costs in the long term.
WiFi towers next to Imperial's Irving Park baseball field. Towers like this one will provide free WiFi to all Imperial's parks, a project being implemented by Imperial's Innovation & Technology department in 2022-2023. | ERIC EVERWINE PHOTO
Another key focus of the plan is open data, aiming to increase transparency and make city information more accessible to citizens. This includes expanding the use of geographic information systems (GIS), a tool that helps the city better understand and manage its physical environment. Mayor Amparano, a strong proponent of GIS, emphasized its value in guiding urban planning and development decisions.
“GIS is great. For example, if I want to know how many stop signs or traffic lights there are in Imperial, I can pull up that information right away,” says Amparano. Imperial is one of the top 10 fastest growing cities in California, and the mayor believes implementing GIS will help him more effectively manage the city’s development.
Innovation is at the heart of STP and the City is continually identifying and investing in solutions that enhance services. Recent notable projects include the Utility Bill Cloud Payment System and the Community Development Permit System.
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The utility billing system allows residents to pay their utility bills online, streamlining the payment process and providing more convenient options for account management. The permit system is designed to simplify the permit process for developers, contractors, and residents. By moving the process online, the City has made it easier to submit, track, and manage permit applications.
Regarding these new cloud-based services and payment options, Mayor Amparano pointed to Imperial's young population. “We do a poll in the city every year, and the average age in Imperial is 31.5 years old. It's a very young city, and with that comes a lot of technology,” Mayor Amparano said. Most Imperial residents would prefer to pay online rather than mailing a check or visiting city hall.
Artificial intelligence is another area of interest for STP, which the plan notes has the potential to revolutionize city operations. “AI is everywhere now, and when I called the developer of our new GIS system, they asked me if I wanted an AI-implemented system,” Estrada explained to the City Council.
As the City explores the application of AI in enhancing service delivery and improving efficiency, there is a focus on ensuring these tools are developed and implemented responsibly.
While the STP provides a comprehensive roadmap for the city's technology future, Estrada acknowledged that flexibility will be key to accommodate new projects as they come in. “A lot has already been done, but if the City Council wants more, we're open to discussions,” Estrada said.
City leaders also recognize the need to add staff as the city grows. “Alejandro will say, 'Yes, we're going to need staff, but we don't need them now,'” Amparano said. He stressed that with growth comes greater staff needs, but the city is focused on making sure those needs are managed appropriately. “Imperial's leaders have those qualities. They communicate the needs and make sure the next steps are taken,” Amparano added.
As Imperial continues to expand, the Strategic Technology Plan will serve as a guide to sustain the City's digital infrastructure as it grows, and the newly approved budget reflects the City's commitment to leveraging technology to improve the quality of life for residents and support sustainable development for years to come.
