SUMMARY MINUTES OF A PLANNING SESSION
OF THE CHAPEL HILL TOWN COUNCIL
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 1, 2000, AT 8:00 A.M.
Mayor Rosemary Waldorf called the meeting to order at 8:00 a.m.
Council members present were Joyce Brown, Flicka Bateman, Pat Evans, Kevin Foy, Lee Pavăo, Bill Strom, Jim Ward, and Edith Wiggins.
Staff members present were Town Manager Cal Horton, Assistant Town Managers Sonna Loewenthal and Florentine Miller, Town Attorney Ralph Karpinos, Assistant to the Manager Bill Stockard, and Town Clerk Joyce Smith.
Also present was Andy Sachs of the Dispute Settlement Center, who acted as facilitator.
Mayor Waldorf gave a brief overview of the proposed agenda for today’s meeting.
COUNCIL MEMBER PAVĂO MOVED, SECONDED BY COUNCIL MEMBER EVANS, THAT THE COUNCIL GO INTO CLOSED SESSION, AS AUTHORIZED BY NC GENERAL STATUTE SECTION 143-318.11(A)(6), TO CONDUCT PERFORMANCE EVALUATIONS OF THE TOWN MANAGER AND TOWN ATTORNEY. THE MOTION WAS ADOPTED UNANIMOUSLY.
The Council entered into a closed session at 8:05 a.m.
The Council moved back into open session at 11:06 a.m.
Mayor pro tem Lee Pavăo left at 11:06 a.m.
Mr. Horton presented a brief introduction of the three participants in today’s presentation.
Presentation by Lee Mandell, Director of Information, Technology and Research, North Carolina League of Municipalities
Mr. Mandell presented a Powerpoint program entitled “The Promises, Realities, and Challenges of E-Government: Using IT Strategically.”
Following are highlights of Mr. Mandell’s presentation:
E-Government System Requirements
· Ensures privacy and confidentiality of transactions, data, and meta-data.
· Meets all legal/legislative requirements for financial transactions and public records/retention
· Does not create an “elitist” group of citizens/taxpayers/voters.
· Able to be supported by a business case for higher service levels, lower costs, greater productivity, or a combination.
· Provides access to services 7 days a week and 24 hours a day.
· Provides location-independent access.
· Ensures simple, quick, inexpensive and safe transactions.
· Uses the internet and other appropriate electronic communication channels.
· Includes government to business, government to government transactions, and government to citizen/customer transactions.
E-Government Stages
· Publish – get a website
The Site provides information about government services
Example: Information about how to apply for a hunting license
· Interact
The site responds to a user’s input
Example: A direct link to send an e-mail to get a hunting license application
· Transact
A user can pay for a service online
Example: Ability to submit online a hunting license application that Wildlife will manually key into the license application
· Integrate
User input is integrated into supporting systems
Example: Ability to send the hunting license application to the hunting licensing system for batch processing
· Transform
The offering alters the way the agency performs its function
Example: Ability for the user to apply for, receive confirmation on, and print the hunting license.
The Promises of E-Government
· Electronic/self-service government.
· Citizen choice and control.
· Economic competitiveness.
· Improved service delivery.
· Improve service efficiency.
· Transforming/improving government processes:
-integrated/seamless service delivery
· Changing the nature of work and workers.
The Reality of E-Government
· Technology costs too high to implement.
· Technology costs higher than expected.
· Inadequate project management.
· Difficulty recruiting and retaining professional staff.
· Unrealized cost reductions:
-difficult to measure government costs in the first place.
· Government processes must be re-engineered.
· Public expectations rising faster than the ability to meet them.
· Public access and the “Digital Divide”:
-unprepared and ill-equipped citizenry.
Uses of Electronic Commerce in Local Government
1. Tax and fine payments.
2. Utility bill and user fee payments.
3. On-line bidding and procurement systems.
4. Business licensing and permitting.
5. Vendor contracting.
6. Land records information access.
7. Speed limit, stop sign or traffic signal change request.
8. Street light request.
9. Problem and accident reports to police.
10. Services requested and scheduled.
11. Carpooling registration.
12. Job listing responses and application submission.
13. Citizen complaints.
14. Economic development site selection.
15. Water and sewer service and change requests.
16. Building and parking permits applications.
17. Address changes made.
18. Animal licenses.
19. Parks and recreation reservations.
20. E-auctions
21. GIS data serving.
GIS Benefits
· More informed and timely decision-making.
· Improved responsiveness to citizens.
· Enhanced resource management.
· Increased data accuracy and flexibility.
· New, better, and more timely information.
· More efficient and productive information processing.
· Better use of assets.
· Improved organizational planning.
· Ability to visualize and explore alternatives.
Some Challenges of E-Government
· Pace of technology change vs. policy/program change.
· Governmental risk aversion.
· Forging a strategic vision: achieving long-term goals through E-Government.
· Getting value from investments in E-Government assets.
· Getting top management leadership and involvement.
· Changing staff requirements:
-Technology literacy: ordinary jobs require higher levels of technological skills to perform them
-Change in traditional roles.
