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Executive Briefing Summary for Council – AI Training Program City of Mesa – City Council Briefing Memo To: Mayor and Members of the Mesa City Council From: Collaborative effort involving the Department of Innovation and Technology, Mesa Public Libraries, and the Office of Innovation and Efficiency Date: January 28, 2026 Subject: AI Training Program for Mesa Residents and City Employees through Mesa Public Library and iLearn Training Portal Purpose To brief the City Council on a proposed citywide Artificial Intelligence (AI) training initiative that would provide online AI education to Mesa residents through the Mesa Public Library and to City of Mesa employees through the existing iLearn training portal, using a shared curriculum tailored to each audience. Strategic Alignment The proposed program directly supports Mesa’s strategic goals and workforce initiatives by: Workforce Development & Economic Vitality Providing residents with access to in-demand AI skills that support job readiness, career advancement, and small business growth. Organizational Excellence & Innovation Equipping City employees with practical AI skills to improve productivity, data analysis, and service delivery while maintaining responsible use standards. Digital Equity & Community Access Leveraging Mesa Public Library as a trusted access point for emerging technology education, helping reduce barriers to digital skills training. Fiscal Responsibility Utilizing a single training program for two audiences and existing platforms (Library systems and iLearn) to maximize return on investment and scalability. Program Overview The initiative would offer self-paced, online AI training courses through: Mesa Public Library – Free access for residents using library credentials, available remotely or at library locations. City iLearn Training Portal – Role-appropriate AI training for City staff, aligned with public-sector use cases and governance standards. Courses would include AI fundamentals, ethical and responsible use, productivity tools, and audience-specific applications. Workforce & Community Benefits Enhances Mesa’s competitiveness in a rapidly changing labor market Supports lifelong learning and upskilling for residents Improves internal efficiency and service outcomes for City operations Positions Mesa as a forward-thinking leader in responsible AI adoption Implementation Approach Publicly announced rollout utilizing media channels available to Mesa’s Public Information Office Internal announcements to City Staff utilizing Inside Mesa and Department Director communication with their teams Integration with existing systems to minimize disruption (to be performed by DoIT) Ongoing evaluation through participation metrics and user feedback Next Steps Staff is seeking Council direction on: Proceeding with program development and public/internal announcement promotions and desired timing