HomeMy WebLinkAbout2017/09/12 - Item 12 - Attachment 1city of chula vista smart city
strategic action plan
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City of Chula Vista — Smart City Strategic Action Plan
table of contents
4 Executive Summary
5 Background and Context
6 Public Opinion
8 Goal 1: Connected City
9 Objective 1.1: Build out a comprehensive municipal network connecting city sensors and facilities
11 Objective 1.2: Ensure universal internet access for all communities
12 Objective 1.3: Integrate smart city philosophy into policy documents
13 Goal 2: Responsive City
14 Objective 2.1: Foster vibrant community engagement
16 Objective 2.2: Strengthen intergovernmental relations
18 Objective 2.3: Lay the groundwork for economic development opportunities
19 Goal 3: Transparent City
20 Objective 3.1: Use data and analytics to improve City services and broaden public access to
information about City performance
21 Goal 4: Innovative City
22 Objective 4.1: Position the Bayfront as a model smart neighborhood
23 Objective 4.2: Advance environmental sustainability goals
24 Objective 4.3: Enhance public safety and traffic safety capabilities
26 Looking Forward
27 Captions and Credits
City of Chula Vista — Smart City Strategic Action Plan
Appendix A: Marketing and Communications Resources
Appendix B: Smart Bayfront Assessment Flyer
Appendix C: Smart City Economic Development Flyer
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Rapid technological development and innovation
has created an exciting array of opportunities for city
governments. The technology industry is increasingly
working to develop software, devices, network solutions
and other tools that meet the specific needs of government
agencies, with applications in everything from public safety
to energy management to library operations. Collectively,
these advancements have come to be known as smart city
solutions.
For the City of Chula Vista, being a smart city means using
technology and advanced data analytics tools to grow the
economy, engage the community, improve government
efficiency, and enhance quality of life. If applied well, smart
city technologies can lead to more jobs, less crime, fewer
traffic jams, and a stronger, more equitable community.
The opportunities presented by smart city solutions,
however, do not come without risk. Without a clear sense
of direction or standards, cities risk wasting money on
frivolous or ineffective gadgets. Many cities have struggled
with negative reactions due to poorly-considered policies.
Other cities have made themselves vulnerable to privacy
and public safety threats by maintaining unreliable or
insecure networks.
This strategic action plan is designed to help the City
identify areas of opportunity, prioritize desired outcomes,
and anticipate and mitigate risks. The result is a set of goals
and corresponding initiatives around which City leaders will
organize their efforts over the next few years.
The objectives in this plan are broadly categorized into four
goals:
·Connected City
·Responsive City
·Transparent City
·Innovative City
Each of these four goals comprises multiple corresponding
objectives, and each objective includes the top priority
initiatives that will help the City meet that objective. The
objectives and initiatives are not laid out in a chronological
order; much of this work will be occurring simultaneously.
Some of the initiatives may be considered “low-hanging
fruit” that can be achieved in a period of six months to a
year, while other initiatives will require a much longer time
horizon.
The goals and initiatives in this plan were developed based
on an extensive series of interviews with City staff and
community stakeholders, as well as an informal public
opinion survey. This research effort revealed a widespread
sense of pride in the way the City provides a high level of
service with a lean staff, as well as support for the way the
City is constantly innovating. For example, the survey found
that members of the public gave high marks for public
safety and the quality of parks, trails and open space. The
research effort also revealed that there is plenty of room
for improvement, especially in the area of modernizing
outdated systems.
The smart city paradigm is not a substitute or replacement
for any of the guiding principles or strategies to which the
City is already committed, such as the City’s environmental
sustainability strategies and economic development
programs. Rather, the smart city paradigm supports and
enhances those existing approaches.
As with any endeavor by a city government, two of the most
critical questions here are “How much does it cost?” and
“How do we pay for it?” Depending on the initiative, some
funding may come from government or private grants.
Some funding may coincide with funding available via
Measure P (2016). Some individual projects or programs
not specifically discussed here could fund themselves, such
as digital wi-fi kiosks that provide space for high-quality
display advertising. Some funding may be re-allocated
from other areas as a result of increasing efficiency. Some
funding will be available from growing tax revenue due to
accelerated economic development.
This strategy is designed to be adaptable to the resources
available to the City, as they are likely to fluctuate. This plan
is also intended to be a living document that should be
updated by staff periodically as circumstances and goals
change. The evolution of technology and the emergence of
best practices from other communities will influence the
direction of Chula Vista’s smart city strategy going forward.
Some of the initiatives may become more important while
others become less so. City staff will continue to engage
the community to track progress and refine the strategy.
executive summary
City of Chula Vista — Smart City Strategic Action Plan
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background and context
The City has adapted to these financial realities, finding a
variety of innovative ways to more efficiently and effectively
meet the needs of residents and businesses. A significant
share of the efficiency gains the City has realized over the
past five to 10 years have been directly attributable to the
adoption of new technological tools; City leaders have
embraced emerging smart city approaches to everything
from finance and accounting to tracking assets in the
Public Works Department.
The City's ingenuity has earned it a reputation as a city
that is more nimble, more flexible and more effective
than cities of comparable or larger size. One benefit of
this adaptive flexibility is that the City has been able to
embrace and adopt smart city solutions more readily
than most, attracting welcome attention from industry
groups and nonprofit organizations dedicated to advancing
technological innovation in municipal government.
The need for a cohesive smart city vision became more
clear after the finalization of the Chula Vista Bayfront
Master Plan and the subsequent Smart Bayfront
assessment reports, which evaluated what technologies
might be viable to help meet the unprecedented energy
reduction targets established in the Master Settlement
Agreement. As the largest currently fully entitled waterfront
development site on the West Coast, the Bayfront presents
a unique, once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to incorporate a
comprehensive smart city infrastructure to not only meet
environmental goals but to improve public safety, attract
business, and generally improve the experience of Bayfront
City of Chula Vista — Smart City Strategic Action Plan
The City of Chula Vista has a proud history of civic
innovation and leadership. The City is widely recognized
for its early contribution climate change response; the City
became a charter member of the International Council for
Local Environmental Initiatives (ICLEI) in the early 1990s,
completed a greenhouse gas inventory in 1996 and formally
adopted its first CO2 reduction plan in 2000, making it the
first city in San Diego County to adopt a climate action
plan. This legacy of leadership continued with early action
on developing transit-oriented neighborhoods, the historic
environmental and energy agreements related to the Chula
Vista Bayfront, and the purchase and designation of land
for a University and Innovation District, among others.
Leadership within City staff has also operated for many
years around a philosophy of continuous improvement —
constantly working to become a better, more nimble, more
flexible municipal government. The development of this
smart city strategy is the latest development in this series
of achievements.
Like all municipal governments, Chula Vista faces real
challenges that complicate the path to realizing the smart
city vision. The most significant of these challenges has
its roots in the global financial crisis of 2007 – 2008. That
crisis put severe strain on the City’s revenues, resulting in
significant reductions in staffing and resources available
for critical infrastructure needs, including communications
networks and devices. The economy has since improved,
but revenues have not returned to their previous levels.
The City also faces new challenges with the rising cost of
healthcare and retirement contributions for current and
retired employees.
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residents, visitors and workers. The Bayfront also has the
potential to serve as a test bed for smart city technologies,
a place from which smart systems or programs can be
scaled up to other parts of the City.
The Bayfront is just one of several major areas of smart
city opportunity. Unlike most cities in San Diego County,
Chula Vista has a significant amount of “greenfield,”
or undeveloped land that will be built out over the next
two decades. Whether at Millennia, the University and
Innovation District, or other developing neighborhoods,
the advantage is in the potential to incorporate smart
city infrastructure from the ground up. It is easier and
less expensive to incorporate new technology and
infrastructure into design and construction standards for
new development than it is to retrofit older neighborhoods
with the same. The amount of developable land in Chula
Vista gives the City a significant advantage over other
cities with regard to attracting investment in services such
as fiber-to-the-premises internet, such as Google Fiber, or
from autonomous vehicle research companies that can
advise on technical elements that should be incorporated
into new mobility infrastructure to accommodate emerging
autonomous vehicle technology.
City leaders recognize, however, that cutting-edge
advancements in new developments have the potential
to exacerbate existing inequality, especially in older
neighborhoods that are served by inferior infrastructure
and whose residents are less likely to have access to
technology. Thus, any smart city strategy for Chula Vista
must address the so-called "digital divide" by identifying
ways to bridge that gap and ensure that all residents and
communities are served.
