Join us for City Council tech forum, showcase

From Google Fiber to the LaunchKC tech startup engine, Kansas City is elevating its place as a technology hub … But how do we ensure our elected officials are using this new technology to make our city smarter, stronger and safer?

Join KC Digital Drive and the Code for America Brigade on Monday, Feb. 23, at Union Station’s H&R Block City Stage, for a City Council Technology Forum from 3-5 p.m., followed by a cocktail reception and Civic Apps Showcase from 5-7 p.m.

The Forum & Showcase are open and the public is invited to attend. To reserve your free spot at the event, click here.

The Forum & Showcase are part of Code for America’s CodeAcross celebration, an event series designed to get technology advocates actively involved in their community.

COUNCIL TECH FORUM (3-5 p.m.): Moderated by KCPT’s Nick Haines, this exciting town hall will let candidates running for City Council in the April 7 Kansas City, Missouri, Primary Election discuss how they think technology should play a role in city hall and at the neighborhood level.

What topics will be covered?

• The Digital Divide: How can citizens without access to computers or the internet take part in society?
• Open Data: How does the city making its data available enable and empower all people, not just technologists?
• Procurement: How can the city’s byzantine procurement process be improved through technology?
• Economic Development: How can we attract, encourage and retain technology business?
• Innovation: What do “smart city” projects like free public wifi and sensors in streetlights bring to the community?
• And more!

CIVIC APPS SHOWCASE (5-7 p.m.): KC Digital Drive and the Code for America Brigade are seeking to highlight local app developers, startups, government workers and others who have built or used technology applications to make local government work better. Those selected will make a five-minute Ignite-style presentation during the showcase. If you are interested, please fill out this form.

Who Should Attend?

This is a public event. We are inviting concerned, plugged-in citizens who have an interest in Kansas City’s future prosperity through the lens of technology. This includes entrepreneurs, educators, civic hackers, young urbanists, makers, developers, designers and anyone with a passion to make their city better.

Admission is free but please register as space is limited. You may also tweet your questions and comments for the candidates to @kcdigitaldrive using the hashtag #civictechkc.