[{"_1":2,"_98":-5,"_99":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,74,86],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":44,"_46":47,"_48":49,"_50":51,"_52":53,"_54":55,"_56":57,"_58":59,"_60":61,"_62":63,"_64":65,"_66":67,"_68":69,"_70":67,"_71":72,"_73":72},"mediaId",6047060,"mediaKeyId","3539027-678580f88b186eb9a6ed682af22f7cd7","parentId",3539027,"title","City IT seeks funding to replace aging hardware, shore up cybersecurity and pilot AI over 15 months","audioSeconds",0,"startMs",13794000,"endMs","viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3539027-678580f88b186eb9a6ed682af22f7cd7&start=13794&end=13794","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3539027-678580f88b186eb9a6ed682af22f7cd7/thumbnail_13794000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6047060/Wilmington-City/New-Castle-County/Delaware/City-IT-seeks-funding-to-replace-aging-hardware-shore-up-cybersecurity-and-pilot-AI-over-15-months","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6047060-4f9c62d35259e71b87c90b846c62cb07/orig.mp4?Expires=1771171608&Signature=kt81N4iXevBOFTnLrJra8n5T43pDE0~rocL4NTXxg0tQVp3GCY1gdqnKrbycxvC1BPah0HSlqDuaH7XJvjQqxNnbgBp2jNGAJaLy669oFQ8ZUIa2m3LhH3swE1MFFtkR~znrHYO99sbJ1fYzR6oIHV6LZXzq573IMK8JiNDOen8rvc0VxM5z3zhBH4AUyTx-1LidhGKdgFpQfI2UWEKQ72eUIs4zUm2qyVrkFz2ltaLuzISqk9PtM7QgBaV8K17dsDvrWLgwnvkfRU~qpGxhINhpSA6NJ4yUu1wnf7eX4S28KqtdNHKDYpD7W9mmwxt0yJYcTLSchzIjUGO7K3lS2w__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","City of Wilmington, DE","date","2025-04-21T00:00:00Z","article","The City of Wilmington's Information & Technology (IT) department asked the finance committee to support a FY2026 operating plan that increases equipment and consultant lines to replace aging devices, expand cybersecurity and pilot limited artificial-intelligence tools for city staff.

Director Desmond May told council the department's operating request totals about $11.6 million, an increase of roughly $400,000 from FY2025. The request includes line-item increases for field PC replacements, public-safety workstation upgrades and communications upgrades for EMS and police, and a reallocation that trades a webmaster position for an application support specialist.

May said the city is spending roughly 10 percent of its IT budget on cybersecurity and has treated ransomware preparedness as a top priority for more than a decade. \"It's not as much how much we spend as where we spend it,\" May said, noting the department balances technology investments with staff training and compliance. The department currently uses external consultants for security services, network architecture and help-desk support.

The department highlighted a near-term hardware challenge: it estimates roughly 57 percent of city endpoint systems (PCs and laptops) are at or past their planned service life and require replacement; the proposed FY2026 request includes funds to move devices back on a typical four-year update cycle. The department also said it will upgrade Windows 10 systems before that operating system reaches end-of-life in October 2025.

On artificial intelligence, May described a cautious, 15-month approach: identify use cases, strengthen data governance, pilot limited deployments with early-adopter staff and expand training and compliance controls before rolling out generative tools broadly. He said about $50,000 in cloud/AI research and development has been set aside and that the vendor discussions include Microsoft Copilot, but that some ERP and other vendor-supplied AI features may be safer near-term options.

IT also requested increases in professional fees to pay consultants and temporary personnel as the department scales a larger internship program and addresses a large hardware refresh. May said the department uses contracted specialists for specialized roles (a chief information security officer supplied by a contractor, network architects and database consultants) and is expanding the internship program in partnership with local training programs and schools.

Communications changes include replacing the city's wide-area network provider from Comcast to a state-approved vendor, Crown Castle, to improve uptime and performance; the change will slightly raise the communications line. The department also continues a previously approved capital lease schedule related to public-safety radios that remain partly dependent on state infrastructure upgrades.