Given all the aforementioned considerations, the City
engaged Madaffer Enterprises to develop a comprehensive
strategic action plan that could tie together and prioritize
all the various initiatives underway, correlate them to
overarching goals, define the desired outcomes and
highlight the public benefits of various actions. This
document is the result.
City of Chula Vista — Smart City Strategic Action Plan
public opinion
From the earliest stages of developing this strategy, City
staff has recognized that incorporating and responding to
public opinion would be essential to smart city success.
The City already had a good sense of public opinion
before the development of this strategy began as a result
of multiple scientific surveys of public opinion that have
been conducted in the past five years. While these surveys
were not specifically designed to test support for smart
city concepts, many of the questions relate to key smart
city issues, and the survey results as a whole provide a
significant amount of valuable insight into how residents
view the City’s strengths and weaknesses.
To deepen the City’s understanding of public opinion on
smart city concepts, Madaffer Enterprises organized and
advertised an online opinion survey with specific smart city
questions. Paid advertising on Facebook and Instagram
helped the survey reach Chula Vista residents in both
7City of Chula Vista — Smart City Strategic Action Plan
English and Spanish. The survey was sent to multiple email
lists within and outside the City, and survey responses were
also collected in person at the South Bay Earth Day festival.
While the results may be less accurate than a randomized
live telephone survey with 1,000 responses or more, this
survey was a useful indicator of how the public felt about
specific smart city ideas.
In addition to reviewing past survey results and conducting
a new survey, Madaffer Enterprises also organized a small
focus group of public opinion leaders and influencers
to generate in-depth discussion of some of the issues
surrounding smart city initiatives. This group included
representatives of local community colleges, local
philanthropic organizations, local civic groups, and local
business associations. One of the strongest messages that
came out of this session was the concern that the City not
get distracted by technology for technology's sake and lose
sight of its most important challenges.
The focus group pointed out that without adequate funding
for core city services, adopting new technology could be a
superficial measure that does not actually improve quality
of life. For example, no matter how easy or convenient
it is to use the ACT Chula Vista app to report graffiti, the
outcome has not improved if it still takes two weeks and
multiple complaints for someone to respond. As a result of
this feedback, we have highlighted and emphasized in this
report that community engagement is key, and that smart
city initiatives must be tied to outcomes.
As the City gets further along the smart city path, and if
funds become available, it may be helpful to commission
a professional public opinion survey to guide the ongoing
implementation of the smart city strategy and initiatives. A
randomized, live telephone poll can provide highly accurate
data on specific questions. Even without a poll dedicated
to smart city issues, the City can include relevant smart
city questions on future surveys, as recommended in this
report. There are other less expensive but still valuable
opportunities to test public opinion, such as custom polls
on Facebook and on the City’s website.
Polls and surveys are just one of many ways of gauging
public opinion. The City also collects a substantial amount
of feedback through in-person contact at customer
service counters, e-mails and phone calls to City staff,
and comments made during committee meetings and
City Council meetings. Furthermore, the five elected City
Councilmembers each have strong relationships with a
diverse and representative array of residents and business
leaders. It is important that this feedback is shared across
departments with staff leading smart city initiatives and
incorporated into future decision-making.
goal 1:
connected city
City of Chula Vista — Smart City Strategic Action Plan
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goal 1: connected city
Objective 1.1: Build out a comprehensive municipal network
connecting City sensors and facilities
1.1: Background and Context
A robust and modern IT infrastructure is the bedrock
foundation of all smart city initiatives. The lack of
such infrastructure threatens not only the viability of
innovative smart city initiatives, but also the credibility
and trustworthiness of the City as an institution that can
effectively meet the needs of its constituents.
Leaders across the City government agree that the existing
IT infrastructure has hindered the deployment of some
existing smart city initiatives and is inadequate to support
future efforts that require a more advanced network. The
shortcomings in the City’s IT infrastructure have also
prevented the City from maximizing productive staff time
and resources. These problems are not specific to Chula
Vista, of course; many governments and businesses face
similar challenges. If the City can successfully overcome its
existing IT challenges and develop a network truly worthy
of a smart city, Chula Vista will be widely recognized as a
leader among cities.
The Smart Bayfront assessment reports recommended
that the future Bayfront IT network be integrated into the
City’s shared IT network. It also recommended that all of
the City’s IT needs be managed through a shared network
rather than separate networks for separate purposes. This
approach significantly reduces operations and maintenance
costs and improves reliability and scalability.
For this reason, a strategic approach to modernizing
the City’s IT infrastructure is essential to ensure that the
network accommodates all current and future needs.
City leaders have already prioritized the development of a
Telecommunications Master Plan, with funding allocated
and an RFP issued in mid-2017. City staff’s participation in
Envision America helped identify some of the key elements
included in the RFP, and the process of developing the
master plan will likely reveal additional elements and
concerns not yet considered. Ultimately, this process will
result in a strategic telecommunications plan that meets
the best practices identified by leading groups in the smart
city space, such as those outlined by the Smart Cities
Council:
·Governed by a cybersecurity and privacy framework that
safeguards data, privacy and physical assets
·Adheres to open standards and open integration
architectures that allow for interoperability
·Enables the reliable connectivity of sensors, controllers
and other instruments
The Telecommunications Master Plan will incorporate
and complement the recently completed Traffic Signal
Communications Master Plan, which details the steps the
City must take to upgrade and modernize its traffic signals
so they can be remotely controlled and optimized through a
traffic management center.
Developing and adopting a Telecommunications Master
Plan is the first major milestone toward building a
comprehensive municipal network. Once a master plan is
adopted, it will be critical to allocate the funding necessary
to begin implementing the upgrades. A sustained
commitment supported by the other goals in this plan will
improve the City’s ability to achieve its goals within the
telecommunications master plan.
To fund the redevelopment of City IT infrastructure, there
will be opportunities to leverage Measure P funds and
projects, both directly and indirectly. In some cases, the
cost to include the installation of fiber conduit or other
IT infrastructure in a street renovation project would be
marginal. In other cases, such as upgrading police and fire
1.1: Initiatives
·Adopt Traffic Signal Communications Master Plan.
·Adopt citywide Telecommunications Master Plan.
·Identify and prioritize Measure P projects that support
critical communications infrastructure needs.
2016
Chula Vista voters
approve Measure P
to fund critical
infrastructure
improvements
City of Chula Vista — Smart City Strategic Action Plan
10
communications systems, Measure P funds will be directly
applicable. The Measure P Expenditure Plan currently
designates an estimated $7 million for the traffic signal
system and $7.8 million for the police CAD and Regional
Communications System (RCS), for example, and some of
these funds have already been allocated by the City Council.
There are also state and federal programs that may provide
funding for specific components. For example, the Library
recently secured improved internet service and rates
through the E-Rate program and California Teleconnect
Fund. Grant funds may be available, especially when the
case can be made that the upgrades will improve outcomes
in the community (e.g. improved transit service due to
better signal synchronization and transit signal priority).
Operational efficiencies may also be another source of
funding; a master IT network architecture can reduce costs
up to 25 percent, according to the Smart Cities Council.
Another strategy for funding and completing the City’s
municipal network is by leasing or trading access to City
infrastructure. The City owns thousands of traffic signal
poles, streetlight poles, public buildings, streets, sidewalks,
stormwater routes, and other real estate assets that can be
used to deploy networks of sensors and devices necessary
for smart city applications.
Some of these assets are already being used for smart
city purposes, while others have significant potential to be
put to good use. The demand for small cell installations
1.1: Performance Indicators
·Percentage of IT support tickets meeting
service-level agreement thresholds
·Proportion of senior ITS staff time dedicated to
proactive support
·Customer satisfaction ratings for IT support
·Percentage completion of key action steps in
Telecommunications Master Plan
·Percentage completion of key action steps in Traffic
Signal Communications Master Plan
·Number of completed or in-progress Measure P
projects that support network needs
1.1: Outcomes
·City prepared for next generation of smart city appli-
cations
·Fewer network or application problems, resulting in
increased staff productivity
·City network and data are secure from external
threats
·Improved traffic flows and reduced congestion on
City streets
·Improved traffic safety
·Reduced greenhouse gas emissions due to idling at
signalized intersections
will continue to grow with the widespread development
of 5G data networks, as will new demand for installation
of sensors that support autonomous vehicles and other
smart city applications. Additionally, the City may want to
use these assets for its own future purposes, such as air
pollution sensors, public wi-fi access points and parking
management systems. It is essential that the City has
a clear, shared, public understanding of the value of its
infrastructure as well as policies that determine how that
infrastructure can be used by City departments, public
utilities and private companies. In some cases, there will
be opportunities to provide discounted leases or permit
fees to access City-owned vertical assets in exchange
for City access to privately-owned conduit and fiber
strands. City staff should monitor and re-evaluate their
policies periodically as state law and regulation continue
to evolve.
