AGENDA #3c
BUDGET WORKING PAPER
TO: W. Calvin Horton, Town Manager
FROM: Jim Baker, Finance Director
SUBJECT: Technology Committee Budget Recommendations
DATE: May 30, 2001
RESUBMITTED: June 13, 2001
The Citizens’ Technology Committee presented its recommendations for a Town Technology Plan to the Town Council on October 23, 2000. The Town Council received the report and referred it to the Town Manager for review. On February 26, 2001, the Town Manager reported the results of the review and outlined a Town Technology Plan that included eight goals and thirty-one initiatives to implement the Committee’s recommendations. This response included preliminary budget planning for twenty-seven of the proposed initiatives for FY2001-2002. These were subsequently included in the Manager’s Recommended Budget for FY2001-2002 with a total funding of $136,000.
On April 9, 2001, the Technology Committee made a presentation to the Town Council to urge the Council to take a more aggressive approach toward technology in the FY2001-2002 budget by increasing funding to support establishment of a technology department and to acquire outside expertise for web development and geographic information system (GIS) development. These recommendations are summarized as follows:
(1) Network improvements should be made so that the Geographic Information System (GIS) is available to all staff to identify locations, facilities and parcels. Town can develop its own GIS Internet site or link to Orange County site ($25,000).
(2) Obtain outside expertise to develop integrated, easily managed and easily accessed site ($20,000).
(3) Established the Information Technology operation as a separate department with a department head ($85,000).
These recommendations were included in the Manager’s Recommended Budget as optional budget additions requiring further study.
COMMENTS
The three recommendations above are consistent with the goals of the Town’s Technology Plan and the Technology Committee’s Technology Report recommendations. The Town intends to follow its Technology Plan, but will need to do so in phases. Steps planned for FY2001-2002 include: 1) planning for establishment in fiscal year 2003 of a department for technology, 2) making improvements to the Town web site and 3) increasing GIS capabilities. The Committee’s recommendations would accelerate these efforts but would require additional funding. We have reviewed our budget proposals and do not believe that we would benefit by reducing funding for other technology projects in order to fund the additional Technology Committee recommendations. Should funding become available at a later date, we would support including earlier implementation of improvements to the web site and to GIS.
While availability of funding is the main reason for moving less aggressively than the Technology Committee is recommending, there are other significant factors. One particular concern is the suitability of space and infrastructure support necessary to support the long-term needs for technology personnel and equipment. We do not have adequate space to accommodate additional technology personnel beyond the one already included in the budget. Some of the space needs could be met by reducing the space allocated for Finance Department records and supplies; however, this will require study to determine alternate storage locations that provide proper accessibility and security. Space is also needed to locate some computer system equipment in the new section of Town Hall to improve reliability for network systems and data storage.
Computer facilities currently in use do not provide alternate or backup electrical power supplies other than short-term battery backup devices. The facilities also lack backup support for environmental needs such as air conditioning. The longer-term solution for computer system facilities may dictate that a location other than the Finance Department is needed to support the Town’s needs. These space needs should be resolved as part of an overall plan for establishing a department beginning in fiscal year 2003.
In summary, we intend to follow the recommendations in the Town’s Technology Plan in phases. Because of funding and space concerns, we recommend postponing the Technology Committee’s suggestions included in the Manager’s Recommended Budget for optional budget additions until fiscal year 2002-2003. We believe that during the fiscal 2001-2002 year we can find space to store the records and make the other necessary changes to provide appropriate space for an information technology department. The space solution should be adequate for the next several years; however, we will also need to examine long-range facility needs. After taking these steps, we can be ready to establish a separate information technology department in fiscal year 2002-2003.