Leesburg Technology and Communications Commission Meeting - May 5, 2026
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Leesburg Technology and Communications Commission Meeting - May 5, 2026
The Technology and Communications Commission met on May 5, 2026 (Cinco de Mayo) at 12:00 PM. Key topics included public cybersecurity outreach, IT operational maturity, and AI governance. The commission approved previous minutes and outlined next steps for community education and departmental improvements.
Consent Calendar
- Unanimously approved the minutes of the April 7, 2026 meeting.
Public Comments & Testimony
- No public comments were made during the meeting.
Discussion Items
- Public Cybersecurity Outreach: Commissioners discussed revising the public education strategy. They decided to shift from separate children's classes to a joint children-and-parents approach to reduce liability. Potential topics include spotting AI-generated deepfakes, financial scams (e.g., fake Zoom calls from executives), and general password hygiene. Venues under consideration are Ida Lee Park, Thomas Balch Library, and the senior center, with a target date in July. Collaboration with the Leesburg Police Department on a joint scam-awareness event was proposed. Commissioners will contact LCPS, venue managers, and the police department to coordinate.
- IT Operational Update: IT Director Scott reported progress on implementing ManageEngine Service Desk and endpoint management tools, which improve asset visibility and automate onboarding workflows (e.g., AD account creation). The team is working with HR to create a dedicated help desk instance. A network administrator hiring process is underway, with the current administrator retiring in October; a transition overlap has been approved. Scott expressed the need for a junior network administrator position to eliminate a single point of failure. The commission voiced support for annual penetration testing and securing funding for it; the CFO is on board for this year, and the commission will advocate for permanent budget inclusion.
- AI Governance and Public Messaging: The AI working group has established an intake process for AI use case proposals from departments. The town is exploring tools like Gamma (presentation AI) but with security vetting. A council member noted that some residents questioned the town's AI adoption; the IT director and commission agreed to prepare public and council updates on the town's careful, governance-first approach.
- Security Best Practices: Discussion reinforced the importance of password managers, MFA, passphrases (23+ characters), and automatic rotation of service account passwords for both personal and organizational security.
- Commissioner Highlights: A commissioner was recognized for being named to a "Women in Technology" list. The networking event for city commissions was well-attended; commissioners encouraged further collaboration across commissions.
Key Outcomes
- Approved the April 7, 2026 meeting minutes.
- Directed follow-up actions for public outreach (contact venues, LCPS, police department, finalize content).
- IT Department will secure funding for a 2026 penetration test and continue advocating for a junior network administrator FTE in future budgets.
- The AI working group will provide periodic briefings to the Town Council; the commission will support public communication about AI use.
- Meeting adjourned at 8:06 PM.
Meeting Transcript
Robert Schumann knew that Carnival is the one time of year when the rules don't apply. That's when you can be anyone. Wear a mask. Nobody asks too many questions. Carnival takes that spirit and runs with it. Twenty-one short piano pieces, each a different character, a different mood, a different disguise. Good to see you, amigo on the Cinco de Mayo. Good to see you too. Where is uh You cannot have the tequila till after the meeting? Okay. Very no one informed me. The councilman brought plenty for everyone. No, no one informing. It's in John's office. That's right. I talked to actually lunch with Mike today. I don't know where he is. Sure. Ready, study, Freddie. All right. I hereby call this meeting at the Technology and Communications Commission to order. 701. Thank you, sir. Welcome. Button two, three, four, five. Quorum. There he is. Six. All right. All right. Before he sits. Well, okay, I was gonna I was trying to save the an up and down. Pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America. And to the Republic for which it stands. One nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty, justice for all. Aaron, can you turn the eagle around? With pleasure. Good man. All right. As always, in front of you, you have oh, you brought your cool notebooks. I didn't bring mine. I just scribble things on the agenda. Um in front of you are meetings for our or rather minutes for our previous meeting. And when people are ready, the chair is ready to entertain motions on their approval. I shall move that the minutes of April the seventh, one of twenty-six be approved. I'll second that. All right. All those in favor, please signify by saying aye. Aye. Those opposed by nay.
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