Laserfiche WebLink
Information & Technology Committee Meeting of March 7, 2013 <br />Page 2 <br />Mr. Crane added that Laserfiche [document management software] is not being used to its full <br />capabilities. The City is looking for someone to upgrade the system. They are currently working <br />with a company in Elkhart County who has the regional territory. Council Member Gavin Ferlic <br />noted that he would like to see a local provider when at all possible. <br />Council Member Scott noted concerns over the City paying service fees, as well as a fee for each <br />seat. He noted that there are a limited number of seats for access to Council documents which <br />have a cost of $400 per seat. Too often there is no access to the documents because of all being <br />used. <br />Council Member Gavin Ferlic suggested looking into Code.org [ "A non - profit organization called <br />Code.org, founded by brothers Hadi Partovi and Ali Partovi, was launched in January 2013 with the goal of making computer <br />science and programming accessible for everyone. ] He suggested that discussions with SBCSC <br />Superintendent Carole Schmidt about this and the need for more individuals being dedicated to <br />becoming research programmers may be considered. <br />The Council Attorney suggested that in light of the South Bend Municipal Code being online, <br />and it containing many dates when various reports, etc. are required to be filed for various <br />Council Committees, that there must be a way to track such deadlines and give notice to the <br />affected deparments/bureaus. Council Member Scott noted that this would be helpful and that the <br />Office of the City Clerk's Office should be part of the process. <br />IT Director Keith Crane then provided updates on the implementation of Active Directory <br />Migration which replaces Novell, with the kick -off scheduled for tomorrow. They are looking at <br />IT training, so that skill sets which individuals already have can be leveraged. <br />Council Member Scott added that as part of the budgetary process he would like to see a <br />summary of the percentages and dollar costs for training for all departments. <br />City Controller Mark Neal noted that a temporary employee is on board who is starting with <br />Human Resources and will review all departments. He is looking into enhanced training <br />needs /objectives as well as hardware /software /cloud computing with a clear list of priorities; <br />staffing needs, etc. He noted that there is an overwhelming need to stay updated on the latest <br />technology, in order to stay competitive and cost - effective. Council Member Scott noted that <br />ranking proficiencies and strengths, as a self - assessing tool may also prove beneficial. <br />Council Member Scott thanked everyone for their suggestions and ideas, and noted that there <br />will be a series of meetings to keep moving forward. He then adjourned the Committee meeting <br />at 5:40 p.m. <br />Res submi <br />Council ember Tim Scott, Chairperson <br />Information and Technology Committee <br />