City of Chula Vista — Smart City Strategic Action Plan
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goal 1: connected city
Objective 1.2: Ensure universal internet and technology access for all communities
1.2: Background and Context
As more public services, business transactions, social
activities, and other essential facets of daily life are
conducted via the internet, the City must do what it can to
ensure that disadvantaged residents and communities are
not left behind.
Unlike some rural communities in the U.S. that do not have
access to high-speed internet because the infrastructure
does not exist, Chula Vista’s development patterns have
been dense enough to incentivize private internet service
providers to build out high-speed internet infrastructure
to every residential building in the City. Whether it is cable
internet through Cox Communications, broadband internet
through AT&T, or 4G LTE service through cellular telephone
carriers, every residential property in the City has the
technical capability to connect at least one form of internet
service.
The fact that internet service is available to every property,
however, does not mean that every resident can afford
it, or that every resident has a device that allows them to
use it, or that every resident has the technical knowledge
or comfort level necessary to use it. (In a few cases, older
residential buildings lack the modern networking needed to
bring internet service from the street into individual units.)
The City must recognize that not every resident uses the
internet, and that these residents generally fall into three
categories: those who cannot afford any internet service;
those who are unaware that low-price plans exist for
households that meet certain income criteria; and those
who are not comfortable using the internet.
The City should consider tailoring its efforts specifically to
each of these three groups. For example, the City should
do more to promote the availability of free public internet
access and internet-connected devices at libraries, as well
as provide for training opportunities for those seeking to
learn how to use technology. While the library provides an
ideal environment for these kinds of educational offerings
(the Qualcomm-sponsored Thinkabit Labs program is an
excellent example), the City should not overlook ways to
incorporate technology education in other departments,
such as Recreation or Police. The Norman Park Senior
Center, for example, currently offers one-on-one technology
instruction on any smartphone or tablet device for seniors.
The City should also work with internet service providers
(ISPs) such as Cox, AT&T and wireless carriers to raise
awareness about discounted options available to residents
who meet certain income criteria. Additionally, the City
should work with ISPs to facilitate and promote the further
development of fiber-optic and 4G/5G wireless internet
service in more neighborhoods so that these ultra-high-
speed services are available outside of newer, luxury
residential developments. There are likely bureaucratic and
regulatory obstacles to expanding this service to built-out
areas; any steps the City takes to facilitate will result in a net
benefit to the community.
1.2: Initiatives
·Work with ISPs to promote affordable internet service
plans for residents at all income levels.
·Work with ISPs to further develop fiber internet and
other high-speed options.
·Fund and promote technology access and training
opportunities through the library and through other
city departments, programs and initiatives.
1.2: Outcomes
·All residents can access information and engage with
the City using the internet.
·All residents and businesses have access to high-
quality, high-bandwidth internet service.
·Residents who do not have internet-enabled devices
to use at home have access to them elsewhere.
1.2: Performance Indicators
·Percentage of households subscribing to internet
service
·Percentage of households and business that have
access to fiber-optic or other high-speed internet
service
·Number and circulation of library devices per capita
·Number of hours of technology training available to
the public
City of Chula Vista — Smart City Strategic Action Plan
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goal 1: connected city
Objective 1.3: Integrate smart city philosophy into policy documents
1.3: Background and Context
While City leaders have already made significant progress
in communicating the smart city approach as a strategic
priority among City staff, more should be done to document
this commitment and ensure it is institutionalized as the
way the City operates, regardless of staff turnover.
Incorporating smart city elements into written policy also
serves as powerful evidence to external parties that the
City is truly committed to a smart city approach. This is
especially valuable in grant applications that call for a
demonstrated commitment to smart city goals. It is also
valuable in economic development dialogues in which
businesses are considering making an investment within
the City. When staff can point to concrete evidence, the City
gains credibility.
Putting smart city language in the General Plan is one of the
most effective ways to achieve this objective. Whether this
would constitute its own amendment to the General Plan,
or be folded into a future General Plan Update, should be
determined by the City Manager. Along the same lines, the
City Council can and should pass resolutions that commit
the City to certain smart city initiatives. A recent example
would be the resolution the Council passed in June 2017
regarding autonomous vehicle testing.
Beyond the overarching statements of values that may be
added to the General Plan or in City Council Resolutions,
there are specific policies the City can formalize to help
advance other goals. For example, the Telecommunications
Master Plan will identify a number of locations where
fiber-optic conduit or cable is needed to build out the
City’s network. By adopting a policy to ensure that conduit
is placed whenever a street is excavated for some other
purpose, the City can meet its goals at only a negligible
increase in cost. Similarly, including conduit and fiber-
optic cable requirements in the street design standards
will ensure the opportunity to expand the City’s network
capacity is never overlooked.
Open data and performance review policies will ensure that
expectations with regard to data and analytics are clear
to all parties. Data security and privacy are significant and
growing concerns among the public. To build trust and
confidence among the public, the City must recognize the
risks and respond to them by developing a comprehensive
policy that explains how data is used and how it is
protected. Numerous leading industry groups, such as the
Smart Cities Council and What Works Cities, have outlined
some of the key elements that should be included in such a
policy.
1.3: Initiatives
·Include Smart City commitments in the next General
Plan amendment.
·Update street design standards to incorporate fiber-
optic conduit.
·Adopt a one-dig policy to ensure smart
communications infrastructure is incorporated in all
street excavations.
·Adopt a citywide data management, privacy,
transparency and sharing policy.
·Adopt the Smart City Strategic Action Plan.
1.3: Performance Indicators
·Percentage of relevant City policy documents that
have been updated to reflect smart city priorities
1.3: Outcomes
·Cost of developing smart communications
infrastructure is reduced by sharing costs with other
projects.
·All stakeholders understand where the smart city
strategy fits within the context of the General Plan.
·City is better positioned to win future grants, private
investments and research partnerships.
·Community is confident that City is collecting, storing
and using data in a secure, responsible way.
·City limits its legal liability related to data and
analytics.
City of Chula Vista — Smart City Strategic Action Plan
goal 2:
responsive city
City of Chula Vista — Smart City Strategic Action Plan
14
goal 2: responsive city
Objective 2.1: Foster vibrant community engagement
2.1: Background and Context
At its most fundamental level, every local government is
designed to serve and support its local community. To
effectively implement smart city initiatives, the City of Chula
Vista must continuously tailor its activities around the
community with simultaneous consideration for its current
needs and future vision.
By engaging the community throughout the planning,
implementation and review processes for smart city
initiatives and programs, the City can address unanticipated
concerns as soon as possible and engender goodwill
and support from constituents. Community participation
will also help City staff prioritize smart city projects and
outcomes. Furthermore, most potential grant-makers
require a demonstrated community engagement effort for
grant consideration.
Ultimately, the smart city approach is people-centered.
The smart city approach strives to deliver efficiencies,
cost reductions, and quality of life improvements that will
benefit all groups within the community. However, the
“smart city” concept will likely raise complicated questions
for public discussion; among them: ethical and legal issues,
cybersecurity, data sharing, privacy, public trust. Addressing
community questions throughout the transition to a new
smart city paradigm will require a concentrated effort with
carefully facilitated dialogue and cultural sensitivity.
Communicating with both Chula Vista residents and
external audiences is essential to effective community
engagement. The City has an existing marketing and
communications strategic plan that was designed to
incorporate smart city messaging within the existing
framework, which should be used alongside this report to
develop a comprehensive communications program for
smart city initiatives. Due to the Chula Vista's diversity, the
City should ensure it is both listening and communicating
to all demographics of the city, offering opportunities to
provide feedback in various languages throughout the City’s
neighborhoods. In order to ensure a diverse range of voices
are included in engagement efforts, the City should offer
a variety of in-person and online channels for people to
engage and provide feedback.
2.1: Initiatives
·Host community workshops, forums, and other out-
reach events to engage a diverse group of residents
and stakeholders in the development of policies on
smart city initiatives.
·Host City Council study sessions as appropriate to
facilitate dialogue between elected officials and com-
munity members on smart city issues.
·Designate smart city champions within different city
departments and provide appropriate media training.
·Include questions about smart city issues in
city-commissioned public opinion research when
possible.
