HomeMy WebLinkAbout03-06-13 Information & Technology CommitteeInformation and Technology Committee
South Bend Common Council 2013
The March 6, 2013 meeting of the Information and Technology Committee was called to order
by its Chairperson, 1" District Council Member Tim Scott, at 5:00 p.m. in the Council Informal
Meeting Room.
Persons in attendance included Council Members Gavin Ferlic and Tim Scott; IT Director Keith
Crane, City Controller Mark Neal and Council Attorney Kathleen Cekanski- Farrand.
Council Member Scott noted that the topic for today was for an "IT Committee Kick - Off ". He
said that the Committee members include Dr. Varner who is the Vice - Chairperson, Council
Member Gavin Ferlic and Council Member Henry Davis, Jr. He noted that a quorum was not
present, and indicated that he would not be appointing a citizen member to the Committee at this
time. He also indicated that Dr. Varner was in earlier and stated that the Committee is "doing a
good job ".
Council Member Scott stressed that the Committee is aiming to help implement policies,
programs and procedures so that the City government is more paperless. He sees the need for
more training sessions overall, and especially on the Ipads and upcoming Apple TV.
Council Member Scott noted that Council Member Henry Davis, Jr. would like the Committee to
look into streamlining Committee and Common Council meetings live on the Internet. Updates
on the public access channel as well as from WHIT should also take place.
Council Member Gavin Ferlic suggested that a single source data base which highlights items
which are "unresolved" and items which are "resolved" might be helpful.
IT Director Keith Crane noted that the City is looking into a program called "SharePoint ".
[ "SharePoint' is shorthand to refer to one or more Microsoft SharePoint products or technologies. It provides collaborative sites to share
information with others, manage documents from start to finish, and publish reports to help everyone make better decisions.
Council Member Scott noted that Council Member Schey brought up pursuing ways of
improving ways for Council Members to brainstorm and share information.
Council Member Gavin Ferlic noted that often blogs are dominated by certain interests and that
the information does not always flow well; however overall it is a form of communication. He
also noted that with regard to payment on line for various City Utilities that currently a person
cannot make an automatic payment without having to log on each time, and that this may also be
worth pursuing.
IT Director Keith Crane noted that the City is looking into PayGov.Now which was budgeted for
this year. [ "PayGOV.US facilitates electronic payment for government and utility payments. The system allows for use of a credit card to
pay government or utility obligations! Payment can be taken for: taxes; utility bills; tuition; licenses; times and fees. It has a four - tiered system
allows a payment: Online; through an IVR; via our LIVE operators; or at the agencies counter "
Information & Technology Committee Meeting of March 7, 2013
Page 2
Mr. Crane added that Laserfiche [document management software] is not being used to its full
capabilities. The City is looking for someone to upgrade the system. They are currently working
with a company in Elkhart County who has the regional territory. Council Member Gavin Ferlic
noted that he would like to see a local provider when at all possible.
Council Member Scott noted concerns over the City paying service fees, as well as a fee for each
seat. He noted that there are a limited number of seats for access to Council documents which
have a cost of $400 per seat. Too often there is no access to the documents because of all being
used.
Council Member Gavin Ferlic suggested looking into Code.org [ "A non - profit organization called
Code.org, founded by brothers Hadi Partovi and Ali Partovi, was launched in January 2013 with the goal of making computer
science and programming accessible for everyone. ] He suggested that discussions with SBCSC
Superintendent Carole Schmidt about this and the need for more individuals being dedicated to
becoming research programmers may be considered.
The Council Attorney suggested that in light of the South Bend Municipal Code being online,
and it containing many dates when various reports, etc. are required to be filed for various
Council Committees, that there must be a way to track such deadlines and give notice to the
affected deparments/bureaus. Council Member Scott noted that this would be helpful and that the
Office of the City Clerk's Office should be part of the process.
IT Director Keith Crane then provided updates on the implementation of Active Directory
Migration which replaces Novell, with the kick -off scheduled for tomorrow. They are looking at
IT training, so that skill sets which individuals already have can be leveraged.
Council Member Scott added that as part of the budgetary process he would like to see a
summary of the percentages and dollar costs for training for all departments.
City Controller Mark Neal noted that a temporary employee is on board who is starting with
Human Resources and will review all departments. He is looking into enhanced training
needs /objectives as well as hardware /software /cloud computing with a clear list of priorities;
staffing needs, etc. He noted that there is an overwhelming need to stay updated on the latest
technology, in order to stay competitive and cost - effective. Council Member Scott noted that
ranking proficiencies and strengths, as a self - assessing tool may also prove beneficial.
Council Member Scott thanked everyone for their suggestions and ideas, and noted that there
will be a series of meetings to keep moving forward. He then adjourned the Committee meeting
at 5:40 p.m.
Res submi
Council ember Tim Scott, Chairperson
Information and Technology Committee