The “DICE” Roll: AI, ADA, and a Zebra Named Jerry?
Welcome back to the digital frontlines! Our latest Digital Innovation Task Force meeting was anything but “business as usual.” From new faces to the impending “ADA Apocalypse” and the terrifyingly smart evolution of AI, here is everything you missed from the VBC & SJC collaborative sync.
Meet the New Sheriff in Digital Town
First things first: everyone, wave to Madison Bishop! Maddie has joined the team as our new Digital Communications Coordinator.
The Mission: She’ll be the bridge between Van Buren and St. Joseph Counties, focusing on web upgrades and keeping the public proactive and informed.
The Warning: Jerry Happel admitted he’s “horrendous” at scheduling, so Maddie is officially taking the reins of this group. Be nice to her—she’s the one holding the calendar!
The ADA Deadline: Don’t Panic, But…
April 24, 2026. Mark it in red.
That is the day all county web content must meet strict accessibility standards.
Drake Olejniczak led a deep dive into how we can make our digital documents friendly for everyone, especially those using screen readers.
Quick Tips for the ADA-Ready Pro:
- Stop the “Print to PDF” Habit: This is a big no-no because it kills document tags. Use “Export” or “Save As” instead.
- Alt-Text is Your Friend: If an image communicates info, it needs a description. (Microsoft Word’s AI can actually generate these for you now!)
- Headings Matter: You can’t just bold text and call it a day; you have to use actual “Heading 1” and “Heading 2” styles so screen readers can navigate.
- The Gold Standard: Whenever possible, save documents as single-file web pages (HTML).
“Nobody should ever print to PDF ever again. We need to break that habit.” – Jerry Happel
AI 2.0: From Chatbots to “Task-Bots”
If you thought AI had plateaued, think again. Jerry and Drake discussed the new frontier of autonomous AI agents.
OpenAI Frontier & Claude Opus 4.6: These new models aren’t just answering questions; they are building entire pieces of software (like C compilers and browsers) in hours.
The “Vendor Lock” Trap: Jerry warned against giving all our data to big vendors. We want to build our own “Knowledge Base” so we own the “smarts” behind our data, not a third-party company.
Can I Have a Zebra? (The Prototype)
The highlight of the meeting was a demo of the new Lockport Township Zoning Helper.
Jerry showed how he could ask a simple question—“My name is Jerry, I live on McClish Road, can I have a zebra?”—and the AI did the rest. It looked up his parcel, checked the acreage, read the complex zoning ordinance, and gave a 99% accurate answer based on local laws.
This is the future of the “Marty” and “Joey” assistants: instant, accurate answers that save staff hours of phone calls.
What’s Next?
Training Sessions: Drake will be hosting two virtual training sessions soon. Bring a document you want to make accessible, and you’ll learn by doing!
See you all there—and remember, no zebras without a permit!