·Incorporate a smart city communications plan into
the City’s existing marketing and communications
strategy.
·Refine and promote ACT Chula Vista and NIXLE apps.
City of Chula Vista — Smart City Strategic Action Plan
15
Two ways the City is already incorporating two-way
communication with residents are the ACT Chula Vista
app and Nixle notifications. ACT Chula Vista, powered by
See Click Fix, allows anyone in the community to report
problems such as potholes, graffiti and broken streetlights
to the City. The app has been an effective means of
engagement, but there is room for improvement. Nixle is a
tool that allows the City to communicate directly with the
community using text message or email alerts. The City
was actually first in the nation to pilot this technology with
the software developer in 2008, and it has continued to
refine its use. There are further opportunities to use Nixle
as a way to inform users in targeted neighborhoods about
heavy traffic, detours, closures, police activity and other
urgent matters. There is also plenty of opportunity for the
City to further market these apps and grow the number of
community members reached.
security may be a concern, staff should proactively invite
dialogue with the stakeholders most likely to have concerns
and give them the opportunity to help shape policies up
front.
Responsiveness to constituent concerns: Key City staff
and designated smart city champions should be well
informed and effectively trained in responding to the public.
An adequate number of people should be designated to
work with constituents who have questions in order to allow
for fast response times.
Transparency: It is important to communicate regularly
with the community about smart city progress in order to
demonstrate transparency in government and strengthen
public trust. Communication should be coordinated by
appropriate Communications & Marketing staff and can
be achieved through a number of channels, such as news
releases, community updates through newsletters and
social media, and in-person events. The City should offer a
sign-up list for news about all the City’s smart city efforts.
More detailed resources for marketing and communications
are included as Appendix A to this report.
2.1: Performance Indicators
·Number of community engagement events
·Number of citizens, businesses and organizations
participating in outreach events
·Number of media hits on smart city stories
·Traffic metrics to smart city pages on City website
2.1: Outcomes
·Smart city policy development is driven by involving
local residents, stakeholders and experts.
·Problems and concerns regarding specific initiatives
are addressed early in the process.
·Diverse audiences are being reached and included in
the decision-making processes, including those who
cannot attend regular City Council or commission
meetings.
·External audiences recognize Chula Vista as a smart
city.
2008
Chula Vista became
first city in the nation to
pilot Nixle public safety
notification technology
The City’s smart city community engagement effort
should revolve around three central elements: stakeholder
education; responsiveness to constituent concerns; and
transparency.
Stakeholder education: Throughout its smart city planning,
implementing and messaging, the City must demonstrate
that it cares about engagement by regularly reaching out
to the public and key stakeholders, such as neighborhood
leaders, major employers, and civic groups. These
actions will generate goodwill and proactively address
any challenges that may arise. The effort could be kicked
off with a City Council study session to facilitate dialogue
between the council and the community about the smart
city approach. As the City prepares to implement specific
smart city initiatives, especially those in which privacy or
City of Chula Vista — Smart City Strategic Action Plan
16
goal 2: responsive city
Objective 2.2: Strengthen intergovernmental relations
2.2: Background and Context
The City of Chula Vista is part of a vibrant binational
mega-region, the second largest in the world, with $230
billion in gross domestic product, according to the San
Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce. The Chula Vista
community includes a number of local, state and federal
government agencies that each have a role to play in the
region's smart city strategy. Partnering and collaborating
with these agencies improves the City’s ability to implement
smart city initiatives. Regional collaboration also provides
opportunities for sharing best practices, presenting joint
grant applications, and pursuing economic development
opportunities.
Some of these agencies include: San Diego Regional
Association of Governments (SANDAG), San Diego Unified
Port District, Metropolitan Transit System, Sweetwater
Authority, Otay Water District, Chula Vista Elementary
School District, Sweetwater Union High School District,
Southwestern Community College District, California
Department of Transportation, and the U.S. Department of
Transportation.
Since highways, streets and roads through the City
come to and from other jurisdictions, it is important to
recognize the role of neighbors as potential partners in a
coordinated network infrastructure. Working closely with
other government agencies, the City can work to maximize
the efficient use of public resources and seek ways to
share costs when installing and upgrading infrastructure.
Additionally, since a significant portion of City assets share
a physical connection with assets owned or controlled
by neighboring agencies, a collaborative approach that
includes data and knowledge sharing will facilitate needed
permissions and approvals.
No city works in a silo, and the value of effective
collaboration is recognized by grant-makers and investors.
The City of Chula Vista has made positive strides in
regional collaboration on its smart city efforts, including in
its partnership with SANDAG and Caltrans to establish an
autonomous vehicle proving grounds on local roads. The
City's participation in Cleantech San Diego has also been
valuable for facilitating connections with smart city-focused
businesses, organizations and City leaders. Continuing
these efforts will strengthen Chula Vista's appeal to
organizations making grants and to businesses looking to
invest in new cities.
In addition to working with relevant government agencies,
2.2: Initiatives
·Coordinate regional smart city working groups
focused on identifying opportunities for interagency
collaboration on smart city initiatives.
·Maintain smart city dialogue with local, state and
federal agencies.
·Build and expand partnerships with academic and
research institutions.
City of Chula Vista — Smart City Strategic Action Plan
17
2.2: Performance indicators
·Number of projects and initiatives based on an
interagency partnership
·Number of state and federal grants and overall
funding totals
·Number of projects and initiatives with academic
partners
2.2: Outcomes
·Increasing public benefit at minimal additional cost
due to partnerships on projects and initiatives that
would otherwise not be feasible.
·City spends less on capital improvements, operations
and maintenance on projects that can be shared with
other agencies.
·City is positioned to take advantage of state and
federal grant funding opportunities.
·Improved quality of life and improved government
efficiency resulting from findings of academic
research.
·Economic growth as a result of companies spinning
off of partner academic institutions.
10
Number of cities,
including Chula Vista,
selected for Envision
America 2017
cultivating support for smart city strategies with
government officials, both elected and appointed, who
represent the City of Chula Vista at the local, state and
federal levels will increase the City’s ability to connect
with others and provide essential endorsements from key
leaders.
It is also important for the City to maintain strong
relationships with utility companies, including San Diego
Gas & Electric (SDG&E), Cox Communications, and AT&T.
Hospitals and healthcare centers are another area of
opportunity for collaboration.
The San Diego region has numerous world-renowned
colleges, universities and research institutes, with which
the City should continue building relationships. Academic
and research institutions have exceptional access to grant
funding for research, and many funding opportunities
require proposed research to address a public need. A
partnership with the City can provide that. Furthermore, it
is well known that startups often spin off from research
that begins at universities and research institutes. Existing
partnerships with the City will improve the likelihood that
such spinoffs provide employment benefits to Chula Vista
residents.
Number of sixth-grade
students visiting library’s
Innovation
Station annually
4,000+
City of Chula Vista — Smart City Strategic Action Plan
18
goal 2: responsive city
Objective 2.3: Lay the groundwork for economic development opportunities
2.3: Background and Context
The lack of high-paying jobs in Chula Vista is widely
understood to be one of the City’s biggest economic
challenges. The City has a strong base of skilled and
educated workers, but overwhelming numbers of Chula
Vista residents commute long distances to high-tech job
clusters in the northern neighborhoods of the City of San
Diego. This strains transportation networks and reduces the
time residents have available to spend with their families or
engage in civic and community activities.
Despite this challenge, Chula Vista has many reasons to
be optimistic. Major development opportunities exist at
Millenia, the Bayfront, and the University Park & Innovation
District, with hundreds of acres and millions of square feet
of commercial space slated for development. In fact, Chula
Vista has more developable land than any other city in San
Diego County. These sites are already attracting significant
interest from various sectors, including clean technology;
information and communication technology; health,
wellness, and sports medicine; education and innovation;
and headquarters and administration. The smart city
strategy can appeal to all of those sectors.
The relative lack of existing development at Millenia,
the Innovation District and the Bayfront all present
opportunities to build new smart city infrastructure
that is more difficult to retrofit into existing, built-out
neighborhoods. Examples include fiber-optic internet,
vehicle-to-infrastructure communications systems,
microgrid and distributed energy systems. These sites can
also be used for interim business purposes, such as the
testing and deployment of aerial drones and autonomous
vehicles.
The smart city brand itself is a way to invite economic
development. A city that can demonstrate the day-to-
day benefits of technology is better positioned to attract
business growth. Public safety is one example: Smart
city solutions may help the City reduce crime rates and
emergency response times, making it easier to do business.