Council members thanked IT staff for after-hours support and asked about a single, citywide mobile app for services and whether that would appear in FY2026. May said work to modernize business licensing, timekeeping and ERP systems will precede a consolidated app; an all-in-one city app is likely a later-year initiative tied to those platform upgrades. The hearing produced requests for follow-up lists of vendors, device replacement schedules and consultant contract details. No formal votes took place during the hearing.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Wilmington FY2026 Budget Hearings | Parks, OED, & IT | 4/21/2025","oneSentenceSummary","The Information & Technology department told the Finance Committee it will spend FY2026 funds on hardware replacement, expanded cybersecurity, an internship expansion and a measured rollout for municipal AI tools while continuing radio and communications investments for public safety.","taxTitle","Wilmington City, New Castle County, Delaware","taxId",12638,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":75,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":76,"_41":77,"_43":78,"_45":79,"_46":80,"_48":81,"_50":82,"_52":83,"_54":55,"_56":57,"_58":84,"_60":61,"_62":63,"_64":85,"_66":67,"_68":69,"_70":67,"_71":72,"_73":72},6047064,"Office of Economic Development keeps strategic fund, boosts DBE tracking and wraps loan partnerships in FY2026 request",5990,7768000,13758000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3539027-678580f88b186eb9a6ed682af22f7cd7&start=7768&end=13758","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3539027-678580f88b186eb9a6ed682af22f7cd7/thumbnail_7768000.jpg","/articles/6047064/Wilmington-City/New-Castle-County/Delaware/Office-of-Economic-Development-keeps-strategic-fund-boosts-DBE-tracking-and-wraps-loan-partnerships-in-FY2026-request","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6047064-7da979bbf217e015daa17d53302ded2f/orig.mp4?Expires=1771171608&Signature=HH8CQXUwbSJwaZRojoO9OzvjEOdqetwbGl40wZuMAuW5u~TMACbvz9NmFP4VWR4OdJjah4Qx~0zR4NxbceSdOZVcwFttIZe-dSocSE-CB~HNd42qFjQqEOwMETsqks7d4TTbnWRbEsqFvVXW1s5LnK8u0K8Q1W-krBFoOQlZU1b3i3kzBykKvfabh2kRbUGD3tKfIFVr946peVvaDSbC~cKOBrsURezHtT8iPg4AEgy6zOm-vXKf8iSSfkrfbOO3mcQkHDq-wivn5DkWNojjAvafeRv7qbq93wzt1YRpCnWzKIedSGbdkj77w4uQEw6~jal1crwDp4hOggSwLIi2eQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Wilmington Office of Economic Development (OED) told the City Council finance committee it is proposing an FY2026 operating budget of about $1.17 million that maintains staffing at five full-time equivalents and preserves set-aside funds to support small and minority-owned businesses.

Director Sean Park said the office will continue to prioritize increases in the city's tax base by attracting private investment and advancing the recommendations of a recently completed disparity study. \"Our priorities as an office are to increase the city revenue tax base through new jobs and private investments and improve the quality of life for residents,\" Park said.

OED said it will continue a $350,000 minority-business set-aside (approved by council in the prior fiscal year) and budgeted $22,600 for the Small and Minority Business Enterprise Office (SMBEO) operating costs to run events and programming tied to disparity-study implementation. The department also added consulting funds to provide one-on-one business needs assessments, social-media coaching and application support for competitive state programs.

A key technical upgrade in OED's plan is a $40,000 subscription to the B2Gnow contract-compliance module to capture subcontractor data. Park said capturing subcontractor activity is critical because many disadvantaged-business enterprises (DBEs) participate as subcontractors rather than prime contractors; he and SMBEO staff reported a 15 percent increase (46 new certifications) in DBE certifications in calendar 2024 after moving to an automated processing system.

OED briefed council on revolving loan activity tied to the Grow Wilmington Fund, a loan partnership seeded by UDAG and leveraged with the Grow America Fund and Discover Bank. Since 2014 the Grow Wilmington Fund has backed eight loans totaling $4.287 million and associates the financing with 78 retained or created jobs; Park said $481,773 remains available for new investments. The department also said Grow Newcastle County and WEDCO have committed additional loan resources that Wilmington businesses may use.

The office described ongoing use of the strategic fund for incentive agreements and property investment (facade work, infrastructure studies, site improvements) and noted successful pairing of planning studies with state transportation funds. Park also outlined outreach and procurement-training events, and a new series of \"DBE day\" meet-the-department events to introduce minority vendors to procurement staff in city departments.

Councilors questioned OED on metrics and outreach. Park said the office can better quantify DBE growth once the new contract-compliance dashboards are in place and pledged quarterly reporting. He also encouraged councilors to refer prospective entrepreneurs to the office and partner organizations such as the Hispanic Chamber and the launcher/incubator ecosystem. No formal votes occurred during the session.","The Office of Economic Development told the Finance Committee its FY2026 budget holds steady overall while expanding minority-business outreach, DBE certification tracking and continuing strategic fund investments and loan partnerships that have supported local firms.",{"_33":87,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":88,"_41":89,"_43":90,"_45":91,"_46":92,"_48":93,"_50":94,"_52":95,"_54":55,"_56":57,"_58":96,"_60":61,"_62":63,"_64":97,"_66":67,"_68":69,"_70":67,"_71":72,"_73":72},6047067,"Wilmington parks budget would fund youth programs, pool upkeep and $3 million in capital park work",6734,460000,7194000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3539027-678580f88b186eb9a6ed682af22f7cd7&start=460&end=7194","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3539027-678580f88b186eb9a6ed682af22f7cd7/thumbnail_460000.jpg","/articles/6047067/Wilmington-City/New-Castle-County/Delaware/Wilmington-parks-budget-would-fund-youth-programs-pool-upkeep-and-3-million-in-capital-park-work","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6047067-2535ec5d21db6577fbd6cf3b8120f13f/orig.mp4?Expires=1771171608&Signature=TmRuZ9HyUxTB4fmFmOBsRuvasBti7FOBbKV-u2Qn5MuX4LtAvJjnxRUSIuLJJyJJsrMjzxIs36rl-g5qfcto-VS~idut5-9d9xEFhfkD2MgR33Y3hHjTQzq0eUbS~vCPpbnLFLGRNcBnL6ZUBXmNHgu2pAp7SqMt03uh09o3zCwsTVm1fbigEkb~MDPfre4WjtAefaXrQl3On4td3L18LnDLfRPHECOC7da1nmW-zS2YYlyp2bAJrxEDOjAsH9iAm518Kos9FJNRTle5QYh5GG4aEpzowTaCZzVhr0oEgN27COhzXCBWpzcF6Kc8lS-kKOlgelXKxpyRJgouCRpm1w__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Wilmington Department of Parks and Recreation proposed a $13.9 million operating budget for FY2026, department leaders told the City Council finance committee, emphasizing expanded youth offerings, continued summer meal service and a $3 million capital package to renovate multiple parks.

