Executive sponsor
Names the priority, clears roadblocks, and owns the policy direction at the leadership level.
Cities that start AI policy without named owners and a defined first 90 days typically stall before the first draft is done.
Start with a clear city work plan.
If your city has scattered AI interest, unclear ownership, or no current policy, start here. This page turns a blank slate into a practical work plan with owners, decisions, and outputs.
Use this page first if your city needs the first team, first 90 days, and first deliverables.
Step 1: set the minimum team
Assign three roles and a small review group. Cities that move quickly usually start there, not with a giant committee.
Project lead
Keeps the work moving, gathers input, manages drafts, and brings decisions back to the right people.
Working reviewers
Usually legal, IT, operations, workforce or HR, and communications or public trust.
Step 2: move in the sequence cities actually use
Each stage should give your city something it can review, not just another planning conversation.
1. Inventory current use
Find existing pilots, vendor tools, and informal staff use before drafting rules.
Output: a current-use inventory your team can review.
2. Write immediate guardrails
Set simple first rules for high-risk uses, resident-facing tools, and unapproved experimentation.
Output: immediate rules leadership can stand behind.
3. Draft the core policy
Define approval logic, documentation expectations, oversight, and update responsibility.
Output: a draft policy and review path.
4. Prepare the operating materials
Build staff guidance, training notes, FAQs, and a resident-facing explanation.
Output: the materials staff and residents will actually see.
5. Review before adoption
Use a practical sign-off path before calling the work complete.
Output: a sign-off package with a named owner after approval.
Starting from zero should end with a real build path, not another blank page.
Use the repo when your city is ready to build the inventory, first guardrails, draft policy, and supporting materials from actual working files. If your city still needs help naming owners, structuring the first 90 days, or getting the first package moving, use the help path here.