Mayor of Kingston, Senator Councillor Delroy Williams, says the use of smart technology can assist the Kingston and St. Andrew Municipal Corporation (KSAMC) to improve its service delivery.
He was speaking at a special sitting of the Corporation on September 21 in downtown Kingston, to facilitate the visit of Mayor Gary R. McCarthy of Schenectady, New York.
A smart city is a municipality that uses information and communications technology (ICT) to increase operational efficiency, share information with the public, and improve both the quality of government services and citizen welfare.
The main goal is to optimise city functions and promote economic growth while also improving the quality of life for citizens by using smart technologies and data analysis.
“The demands in the municipality are far greater than ever before, even the demand for proper service. People are demanding a lot more of their elected representatives and the city, and we have to respond to that,” Mayor Williams said.
He noted that part of responding to that is ensuring that the municipality has the appropriate technology “that will enhance our service delivery, so that we are efficient at what we do”.
“We have a myriad of issues surrounding our transportation system, with respect to traffic control and other aspects. We also have the issue of public safety; crime is an issue within the city of Kingston, and it’s an area where we believe that smart technology and devices can be of assistance to us in tackling the issues within the city space,” Mayor Williams said.
“In one respect, it could reduce the response time and preparedness for the situation by just providing useful information to the relevant first responders by way of [using] smart technologies. With respect to disaster management, Kingston is prone to many natural disasters, so the use of smart technology within the city would also be of immense importance to us in the city space,” he added.
Meanwhile, Mayor Williams said the KSAMC is committed to deepening its dialogue with Mayor McCarthy and the city of Schenectady, “so that we can mutually benefit from the relationship”.
“We can share best practices, share successes, share failures, and we can grow together. So that is the commitment from the City of Kingston—that we will deepen and further our relationship with Schenectady, New York,” he added.
Source: JIS
