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Advocacy Groups Demand that Mayor DeBlasio Fulfill Commitment to NYC Voters and Fund Citywide Participatory Budgeting Initiative
The Civic Engagement Commission’s citywide participatory budgeting initiative is at risk due to slow follow through — it needs strong commitment now to right the course, comply with the Charter, and establish a successful legacy program for the Administration.
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Re: Oversight hearing of Local Law 49 of 2018 (Open Algorithms Law) & Int 1806-2019 (aka ADS transparency) & Int 1447-2019 (aka data inventory)
To: NYC Council – Committee on Technology From: Noel Hidalgo, Executive Director of BetaNYC Re: Oversight hearing of Local Law 49 of 2018 (Open Algorithms Law) & Int 1806-2019 (aka ADS transparency) & Int 1447-2019 (aka data inventory) Thursday, 22 January 2020 “We […] want to ensure that New York City leads the way in ethical…
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Statement on the appointment of Jessica Tisch as Commissioner of DoITT
“NYC’s civic technology community congratulates Jessica Tisch on her appointment as DoITT’s Commissioner” said Noel Hidalgo, Executive Director of BetaNYC. “We are excited to see someone who has experience working across agencies take the helm of the beleaguered DoITT. We hope Commissioner Tisch’s experience at NYPD has prepared her to lead NYC’s digital transformation —…
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Council Member Peter Koo Introduces Bill to Require Reporting on Automated Decision Systems (ADS) used by City Agencies
City Hall – City Council Member Peter Koo today introduced legislation that would bring greater transparency and understanding to the automated decision systems used by city agencies to make mission-critical decisions affecting the daily lives of New Yorkers. Intro 1806 would require annual reporting on Automated Decision Systems (ADS), or the computerized implementation of one or more…
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? ? ? ? ♿️ — Mobility for All Abilities Hackathon on National Day of Civic Hacking 2019 Recap
For this year’s National Day of Civic Hacking, 127 New Yorkers came together for the City’s first Mobility for All Abilities hackathon co-hosted by BetaNYC and MakerSpace NYC. Our goal was to bridge existing mobility equity efforts to diverse talent and resources that could help advance them. Prior to the event, our team assigned participants…
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#BetaTalks on mobility justice, civic tech / open data tools, #bikenyc’ing w/ cameras, & the law
Join us for a #BikeNYC themed civic technology meetup & networking event to discuss a plethora of tools and tactics to keep you informed and safe. We will discuss tools to analyze your ride, how to document your ride, how to best provide government better data on safety / infrastructure, cycling with cameras, & which…
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Re: Oversight hearing of Local Law 49 of 2018 (Open Algorithms Law)
(If you’re looking for a copy of others who presented testimony, scroll to the bottom.) To: NYC Council – Committee on Technology From: Noel Hidalgo, Executive Director of BetaNYC Re: Oversight hearing of Local Law 49 of 2018 (Open Algorithms Law) Thursday, 4 April 2019 “We […] want to ensure that New York City leads…
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Testimony – Oversight – Committee on Governmental Operations Transparency
To: Chair of Committee on Governmental Operations, Council Member Cabrera From: Noel Hidalgo, Executive Director of BetaNYC Re: Oversight – Committee on Governmental Operations Transparency Monday, 25 February 2019 Dear Chair of Committee on Governmental Operations, Council Member Cabrera and Committee Members, It is an honor to have this opportunity to represent New York City’s…
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City Council Technology Committee Testimony — Re: Oversight – Commission on Public Information and Communication’s Collaboration in Developing City Information Policies and Promoting Governmental Transparency
Dear Acting Public Advocate and New York City Council Speaker Johnson, Committee Chair Koo, and Technology Committee Members It is an honor to have this opportunity to represent New York City’s civic technology, design, and data community. I am the Executive Director of BetaNYC, a member driven good government non-profit organization. We are advocates for…
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Community Board Technology Needs Report – 2018
Note — This report is one of two reports we are releasing this Fall, and a follow up to our 2015 report. Please read our executive summaries of both reports; you can download a PDF copy of this report here – Community Board Technology Needs Report 2018 – Final Version (pdf). You can download our…
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NYC Charter Revision Commission and You!
While NYC might not have direct democracy, it does have a Charter Revision Commission. This commission gives the people the power to rewrite the City’s constitution — aka the City Charter. In an era where democracy seems under attack, over the course of 24 months, NYC will have hosted TWO Charter Revision Commissions! The…
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BetaNYC’s Testimony to NYC Charter Revision Commission Civic Engagement Hearing – June 2018
To: NYC Charter Revision Commission From: Noel Hidalgo, Executive Director of BetaNYC Subject: Civic Engagement and Independent Redistricting Thursday, 21 June 2018 Where we are now: The 1989 Charter revision created COPIC, the Commission on Public Information and Communication. Its ideals were virtuous: educate the public about the availability and potential usefulness of city produced…