Director Melody Phillips, acting director of the Parks and Recreation Department, said the department\u0000request reflects increases in personnel costs, temporary staff to run meal sites and planned capital work at parks across the city's eight council districts. \"Our mission of the Department of Parks and Recreation is to preserve and enhance urban park lands through environmentally safe practices,\" Phillips said.

The budget documents presented by OMB analyst Mr. Naheed show the department's operating request of $13.9 million is up roughly 11.3 percent from FY2025, with a general fund request of about $11.7 million (up about 7.2 percent). Notable line items include roughly $643,000 more for personal services, a $384,000 increase in temporary salaries tied to expanded summer food and child/adult care programs, and a roughly $36,000 rise in materials and supplies.

The committee heard detailed program plans. Parks staff plan to expand youth career development pathways, with a pilot called \"Next Level\" that adds about $54,000 to raise stipends to $16.25 per hour for participants ages 18 to 20. The department also described new pilot offerings for youth entrepreneurship, film/media and a mobile recreation unit that would send staff to parks to engage youth on site.

Nutrition and summer meals were a particular budget pressure: the department moved from an out-of-state vendor to the Community Education Building, which it told councilors provides higher-quality meals but at higher cost. Phillips said a survey of roughly 27 academic-year and 50\u0000summer meal sites found more than 60 percent of sites preferred the new vendor\u0000a primary driver of an increase in temporary-salary and contract costs tied to the nutrition program.

Programming at the William Hicks Anderson Community Center (WHACC) was highlighted. Phillips said WHACC now offers year-round aquatics, free swim lessons for more than 50 children, neighborhood partnerships, and a suite of STEM, arts and leadership programs. The department is piloting a digital membership and access system, CommunityPass, that it said will reduce paper sign-in and improve attendance tracking.

On maintenance and operations, staff warned that vacancies have affected service. The department has an open Labor Foreman III position requiring a CDL-A that it said has been vacant since 2022 and has been reposted multiple times; Phillips said the shortage constrains quadrant coverage for park cleanliness and drives overtime. She also said a small engine mechanic position will be left unfilled and repurposed to support a cooperative program with Howard High School.

Parks renovation plans and capital requests were detailed by district. The department seeks $3 million in park-improvement capital funds covering projects that include Judy Johnson Park, Eastlake, Canby, Barbara Hicks Park, Johnston Park and others; WHACC would receive $1 million for facility and pool work ($300,000 for general improvements and $700,000 proposed for pool renovations). The department provided target completion seasons for many projects (e.g., Eastlake anticipated fall 2025; several parks targeted for spring or fall 2026), and said phased designs, bidding timelines and state or federal grant steps make schedules approximate.

Council members pressed on several recurring topics: how parks will be staffed and kept clean (maintenance overtime and weekend coverage were discussed as potential budget trade-offs), how safe-haven sites and the federal/state nutrition grants interplay with city funding, and whether boxing and other events should charge admission when the department moves them to other neighborhood venues. Phillips said events hosted at WHACC will remain free, and only some boxing events moving to other locations will have admission fees.

Public commenters representing neighborhood organizations and stewardship groups praised the Rodney Reservoir park work and urged continued community engagement in garden and stewardship planning. Director Phillips and staff said they attempt to engage neighborhood planning councils and civic associations before construction documents are finalized and encouraged civic groups to participate in stewardship.

The hearing closed with staff noting that follow-up materials would be shared with council and that public comment for each department would be collected at the end of the departmental hearing. No formal votes were taken during the budget hearing itself.","City parks and recreation leaders told the Finance Committee the department's FY2026 operating request focuses on youth programming, maintenance and a $3 million capital package for park renovations, while warning of staffing gaps and higher costs for nutrition services.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

City IT seeks funding to replace aging hardware, shore up cybersecurity and pilot AI over 15 months

Office of Economic Development keeps strategic fund, boosts DBE tracking and wraps loan partnerships in FY2026 request

Wilmington parks budget would fund youth programs, pool upkeep and $3 million in capital park work