Similarly, modern traffic signals that reduce congestion on
City streets can contribute to higher levels of happiness
among employees, or reduce the amount of retail sales lost
to businesses in neighboring cities.
There is also significant demand among startups and large
technology companies for city data that can be used to
deliver private services. The City can develop policies and
programs that allow private entities to create applications
with public benefits. Examples could include smart parking
apps, apps that allow citizens to track City expenditures on
budget items and integrating traffic management data into
existing navigation apps like Google Maps or Waze.
In recent years, City staff have become more engaged
in local, national and international peer learning and
networking groups and events. Examples include the
South County Economic Development Council, San Diego
Regional Economic Development Corporation, Cleantech
San Diego, the Global Cities Team Challenge, Envision
America, Smart Cities Week, and Smart Cities Connect.
These events and programs have yielded valuable
relationship-building opportunities for the City, educational
opportunities, and heightened visibility for the City among
companies doing business in the smart city space. Staff
will continue to build these relationships and work to
leverage for economic development purposes.
2.3: Initiatives
·Engage with local businesses and organizations to
identify smart city business priorities.
·Prioritize engagement with technology-related
industries likely to do business in Chula Vista.
·Participate in peer learning and networking
opportunities that promote business growth.
2.3: Performance Indicators
·Local employment metrics
·Business license data
2.3: Outcomes
·City programs and initiatives are responsive to the
needs of local businesses.
·City programs and initiatives are designed to appeal
to targeted business sectors.
·The number of high-paying local jobs increases.
City of Chula Vista — Smart City Strategic Action Plan
goal 3:
transparent city
City of Chula Vista — Smart City Strategic Action Plan
20
goal 3: transparent city
Objective 3.1: Use data and analytics to improve City services
and broaden public access to information about City performance
3.1: Background and Context
Emerging data analytics tools are giving cities new ways to
assess their performance and make changes to improve
efficiency. The City of Chula Vista has already made
significant strides in this area. The Finance Department's
new enterprise resource planning (ERP) system enables
the City to automate the collection and analysis of
financial data, which will be used to improve financial and
operational decision-making across departments. The
Public Works Department’s asset management system
captures information about the current status of City
infrastructure, such as roads, and helps the City predict
how soon certain infrastructure may need to be repaired or
replaced. The Police Department has also transitioned to a
new CAD system that provides law enforcement personnel
with advanced data and analytics capabilities.
While the City has made strides in improving its data
collection and analysis capabilities, these systems are still
isolated from one another, and there is no single repository
of collected data that can be seamlessly accessed by
multiple departments. This should be addressed in the
telecommunications master plan as it is developed.
Among the various best practices the City could use to
guide its data and analytics efforts, one that stands out is
What Works Cities, a nonprofit initiative aimed at honing
best practices for mid-sized cities. The What Works Cities
Standard is an extensive and detailed list of concrete
steps cities can take to create a strong foundation for the
effective use of data and evidence. These standards serve
as an excellent roadmap for Chula Vista.
In addition to tracking assets and improving program
performance, the City can also use data and analytics to
improve community engagement and trust by increasing
transparency about what the City is doing and how public
money is spent. An emerging trend in the smart city space
is the development of real-time online dashboards that
make it easy for residents to take a look “under the hood” of
the city. There are many ways these types of dashboards
can be used; a common example is a dashboard that
shows real-time energy use in certain city facilities. Chula
Vista's dashboard does not have to be comprehensive to
begin with; it can start with one or two indicators and grow
as more data becomes available.
Beyond simple transparency, the City can also pursue
economic development opportunities with the valuable
data it collects, as described in Objective 2.3. To facilitate
this activity, the City can identify which data sets are most
valuable to external parties and ensure those data sets
are digitized in an accessible format. Data stewards in key
departments should be responsible for ensuring the data is
managed and shared appropriately according to policies, as
described in Objective 1.3.
3.1: Initiatives
·Use the What Works Cities Standard as a roadmap for
open, data-driven government.
·Identify and digitize key data sets held by City
departments.
·Complete the Public Works asset management
database.
·Develop the technical structure necessary to enable
third-party apps using City data.
·Assemble City performance indicators in an
accessible online portal.
·Designate data and analytics stewards in City
departments as appropriate.
3.1: Performance Indicators
·Number and variety of City performance indicators
available for review through a central public portal on
the City’s website
·Number and variety of data sets available for external
developers to use in creating analytical tools and
services
3.1: Outcomes
·City realizes the full value of the systems and data
under its control.
·Efficiency of City employees and systems is
maximized.
·Costs of infrastructure maintenance and repair are
minimized.
·Economic growth is encouraged.
City of Chula Vista — Smart City Strategic Action Plan
goal 4:
innovative city
City of Chula Vista — Smart City Strategic Action Plan
22
goal 4: innovative city
Objective 4.1: Position the Bayfront as a model smart neighborhood
4.1: Background and Context
The Bayfront is one of the most significant long-term
projects underway in Chula Vista, and its role in the smart
city strategy is key. Not only will the Bayfront serve as
an economic development engine for the region, it will
also serve as a demonstration and test bed for the smart
city development approach. Applications and initiatives
deployed at the Bayfront will eventually be scaled up and
replicated in other neighborhoods.
Working with engineering consultants and experts from
Black & Veatch, the City in 2016 completed the Smart
Bayfront assessment reports, which analyzed the various
energy technology options the City could use to achieve
the ambitious energy efficiency goals required by the
Bayfront Settlement Agreement. The report also analyzed
the communications infrastructure and key building blocks
that would be needed to make the Bayfront a model smart
neighborhood. These reports offered a number of next
steps and recommended actions to clarify the City’s path
forward. It is critical that the City keep these assessments
and their recommended next steps front and center as
it continues the process of planning and developing the
Bayfront.
Unlike many of the other initiatives in this plan, activity at
the Bayfront will span decades. In some ways, this creates
a unique challenge, because it is difficult to predict how
technological needs will change over that period. On the
other hand, the long time-horizon is really an opportunity
to grow and evolve in tandem with technological change.
The Bayfront will be a living laboratory for the smart city
approach.
4.1: Initiatives
·Work with development partners and project
stakeholders to follow through on the next steps
recommended in the Smart Bayfront assessment
reports.
·Assemble case studies of smart city applications
at the Bayfront to aid similar projects in other
neighborhoods.
Largest
Fully entitled
waterfront develop-
ment opportunity on
the West Coast
4.1: Performance Indicators
·Percentage completion of Bayfront project milestones
·Energy usage per Bayfront building compared to
Settlement Agreement requirements
·Number of smart city applications incorporated into
Bayfront developments
4.1: Outcomes
·Tourism and convention business at the Bayfront
drives local economic growth.
·Quality of life improves for those living and working at
or near the Bayfront.
·City has a scalable example of deployed smart city
applications.
City of Chula Vista — Smart City Strategic Action Plan
50%
Less energy used by
Bayfront buildings
compared to state
standards
23
goal 4: innovative city
Objective 4.2: Advance environmental sustainability goals
4.2: Background and Context
The City has a strong record of strategic action on
environmental sustainability that dates back to the 1990s
and continues today with an active Climate Action Plan and
a well-staffed Office of Sustainability. These environmental
sustainability efforts are driven by strong community and
political support and will grow in both reach and importance
as the climate and environment continue to change.
In many ways, Chula Vista’s smart city goals and
sustainability goals are complementary, and there are
many opportunities to leverage one or the other to produce
greater overall results. For example, efficiencies yielded by
smart sensors or controllers may free up resources to be
devoted to other sustainability initiatives that are less cost-
effective. Changes to make the City’s vehicle fleet more
environmentally sustainable will have positive effects not
only for the environment, but also in creating opportunities
for data-driven management and performance
improvements.
The City is preparing to adopt an updated version of its
Climate Action Plan, which aims to reduce per capita
greehouse gas emissions by focusing on energy and
water efficiency in buildings; smart growth; clean transit;
increasing local energy generation and water resources;
leading by example; and community resilience. In addition
to its Climate Action Plan, the City has several other
strategic plans that complement its smart city goals.
In 2014, the City developed its first City Operations
Sustainability Plan, a strategic framework for ensuring
the City leads by example in the areas of energy, water,
purchasing, waste management, pollution prevention,
transportation, and green buildings and infrastructure. The
City Operations Sustainability Plan includes a number of
actions that complement the smart city paradigm.
In 2016, the City Council approved the Water Stewardship
Plan, a strategic framework for enhancing water
efficiency and water reuse throughout the City. The Water
Stewardship Plan includes a number of actions that
complement the smart city paradigm, noting in one section
that “you can’t manage what you can’t measure.”
