As the calendar year comes to a close, we’re excited to share a Wrapped-style highlight reel of what San Rafael’s Digital Service & Open Government team accomplished together in 2025.
From major infrastructure upgrades to community-centered innovation, here’s what we made possible this year — with our residents, colleagues, and partners at the center of it all.
Our Top Five Accomplishments
ERP Phase 1: Live + Thriving
The Digital and Finance team launched Phase 1 of the City’s new Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system, migrating our entire City financial system to a modernized platform. Staff are taking advantage of the many process improvements, and Finance staff successfully closed the first quarter of 2026 in Tyler ERP.
Microsoft Teams Phone Project
We replaced our aging phone system with a Microsoft Teams integrated phone system, giving City teams flexibility to route calls to users wherever they are, supporting a hybrid workforce and reducing annual costs.
Together Academy
Digital partnered with Human Resources and the City Manager’s Office to design and launch Together Academy, an innovation and training program that places human centered design at the center of solving our biggest challenges. One of the cohort challenge teams focused on tackling mobile food vending and was able to bring solutions from the program to Council this year.
Strategic Plan and Annual Workplan Development
We supported the City Manager’s office and all Departments in the creation of a new three-year strategic plan and annual workplan. Digital hosted cross-departmental workshops to hone our goals and objectives, expanded our performance measurement program, and developed work plan progress tracking tools to celebrate our successes.
Hybrid Conference Room Upgrades
We streamlined the hybrid meeting experience in conference rooms across the City to make it easier to join and host video meetings with intuitive technology integrations.
🌐 Chapter 1: A Smarter, Connected City
Data Program Strategic Planning with What Works Cities
Our Data & Insights team works across Departments to improve our ability to leverage data to make informed policy and operational divisions. In addition to the expansion of our performance measurement program and data application development, we spent this year developing a data strategy and data governance framework alongside deep engagement with the What Works Cities network leading to significant improvements in the way our City tracks and leverages data and contributing to our growing data maturity as an organization.
Asset Management Implementation
For the first time, Public Works has a unified, GIS-driven asset inventory. Public Works lead the charge by gathering LiDAR data, identifying city assets, and creating a citywide asset inventory. Our team helped migrate data and continue to support Public Works in the integration of services into our new asset management platform.
Citywide Fiber Planning and Infrastructure Expansion
The City continues to build out a City-owned fiber infrastructure to improve interconnectivity of facilities and improve resilience. This year we built connections to the San Rafael Community Center, mapped fiber resources, and improved cross-departmental coordination to take advantage of undergrounding projects that can support continued expansion of the network.
Library Move
Our team assisted the Library and Recreation team to relocate the Library from its temporary home on Fourth Street back into the refurbished Carnegie Library — ensuring continuity of public services through network setup, device deployment, and on-site technology support.
City Hall Lobby Info Display
Visitors now see live updates, services, and announcements on a new digital display designed to reduce confusion and improve wayfinding.
🎤 Chapter 2: Communication That Connects
Wordly Live Interpretation
Improving access to public meetings for all community members means making language accessibility easier. Our team began piloting Wordly’s AI language platform for public meetings increasing language access for residents and supporting our equity goals.
Social Media Growth
The City’s reach on social media platforms grew significantly this year including an over 340% increase in year-to-date views on Instagram, helping the City reach more residents with essential updates, engagement opportunities, and public safety messaging.
Streamlining and Increasing Content to the Community
We have been coordinating with Departments across the City to increase the volume of content posted to the City website, streamlining the design of our bi-weekly Snapshot newsletter, and improving internal communications. We have moved the City’s internal Friday Memos into a Axios HQ, allowing for automated workflows and refocusing staff time to develop content for the community.
📊 Chapter 3: Governance, Policies & Planning
AI Policy Adoption
We adopted the City’s first-ever Artificial Intelligence policy and trained staff on effective, equitable, and responsible ways to use generative AI.
Governance, Risk & Compliance (GRC) Policy Development
Cybersecurity and IT governance are essential to managing the City’s complex networks and IT resources. This year we reviewed and drafted the City’s first, comprehensive Governance, Risk, and Compliance IT policy framework to strengthen cybersecurity, clarify responsibilities, and prepare the organization for future audits and IT compliance needs.
🏛️ Chapter 4: Service Delivery at Its Best
IT Operations: The Unsung Heroes
Digital oversees our IT Managed Service Provider, Xantrion, to manage the City’s IT resources. This year, the Xantrion IT team closed 7536 unique tickets covering all engineering, projects, and network security incidents, including 3000 service desk tickets. This year they ensured all City PCs were upgraded to Windows 11 and began updating Citywide Wi-Fi at all facilities. Every City service depends on this invisible backbone and the Xantrion team is an invaluable partner in protecting the City’s networks and keeping our IT infrastructure up-to-date.
Public Works Permits and Special Events Permits Go-Live in OpenGov
Over the past year, our team has been working on the phased implementation of new permit management software across the City. This year the Public Works team went live with six permits types (Encroachment, Sidewalk Repair, Watercourse, Tideland, and Oversize/Overweight Vehicle Transportation permits) and Community Economic Development launched Special Events permits in OpenGov. This has already created significant workflow efficiencies and prepares our teams for the the full go-live of OpenGov in early 2026.
Major Development Project Support
The City has received a significant increase in development applications over the past year. New state laws impacting local jurisdiction control create new challenges in coordination and review. Our team conducted research alongside Planning, Public Works, City Attorney and City Manager’s Office to identify operational improvements and understand the impacts of legislation on our review and approval process. We conducted user research, process mapping, and provided recommendations for improvements to cross-department collaboration and coordination on application review.
🎧 Thanks for being part of our year
2025 was a year of building foundations for the next decade of digital government. We couldn’t have done it without the collaboration of every department, partner, and community member we worked with.
Here’s to an even more impactful 2026.