· Telework/telecommuting.
· Procurement hurdles:
-Make vs. buy.
-Standards-based vs. proprietary.
-Strategic outsourcing.
-Defined objectives.
-Performance metrics (measuring success).
-Politics.
· New technical infrastructures.
· Disabled access/accommodation.
· Public records and privacy concerns.
· Governing the IT function and adopting IT policies/ordinances.
Mr. Mandell noted that IT is no longer in a support role, but is central and strategic in running local governments. He said that IT should be strategically, structurally, and managerially aligned with core governmental priorities.
Mr. Mandell concluded his presentation by saying that the challenge facing local governments is to link policy, management, and technology together.
Council Member Strom asked what the League’s role would be to help municipalities. Mr. Mandell answered by presentations such as this. Council Member Strom asked if the League would assist in purchasing equipment. Mr. Mandell said not at this time. He noted they would continue to offer presentations and provide information.
Council Member Foy said two things were happening. He said the first was interaction with citizens and other outside vendors, and the second was internal operations that support things like parks and recreation, public works and other functions. Council Member Foy asked what does the local government focus on first: how to change things internally or, for example, do you first figure out how citizens could pay tickets over the Internet. Mr. Mandell said it may very well be that there would be more benefit to improving the internal operations first. He said he believes in the future those two things would be integrated rather than separate. Mr. Mandell added those two things should be looked at simultaneously.
Mr. Karpinos asked about the use of bar codes, and asked if such technology would be useful in assisting in a pay as you throw system. Mr. Mandell said those types of uses already exist.
Presentation by Bob Avery, Computer Systems Specialist, Town of Chapel Hill Finance Department
Mr. Avery noted his presentation would include what we are doing in Chapel Hill now, and what we hope to do in the future. He said the focus is where we are headed in the 21st century. Mr. Avery said we would have to find the fine line between what we want to do and what we can afford to do.
Mr. Avery made the following Powerpoint presentation:
The world around us is changing.
How are we adapting?
· Internet access
· Town web site
· Technology Committee
Our network:
1996 2000
50 computers 300 computers
2 servers 25 servers
10 MBS LAN 10/100 MBS LAN
100 users 500 users
Our network services:
1996 2000
Network Network
Website
Helpdesk
Procurement (through a centralized fund)
Licensing (one license necessary for each computer)
Database support
Our network connections:
1996 2000
Internet – 64 KBS Internet – 1 MBS
WAN – 64 WAN – 384 KBS
Sites – 6 Sites – 10
Where are we headed?
· Enhanced online access
· Mobil access
· E-commerce style services
What’s in progress?
1. Better document management
2. Better workflow
What’s ahead?
What do we need to do it?
Organization Changes:
Centralized planning and budgeting for network related functions
Implement lifecycle procurement for network system components
Implement enterprise-level standards for documents and databases
Establish an enterprise wide web publishing capability
Network improvements needed:
Additional human services needed:
Commercial services needed:
How do we proceed?
Mr. Groves stated that the Committee currently has 8 citizens, with Council Member Foy as Council liaison. He stated that the Committee interviewed each department and identified seven different topic areas, including Network infrastructure, Website pages, and GIS
In short term, Mr. Groves said that network development is very important. He noted that all departments contribute to a pool of funds to upgrade computer equipment, which lays the groundwork to proceed into E-commerce and E-government. Mr. Groves said that software must fit Town guidelines and not be specific for each department. He said software should have cross-coordination and fit into the Town’s plan.
Mr. Groves stated that there are always going to be physical services that you must communicate with. He noted that emergency agencies have difficulty in communicating with the present radio system in use, adding that it fails often and repair parts are hard to obtain. Mr. Groves said the State is moving to a 800 MHz system, which provides interagency communication. He stated that the problem with this is that it must be County-wide, and must involve the 911, police, fire, Sheriff, and EMS services. Mr. Groves said this is a huge task. He added that the Committee will present a report to the Council in October.
Council Member Bateman left at 12:10 p.m.
Mr. Mandell, Mr. Avery, and Mr. Groves answered several questions of the Council regarding their presentations. Discussion included the Town’s present system and how the departments use it.
Council Member Foy noted his interest was in how the Town could use technology internally. He asked Mr. Mandell is that the type of service he provides for the NC League of Municipalities. Mr. Mandell said his department is responsible for all information technology services provided by the League.
Council Member Evans asked if we had looked beyond County lines, for instance in the area of GIS. Mr. Groves said the Committee had not considered GIS beyond County lines, but believed it would be compatible. Mr. Groves said regarding the 800 MHz system for County-wide communications, he and others would meet with State officials and the vendor to learn more about what the State and State Police are doing and what equipment, such as existing towers, would be available for use. He noted that Fayetteville had done an excellent job of implementing an 800 MHz system, and hoped to have a group of representations study that system to gain some insight into how it operates. He said they are still in the educational process.
Mr. Horton noted the Town had been lobbying with the County for such a system for several years, but little progress had been made.
The meeting was adjourned at 12:45 p.m.