A growing number of smart controls and devices give the
City new ways to track progress and achieve these goals.
Among the most promising examples are smart irrigation
controllers, remote management of building systems, leak
detection sensors, air pollution monitoring devices, and
energy management tools. The spread of smart energy
meters and water meters could also help the City work with
residents to reduce wasteful energy and water use.
4.2: Initiatives
·Identify and capitalize on opportunities for sensors,
data and analytical tools to support environmental
sustainability strategies.
·Install smart controls wherever feasible to improve
sustainability outcomes.
2000
Chula Vista becomes
first city in county to
adopt a CO2
reduction plan
4.2: Performance Indicators
·Energy and water usage metrics at City facilities
·Carbon-equivalent emissions from City operations
·Energy and water usage metrics by local residents
and businesses
·Carbon-equivalent emissions from local residents
and businesses
4.2: Outcomes
·Reduction in energy and water costs at City facilities
·Improved air quality in the City
·Regional and global leadership in climate change
prevention, adaptation and resilience
City of Chula Vista — Smart City Strategic Action Plan
#10
Chula Vista's rank
among the safest U.S.
cities with population
over 200,000
24
goal 4: innovative city
Objective 4.3: Enhance public safety and traffic safety capabilities
4.3: Background and Context
The smart city space in recent years has been dominated
by transportation and telecommunications solutions, but
cities are increasingly looking to technology and data
analytics to improve public safety outcomes. The City of
Chula Vista has recognized that public safety is one of
the areas where smart city solutions can make the most
significant impact, not just in quality of life for residents but
also in strengthening the City’s appeal to businesses.
The police and fire departments have long been among
the most technology-driven departments in the City, with
radio communications, computer-aided dispatch (CAD),
GPS tracking, traffic signal pre-emption technology,
and statistical analysis serving critical purposes. A new
generation of technology is improving these tools and
introducing new ones that enable public safety departments
to get closer to achieving full situational awareness and
maximizing the efficient use of resources.
The new CAD system in the Police Department is one of the
most notable examples. First put into service in July 2017,
the new CAD allows real-time tracking of all patrol vehicles
and their associated active and pending calls for service
on a map. Among its many features, this system can
recommend which resources should be dispatched to a call
based on the status, proximity and capabilities of units on
duty. Fully incorporating all the features of the CAD system
into police operations will be an important ongoing process.
One of the most effective ways to extend the capabilities
of the CAD system is to provide a network of smartphones
assigned to sworn officers. In addition to assisting with
location tracking when an officer is outside the vehicle,
these devices also enable functions such as facial
recognition, digital evidence capture, report writing, and
integration with cloud collaboration tools. These features
extend the capabilities of officers and have the potential to
reduce the amount of time officers spend on administrative
tasks, thereby making more time available for proactive
policing. Obtaining these devices and incorporating them
into police operations is a key step toward enhancing public
safety capabilities.
Another technology on the priority list in the police
department is the use of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV)
for investigative purposes. Small UAVs can provide critical
information in emergency situations and are much less
expensive to operate than traditional helicopters. They may
also have a role in search-and-rescue operations in difficult-
to-access terrain.
Building an operations center that brings together all
relevant information sources is another top priority for the
police and fire departments. Currently, various information
sources and communication stations are spread
throughout multiple locations.
Network and data security is an issue of concern for all
police and fire technology. This is typically addressed by
using an entirely separate network, or secure cloud storage
solutions. The Telecommunications Master Plan should
detail how the City will accommodate these network
security needs. It is also critical that the citywide data
privacy policy in Objective 1.3 specifically addresses public
safety data.
Policing is an area where the City should exercise
4.3: Initiatives
·Develop the autonomous vehicle safety testing
program.
·Modernize the CAD system.
·Transition to mobile devices for police officers.
·Develop unmanned aerial vehicle capacity.
·Outfit the emergency operations center.
·Provide the IT and network support necessary to
accommodate evolving police and fire needs.
City of Chula Vista — Smart City Strategic Action Plan
25
4.3: Performance Indicators
·Rate of unsolved crimes
·Emergency response times
·Crime rates per capita
heightened sensitivity and conduct additional public
outreach when it comes to new technologies, such as
automated license plate readers or facial recognition tools,
which may be a source of concern for some members of
the community. State law in this area continues to evolve
with requirements for policies on privacy, data retention,
etc. In keeping with the community engagement objectives
of this strategy, it is critical that the City work directly with
residents and advocacy groups to address privacy and
security concerns and develop appropriate policies early,
before the technology is widely implemented. Without this
outreach and mutual engagement, the City faces the risk of
a negative reaction. With the right balance of technological
innovation and community engagement in public safety
technology, the City can further establish itself as a national
leader if it strikes the right balance that effectively meets
the needs of the community.
Smart city initiatives in the police and fire department
have a number of viable funding options. Chula Vista
voters approved the Measure P sales tax increase with the
expectation that a significant portion of the added revenue
would pay for upgrades to outdated police, fire and 9-1-1
emergency response facilities, vehicles and equipment.
A significant amount of federal and state grant funding is
also available annually from multiple sources, and both the
Police and Fire departments have proven adept at securing
grant funding for operations and innovation.
Public safety goes beyond the police and fire departments,
however, with Chula Vista’s recent designation by the U.S.
Department of Transportation as one of 10 autonomous
vehicle proving grounds. The autonomous vehicle proving
grounds — a partnership between the City, the San Diego
Association of Governments (SANDAG) and the California
Department of Transportation (Caltrans) — include both
State Route 125 through Chula Vista as well as surface
streets within the City limits, along with the Interstate 15
Express Lanes.
Chula Vista’s participation in autonomous vehicle testing
has the potential to be a life-saving effort. In 2014, more
than 32,000 people died in the U.S. as a result of vehicle
crashes, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety
Administration. The overwhelming majority of these
crashes were caused by human error. Within the next 10
- 20 years, fully autonomous vehicles will be able to safely
and reliably operate without the involvement of error-prone
humans.
There are a number of detailed steps the City must take, in
collaboration with its partners, to fully realize the value of
the proving grounds designation; the designation came with
no funding. This includes extensive public outreach, media
relations, building relationships with companies engaged in
autonomous vehicle research, technical engineering, grant-
seeking, developing and refining safety rules, determining
data-sharing policies, and others. These tasks will be
led by the City's Engineering team. The payback on this
investment of time and resources will likely be significant
economic development, as well as safer roads.
4.3: Outcomes
·The City’s crime rate will continue to decline.
·The City will be resilient in the face of man-made and
natural disasters.
·The City’s economy will grow faster due to safer
streets and neighborhoods.
·Fewer residents and visitors will be injured or killed in
vehicle crashes.
City of Chula Vista — Smart City Strategic Action Plan
conclusion:
looking forward
City of Chula Vista — Smart City Strategic Action Plan
27
City of Chula Vista, California
Approved by the City Council on September 12, 2017
Consultant:
Madaffer Enterprises, Inc.
Document design:
Carolina Ibarra-Mendoza, IMCarolina.com
captions and credits
Updates
The Smart City Strategic Action Plan is intended to serve
as a reference, a resource, and a guide for City staff, but it
is not an exhaustive list of everything the City can or should
do to achieve the smart city vision. Technology is evolving
rapidly, and cities all over the world are still developing best
practices for how to implement emerging technologies
in a way that best meets the specific requirements of
municipal government. This plan should be considered a
living document that can and should change as knowledge,
technology, resources and other conditions change.
Smart City Working Group
Because so many smart city initiatives overlap with
the responsibilities of different city departments,
interdepartmental teamwork, knowledge-sharing and
decision-making will be essential to success. City staff have
already organized an internal working group dedicated to
breaking down silos and sharing information and resources
between departments. This group meets monthly and
includes the City Manager, Assistant City Manager, Deputy
City Manager, staff from the Police and Fire Departments,
several department heads, and the Chief Sustainability
Officer, who coordinates the group.
Public Engagement
Enhancing community engagement is one of the key
objectives of this plan, and while communication,
conversation and engagement with stakeholders are
important ends in themselves, community engagement
is also necessary to refine and guide the future
implementation of this plan. Many of the best ideas for how
to solve specific smart city problems will come directly
from residents, businesses, visitors, and other agencies.
These stakeholders may also point out issues or concerns
that need additional attention from City staff. Therefore,
City staff will work regularly to promote and encourage
dialogue about the smart city strategy.
