Tag: technology

SANTA MONICA—On Friday, October 11, the city of Santa Monica disclosed that LA Tech Week is coming to Silicon Beach on Monday, October 14, with the Santa Monica Innovation Hub Technology Street Fair on Ocean Avenue.

The ticketed event, hosted by StartupStarter and sponsored in part by the city of Santa Monica, will close down Ocean Avenue between Santa Monica Boulevard and Broadway and a portion of the adjacent Palisades Park to bring startup showcases, live tech activations, and the opportunity to meet some of LA’s top investors, entrepreneurs and business leaders.

Among those showcasing innovations in technology are the city’s own Information Services, Police and Fire departments. Free tickets were provided to local student groups and school robotics programs are expected to participate.

“Santa Monica is the epicenter of Silicon Beach, and we continue to grow as a hub for innovation, technology and startups,” said Santa Monica Economic Development Manager Jennifer Taylor. “We have built a strong tech community here thanks in part to city support including strategic investment in the CityNet dark fiber and community broadband infrastructure. Companies know this is the place their employees want to live, work and play.”

The fair will feature VR/AR activations, a co-working lounge, a sound stage, food trucks, live music and a beer garden. Attendees can take advantage of a host of special discounts at bars, restaurants and shops throughout downtown Santa Monica with an LA Tech Week Passport provided by Santa Monica Travel & Tourism.

The Santa Monica Innovation Hub Technology Street Fair is one of over 1,000 events hosted in Santa Monica and throughout the region as part of LA Tech Week presented by venture capital firm a16z, which recently opened a new headquarters in downtown Santa Monica.

The Santa Monica Innovation Hub runs from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Ocean Avenue will be closed between Santa Monica Boulevard and Broadway from 9 p.m. on Sunday, October 13, until to 11:30 p.m. on Monday, October 14.

For more on Tech Week, visit www.tech-week.com.

By Trevor

SANTA MONICA—On Thursday, June 20, Santa Monica City Manager David White announced the appointment of Feroz Merchhiya as chief information officer to lead the city’s Information Services Department, following a nationwide recruitment.

Merchhiva started his career at Oracle Corporation and has over 2 years of experience in digital transformation, innovation and technology. He recently held the position as chief information officer and chief information security officer for the city of Glendale, Arizona. He previously led strategic service delivery and technology solutions for Kaygen Incorporated.

“Technology is the cornerstone of city services and operations,” White said. “With Feroz’s wealth of experience in enterprise technology and information security, I’m confident he will build on our information services department’s great work towards even more improvements for our residents and businesses.”

Merchhiya will be responsible for Santa Monica’s strategic use of technology and cybersecurity to enhance community experience, leverage data, provide insights and improve services. He will lead the city in implementing strategic technology initiatives in line with the department’s mission to empower people, connect the community and develop solutions to support a digitally literate city.

“I am thrilled to join the team of dedicated civic leaders at Santa Monica,” Merchhiya said. “I look forward to leveraging my skills and experience to serve the community, and collaborating with key partners and stakeholders to ensure we embrace the latest technological advancements to deliver streamlined services for all.”

He holds a master’s degree in business administration from National University and a Bachelor of Science degree from Karachi University. He will join the city effective July 15, 2024 with an annual salary of $253,674.

By Trevor

MALIBU—On February 13, the city of Malibu announced efforts to streamline and improve customer service at Malibu City Hall by launching a new customer service queue system for services at public counters.

According to a news release, the new queue management system, “QLess,” was launched in Malibu City Hall in mid-January. It allows customers to sign in on a touchscreen pad, and overhead monitors display their place in line, approximate wait times, when a staff member is available to assist them, and the counter where they will be helped. The system will be able to provide real-time performance statistics.

“The City is constantly working to find ways to improve customer service, efficiency and transparency at City Hall to better serve the community,” said Mayor Steve Uhring. “We understand that time is money for residents who are building, rebuilding, constructing, renovating, or repairing their homes and we want to help them get their projects completed quickly and smoothly.”

The new system builds on Malibu’s efforts to improve customer service at City Hall starting in 2022, including several new modifications to the Planning Department’s project application process to improve services for homeowners and building professionals. Most project submittals with related plans and documents are now available online through a new portal at www.MalibuCity.org/PlanningSubmittalPortal.

Applicants may now submit minor planning applications during Public Counter hours and pay fees at the same time, and created a new step-by-step Planning Submittal Guide, available at: https://malibucity.org/DocumentCenter/View/30677/Planning-Submittal-Guide.

The Planning Department can provide application submittal requirements and fees on behalf of other City Departments, speeding up the process for applicants and decreasing their number of visits to City Hall.

The Planning Department, Environmental Sustainability Department and Public Works Department now have adopted standard submittal requirements and fees for various types of applications.

By Trevor