Technology
The Mayor and City Commission have made technology an important focus for the City of Tallahassee. As the capital city of the fourth largest state in the United States, the Mayor believes Tallahassee businesses and citizens should have access to the latest technology and emphasizes this in all his policy making decisions.
The Mayor, City Commission and City Departments have integrated technology into your Tallahassee city government in a variety of forms:
Sustainability
The City of Tallahassee addresses sustainability from a holistic viewpoint. Our initiatives focus on a variety of areas, from Energy and Solid Waste, to Transportation, Land Development, and Natural Resource Protection.
Energy-Related Initiatives
- Smart Grid development (provides smart metering for water, gas, and electric)
- Energy Smart Plus programs (provide energy information and education, promote energy efficiency and conservation, and reduce the demand on the grid to defer the building of new power plants)
- Idle Free programs and policies (include Idle Free Tallahassee-Leon partnerships, and the Municipal Anti-Idling and Fuel Conservation Policy).
Solid Waste-related Initiatives
- Commercial, as well as Residential Recycling (the City offers free recycling services to commercial entities)
- Start Thinking About Recycling (STAR - shifts the paradigm from a small recycle bin and a big waste bin, to a small waste bin and a larger recycle bin, which has greatly improved the City's recycling rate)
- Biodiesel Processing (the City diverts used-cooking oil waste away from the landfill by collecting and then processing the cooking oil into biodiesel, for use in City vehicles)
- Development of a Municipal Waste Reduction Policy (aimed at reducing waste generation at City buildings and facilities)
Transportation and Land Development-related Initiatives
- StarMetro University Services (improved routes to improve student ridership)
- Brownfield Redevelopment (sites include Kleman Plaza, Cascades Park, and Gaines Street)
- Planning Initiatives (such as a tree preservation ordinance, establishing a Multi-Modal Transportation District, and offering incentives that encourage mixed-use and urban development)
Natural Resource Protection-related Initiatives
- The development of the Carbon Footprint Reduction Plan (updates the City's Carbon Footprint and identifies carbon reduction strategies)
- Think About Personal Pollution (TAPP - is an award-winning educational campaign aimed at improving stormwater quality and protecting the region's water bodies)
Digital Canopy
Tallahassee has great economic potential and untapped infrastructure resources. The technology sector has been identified as a means to realize our economic potential as a capital city, housing two major universities at a crossroads of the Internet backbone. We believe that Tallahassee businesses and citizens are willing to embrace innovative technology solutions to provide our community with a distinct competitive advantage among southern cities for government efficiency, enhanced education and business growth. The need for physical connectivity to electrical current and Ethernet cable for Internet Access is rapidly coming to an end.
The City of Tallahassee provides wireless services in downtown Tallahassee and at the Tallahassee Regional Airport for citizens at no charge for usage. Thousands of people are using this service for business and education.
For connection instructions and additional information, visit the Digital Canopy site.