Progress reports
This plan identifies numerous concrete action steps and
performance indicators, but these only matter if they are
used as benchmarks against which the City measures its
progress. City staff should produce an annual report on
actions completed to date, performance indicator data,
stakeholder feedback, and recommended changes to the
strategy going forward.
looking forward: updates and tracking
City of Chula Vista — Smart City Strategic Action Plan
Captions:
Page 5: A newer suburban neighborhood in Chula Vista
Page 6: Chula Vista City Hall
Page 7: Lower Otay Reservoir
Page 8: An MTS bus traveling through Chula Vista’s Third Avenue Village
Page 10: An example of IT network hardware
Page 12: A map of cell phone tower permits in Chula Vista
Page 13: A San Diego State Student works in the Zahn Innovation Center
(Courtesy of San Diego State University)
Page 14: A child tries on tactical gear at a Chula Vista Police Department event
Page 16: (Left) The Chula Vista team at Envision America 2017; (Right) The
Chula Vista team at Smart Cities Connect in 2016
Page 17: A lesson at the Innovation Station at the Chula Vista Library
Page 19: A bird’s-eye view of the Chula Vista City Hall complex
Page 21: A rendering of a proposed hotel at the Chula Vista Bayfront (Courtesy
of RIDA Development)
Page 22: Boats at the Chula Vista Marina
Page 25: An example of electric vehicle charging
Page 26: City Council Chambers at Chula Vista City Hall
City of Chula Vista — Smart City Strategic Action Plan — Appendix A: Marketing and Communications Resources
1
Appendix A: Marketing and Communications Resources
Introduction
The City’s marketing and communication strategy is outlined in detail in the comprehensive Marketing
& Communications Plan for 2016 – 2019. When the plan was adopted in 2015, the City anticipated
that the smart city effort would be a significant component of the overall marketing and
communications strategy.
The plan summarizes the smart city effort as follows:
Chula Vista is making strides as a Smart City and working to provide businesses, institutions
and residents with access to state-of-the-art technology and communications systems which
will improve the quality of life in the City, support prosperity and provide a more efficient
government.
Now that the City has refined its smart city goals and objectives through the process of developing the
Smart City Strategic Action Plan, the purpose of this appendix is to assist the Office of
Communications in finalizing key messaging regarding the smart city effort and identifying the most
effective means of promoting and marketing smart city projects and programs
This appendix is organized into three sections:
1. Smart city message platform
2. Smart city communications roadmap
3. Smart city marketing and communications tactics
I: Smart city message platform
A message platform helps guide City leaders, staff members, smart city champions and others to
communicate clearly, concisely and consistently about the smart city effort. The platform provides a
base of key points from which to modify and tailor based on the medium, the audience and the
subject of the communication. The platform must be periodically reviewed to ensure the messages
are up-to-date and reflective of the specific technologies and innovations the City chooses to pursue.
The proposed message platform is as follows:
The smart city plan will improve the lives of Chula Vista residents by enabling the city to provide
superior government services, better respond in emergency situations and attract high-quality
jobs.
• The City will implement state-of-the-art sensor networks and data analysis techniques
to improve government services in the areas that need them most.
• A centralized operations center will bring together various city departments under one
roof, improving the city’s ability to communicate with residents and respond to
situations during major events or emergencies.
Chula Vista will be a model for smart and sustainable infrastructure development.
• The plan calls for maximizing the value of existing assets before considering new
investments, driving staff to identify, document and correct inefficiencies before
spending taxpayer dollars on new projects.
City of Chula Vista — Smart City Strategic Action Plan — Appendix A: Marketing and Communications Resources
2
• The plan calls for significantly improving the internet and wireless infrastructure
throughout the city, ensuring Chula Vista is equipped to deal with the current and
future demands of 21st century technology.
• In addition to tangible investments in technology, the smart city plan includes
restructuring the city’s approach to decision-making, calling for city departments to
coordinate planning for all infrastructure, maintenance and service needs in the city.
The smart city plan will drive economic development by improving the City’s ability to attract
and retain high-quality jobs.
• Upgrades to the City’s transportation, communications and internet infrastructure is
beneficial for both employees’ quality of life and employers’ ability to attract
employees.
• Through aggressive implementation of the smart city plan, Chula Vista will build its
national profile by becoming a leader in the smart city and clean technology
movement.
• smart city technologies offer new avenues for revenue generation that previously
didn’t exist, enabling the city to provide improved incentive packages to potential
employers.
II: Smart city communications roadmap
Chula Vista’s smart city strategy is not a single project or program, but rather an entire paradigm and
set of goals and objectives that the City will accomplish progressively over time. To communicate
effectively, it is important that the Office of Communications has the background information
necessary to frame individual smart city milestones within the broader context of the smart city
strategy.
As an example, an upcoming milestone is the City Council’s adoption of the Traffic Signal
Communications Master Plan. Communications about this milestone should highlight not just the
basic facts about the master plan itself (such as the number of signalized intersections to be
synchronized), but also how the Traffic Signal Communications Master Plan fits into the broader
smart city strategy. Communications should highlight that the Traffic Signal Communications Master
Plan will help the City achieve its objective to build a comprehensive municipal network connecting
city sensors and facilities, which in turn helps the City achieve its goal of becoming a “Connected City,”
which creates public benefits in the form of reducing traffic congestion, improving traffic safety and
even making Chula Vista a more desirable place to do business.
Some of the smart city initiatives appropriate for promotion by the Office of Communications may
include:
• Traffic Signal Communications Master Plan
• Citywide Telecommunications Master Plan
• General Plan amendment for Smart City
• Citywide data management, privacy, transparency and sharing policy
• Autonomous vehicle developments
• Research agreements with academic partners
• Online portal for key city performance indicators
• Bayfront development milestones
• Technological advancements in the Police and Fire departments
City of Chula Vista — Smart City Strategic Action Plan — Appendix A: Marketing and Communications Resources
3
The above-listed initiatives each have unique milestones of their own which may be appropriate for
promotion by the Office of Communications. Generally, these may include:
• Major study initiated or completed
• Request for Proposals (RFP) or Request for Qualifications (RFQ) issued
• Project awarded to contractor
• Implementation of project or initiative begins, reaches a halfway point,
• Service achieves important usage metrics (such as number of users, number of traffic signals
synchronized, time saved, taxpayer dollars saved, miles of autonomous vehicle testing
completed, etc.)
A protocol for ensuring that the Office of Communications is aware of upcoming milestones should
include:
• A regular meeting or call between the Chief Sustainability Officer and the Marketing &
Communications Manager to discuss milestones and how to frame them
• Attendance of an Office of Communications staff member at the monthly smart city staff
working group meeting
III: Smart city marketing and communications tactics
The City’s Marketing & Communications Plan for 2016 – 2019 identifies numerous tactics and
channels for communication. In this section, we highlight those tactics that will be most effective for
building awareness the smart city strategy and milestones. These tactics should always incorporate
all or part of the message platform to ensure consistent communication across all channels.
Government
The City should commit to several internal communications tactics that ensure the city’s leadership
can speak knowledgeably and authoritatively on the smart city plan.
1. Smart city champions
Two to four smart city “champions” should be identified and provided with media training from
the city. Champions can be elected leaders, city staff, supportive community members or local
business leaders. The smart city champions act as spokespeople and advocates for Chula
Vista’s smart city efforts, up to and including presentations at City meetings, community
group meetings, smart city conferences and media opportunities.
2. Council workshop and briefings
As elected leaders for the City of Chula Vista, the City Council is often the most visible part of
City government. As such, Councilmembers should attend a workshop and/or individual
briefings in which the smart city plan can be presented and the benefits reinforced. Incoming
City Councilmembers should be educated by City staff or champions about smart city
benefits, efforts to date and planned projects.
3. Internal staff meetings
As the day-to-day leaders of city’s operations, department heads and managers need to
understand not only the specific smart city projects underway in Chula Vista, but also to
internalize and adhere to the smart city philosophy of city government, which calls for
departments to remove themselves from silos and work more collaboratively and closely with
other city departments than ever before. An education session should be held so department
City of Chula Vista — Smart City Strategic Action Plan — Appendix A: Marketing and Communications Resources
4
chairs are able to speak knowledgeably about the city’s smart city efforts, particularly on
projects that would have an outsized effect on their department.
4. Smart city working group meetings
The City holds a regular monthly internal meeting for the directors of the departments most
directly involved in smart city initiatives, including Police, Fire, ITS, Development Services, and
Public Works. The City should continue to hold these meetings as a venue for more detailed
discussion about opportunities for inter-departmental collaboration on smart city initiatives.
