The New Mexico Attorney General’s Office on Tuesday awarded more than $220,000 in settlement money to public institutions around the state for their requested technology proposals.
The awards included: improving local government ability to process Inspection of Public Records Act requests; providing free public Wi-Fi in public libraries and open space; and money to a community college to train coding instructors.
The money comes from New Mexico’s share of a multi-state price-fixing lawsuit involving dynamic random-access memory (DRAM) litigation involving equipment such as computers and printers.
“Investing in technology, especially in our rural communities, will improve the services provided to taxpayers and spur local innovation,” Attorney General Hector Balderas said in a statement.
The $220,000 specifically, according to a news release, was awarded as follows:
- Bloomfield Public Library will receive $12,279.33 for updated equipment and Wi-Fi installation for optimal use of existing fiber optic loop.
- Doña Ana County will get $30,000 to improve how it handles IPRA requests.
- Las Vegas Police Department plans to use $28,029 for an electronic evidence management system.
- Torrance County receives $42,525 for public access stations at customer service counters; for online archival search program and marriage licensing software and improvements to its emergency operations center CPU.
- Edgewood plans to use $12,000 for state-of-the-art equipment and wireless technology to provide free Wi-Fi in two public parks and a large open space.
- Questa will receive $16,348.72 for website redesign to improve access to records, public meeting software and equipment to provide more accurate and timely delivery of information.
- Central New Mexico Community College will use $80,267 for blockchain utilization and development, the training of up to 10 coding instructors, building production blockchain services and making them available to government agencies.