Community
The City should execute on several tactics to ensure it is communicating as broadly as possible with
the surrounding community.
1. Web portal
Develop a smart city portal on the city’s website to act as a clearinghouse for all information
related to smart city efforts in Chula Vista. This will require collaboration between multiple
departments and involve integration of multiple data sets and facts from the City. It may
include performance indicators (such as crime statistics, street maintenance statistics, energy
usage data) as well as narrative information such as press releases and links to smart city
policies and plans.
2. Online and social media
The City should utilize existing social media channels and partnerships to distribute
information about progress on the smart city plan and new initiatives. Additionally, the City
should make use of existing email lists and contact databases to spread information as
appropriate.
3. Community meetings and events
Maintain a regular presence at meetings and major events hosted by community groups and
business organizations to ensure these civic leaders have the most up-to-date information
about progress on the smart city plan.
4. Community forum
Host between one and three “Community Info Nights” in the city to build awareness of the
smart city plan and to provide a forum that residents can use to ask questions and educate
themselves about smart cities.
5. Local partnerships with civic organizations and private sector firms
Whenever possible on smart city initiatives, the city should look to partner with local
organizations and businesses, as these partnerships will increase local awareness and
support for the smart city plan.
6. Advertising opportunities
To the extent possible given a limited budget, the City should work to incorporate elements of
the smart city plan or specific technologies into existing advertising material, to help reinforce
the City’s leadership in adopting smart city technology. The City should look for opportunities
to integrate smart city ideals and visions with the “This is Chula” advertising campaign already
underway.
City of Chula Vista — Smart City Strategic Action Plan — Appendix A: Marketing and Communications Resources
5
7. Industry partnerships
The City should identify major players in the smart city and cleantech industries and look for
ways in which mutually beneficial partnerships can be developed. For example, a company
might offer to provide Chula Vista with free data and analysis if the City agrees to be the test
city for the company’s new sensor technology.
Media
The media is very important at amplifying a message for consumption by large audiences. While
media coverage may not directly affect the viability a proposed smart city project, it could play a major
role in shaping public opinion about the project, to the point where elected leaders direct staff to
change course due to overwhelming public opinion. Therefore, securing positive media coverage is
critical to ensuring long-term success for the smart city plan.
1. News dissemination
When new pilot programs or technologies are introduced to the city, they should be regularly
paired with a news release that is sent to local media partners, as well as reformatted for
online distribution. News releases should also be shared with cleantech and smart city-
focused publications. The city should consider occasions as to when one-on-one pitching or a
more targeted approach to securing news coverage is preferred.
2. Boilerplate
Review the city’s standard boilerplate to identify opportunities to include language about smart
cities.
3. Media partnerships
As the concept of smart cities spreads, there will be more and more mainstream interest in
what smart cities are and what they do for jurisdictions. As a local leader in smart cities, Chula
Vista has a unique opportunity to partner with a local media organization to explore the
benefits, ramifications and developments in the smart city field, and how Chula Vista is
becoming a smart city.
Conclusion
The recommendations in this appendix should be considered adaptable to whatever course the City
takes over the next several years on smart city initiatives. They should also be considered flexible
depending on the professional judgment of the City Manager and department heads.
smart infrastructureat the chula vista bayfront
What is the Chula Vista Bayfront?
The Chula Vista Bayfront spans more than 535
acres of vacant, former industrial land where the
city meets the San Diego Bay. The City is working
with the Port of San Diego and private developers
to transform the site into a major recreational
and commercial destination that will also serve
as a demonstration of state-of-the-art energy
and communications infrastructure. Future
development includes a 275,000-square-foot
convention center, a 1,450–room hotel, commercial
office buildings, parks, walking trails, a marina and
an RV park.
Energy Reduction
Development agreements require all new buildings
at the Chula Vista Bayfront to meet unprecedented
energy efficiency standards. Each individual
building must be at least 15 percent below state
energy efficiency standards, and the entire site
must be at least 50 percent below state standards.
Top: Rendering of Bayfront development by Pacifica Companies.
Bottom: Boats at the Chula Vista Marina.
smart infrastructure
at the chula vista bayfront
Energy Findings
·Energy efficiency measures, such as solar water heat-
ing and efficient air conditioning, should be pursued
aggressively because they are the most cost-effective
way to achieve the goals.
·Building orientation and passive energy design ele -
ments should be incorporated early into the design
process to reduce overall energy loads for heating,
cooling and lighting.
·Building designs should maximize space for rooftop
solar photovoltaic systems and solar water heating
·Electrical energy storage is a promising and cost-ef-
fective solution for reducing energy demand during
peak hours in office buildings and hotels.
·On-site non-renewable energy generation (such as a
central heating and power plant using a microturbine
and absorption chiller) may be a viable option.
Smart Communications Findings
·The Bayfront needs a robust network that is scalable,
interoperable, multi-purpose, reliable, secure and
affordable to operate and maintain.
·The City should use a detailed decision framework to
evaluate and compare different smart communications
infrastructure elements.
·The Bayfront network must be flexible enough to accom -
modate a range of future applications, such as public
wi-fi, public safety, parking management, video feeds, etc.
·Edge computing (including edge data processing and
data analytics) can help reduce the amount of data sent
over the network, making it more efficient.
·The City should partner with local agencies to develop the
fiber-optic backhaul necessary to support the network.
A “Smart” Opportunity
The Port and the City of Chula Vista worked with engineering experts at Black & Veatch to assess the energy strategies
to achieve the Bayfront’s ambitious energy reduction goals. The team also evaluated the communications and smart
infrastructure that would be needed to monitor and control the energy systems and provide amenities to workers and
visitors at the Bayfront. The resulting Chula Vista Smart Bayfront report, published in 2016, yielded several key findings:
Learn more about the Chula Vista Bayfront at CVBayfront.com
Rending of Bayfront hotel by RIDA Development.
what’s in it for my business?
Gigabit levels of service
The City’s telecommunications providers have built
fiber-optic networks throughout the city, offering business
users access to high-speed service up to 10 Gbps. The
City is working with internet service providers (ISPs) to
expand fiber to the premises and fiber to the home.
smart city chula vista
driving our economy forward
The City of Chula Vista is leading the international smart city movement with state-of-the-art
technology and communications systems that make Chula Vista an ideal place to live and do business.
Top: Rendering of Millenia office development by Chesnut Properties.
Bottom: Rendering of Millenia office development by Chesnut Properties.
what is a smart city?
A smart city uses advanced technology and
improved data tools to engage residents, enhance
city services, ensure the prudent use of taxpayer
dollars, and encourage growth in the local economy.
The City of Chula Vista has committed to becoming
a smart city, with a detailed strategy and several
initiatives already underway.
Beat the traffic
A comprehensive traffic signal synchronization
program is a major part of Chula Vista’s smart
city strategy. Synchronizing all traffic signals with
cutting-edge technology will reduce congestion,
improve travel times and make local roads safer.
Work in a high-tech cluster
Chula Vista is attracting significant interest from high-tech
employers. A recent study found Chula Vista is a prime
location for companies engaged in information and com-
munication technology; clean technology; health, wellness
and sports medicine; headquarters and administration;
advance manufacturing; and education and innovation.
Opportunities include:
·3.5 million square feet of developable commercial
space at Millenia, with 2.1 million set aside for new
office development
·Local roads formally designated for autonomous vehicle
testing by the U.S. Department of Transportation
·Unprecedented energy technology and communications
infrastructure planned at the 550-acre Bayfront
redevelopment project
·375 acres of city-owned land dedicated for a future
University and Innovation District, with 2.2 million square
feet set aside for private companies to co-locate near
academic researchers
Sail through the bureaucracy
Modern, web-based systems in the Development Services
Department make it easier to track and obtain permits for
everything from minor tenant improvements to large-scale
development. Predictive data tools in the Public Works De -
partment make it less likely your business will be impacted
by unexpected major infrastructure repairs.
Live happier
Chula Vista’s smart city initiatives will make the city a more
desirable place for employees to live, improving compa-
nies’ abilities to recruit and retain talent. With improved
traffic flow, better internet and cellular service, faster
emergency response times, and a more responsive city
government, Chula Vista’s appeal to potential employees
continues to grow.
Top: Rendering of Millenia development by Chesnut Properties.
Bottom: Rendering of Millenia development by Chesnut Properties.
Learn more about Chula Vista’s Smart City Strategy at
www.ChulaVistaCA.gov