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Home My WebLink About8.2 Paperless Agenda OptionsG~~~ OF DUB~ . /9/ ~~ ~s2 ~~~~~~ ~ ~'1L7`~'pR~~~~ STAFF REPORT DUBLIN CITY COUNCIL CITY CLERK File # ^~~~-~1 ~ DATE: June 22, 2010 TO: Honorable Mayor and City Councilmembers FROM: . Joni Pattillo, City Manager SUBJE . Paperless Agenda Options Prepared By: Caroline P. Soto, City Clerk EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: One of the City Council's High Priority Objectives for Fiscal Year 2009-2010 is to "Investigate opportunities and implement solutions for paperless Council Meetings." This Staff Report will present options to the City Council regarding the objective. FINANCIAL IMPACT: The costs for the implementation of this project are not currently included in the proposed Five Year Capital Improvement Program. The costs for the project range from $20,500 -$126,000 and would be dependent on City Council direction. RECOMMENDATION: Staff recommends the City Council review the options and, at a minimum, conceptually approve proceeding with Phase 1. A Budget Change and amendment to the Capital Improvement Program encompassing the total scope desired by the City Council will be brought back to the meeting of July 20, 2010 for City Council approval. ~' ~ P~~~ ~~ z~ ~ Submitted By City Clerk ~ Reviewed By Administrative Services Dir. Revi we By Assistant ~ Manager Page 1 of 4 ITEM NO. ~' ~ DESCRIPTION: One of the City Council's High Priority Objectives for Fiscal Year 2009-2010 is to "Investigate opportunities and implement solutions for paperless Council Meetings." Staff has been evaluating options for this objective ranging from short term (3-4 months) options to longer term options (6 months to one year). In researching the subject, Staff evaluated the amount of paper used in production of agenda packets based on the average size of agenda packets created for City Council meetings in 2009. The following Table provides an estimate of the cost and amount of paper involved: TABLE 1: Annual Paper Consumed and Costs For City Council Agenda Packets Based on Avera e A enda In 2009 # City Council Average # # of Complete # Pages Cost of Paper / Meetings Pages Per Packets (Council Copier Charge A enda / Staff / Public 31 436 21 283,836 $4,730 Other costs involved in producing a City Council agenda packet include Staff time to compose, review, revise, and approve Staff Reports, and reproduction and delivery of a paper agenda packet. Staff also surveyed area agencies and concluded that only one of the six agencies surveyed, Dublin Unified School District, had a totally paperless agenda process in place. Attachment 1 to the Staff Report details agencies surveyed and associated findings. Staff has proposed two (2) potential options, or phases, for the City Council to consider regarding a paperless agenda process. Phase 1 City Council agenda packets could be delivered to the City Council on CDs or other electronic format. Staff has successfully tested the placement of entire agenda packets on CDs and thumb drives and the effectiveness of maneuvering within Staff Reports on those medium. One-on-one training would be provided to each Councilmember by the City Clerk and Information Technology Staff to ensure familiarity with the new process. Costs associated with this option include the purchasing of eight laptop computers (one for each of the five City Council positions as well as the three staff positions - City Manager; City Attorney; and Assistant City Manager). The laptops would be portable and assigned to each user, so that they could also be used to review the agendas before the meeting and for other city business. In order to have power outlets at the dais for the additional computers, the Public Works Department estimates a cost of $3,000 for modifications. There would be a minimal cost associated with the purchase of CDs or thumb drives. Costs associated with this Phase include: Annual Estimated costs of CDs or thumb drives $ 300 Laptops for five City Councilmembers and three Staff ($2,150 each including Office Software and miscellaneous su ort connections $17,200 Electrical Work in Ci Council Chambers $ 3,000 Phase 1 Total $20,500 Page 2 of 4 There are now 21 paper agenda meeting packets produced for the City Council (5), Staff (12), media (2) and public (2). With Phase No. 1 in place, one paper packet would be produced for the public and City Councilmembers would have the option of continuing to receive a paper packet if they so choose. The remaining Staff and media would receive the agenda reports on a CD and/or be encouraged to access the agenda and associated Staff Reports via the City's website. Phase 1 could be implemented within three to four months. The City Council could direct Staff to put in place Phase No. 1 only OR put it in place and continue with Phase 2. Phase 2 Phase 2 would be an examination of comprehensive solutions that can build off of what is implemented in Phase 1. The City could purchase, install and maintain agenda manager software to streamline and implement a paperless agenda packet process to allow electronic composition, review, revision, and approval routing of Staff Reports and electronic production of the City Council agenda packet. The amount of paper used for approval routing can vary widely depending on Staff Report size and number of revisions necessary. Electronic routing would reduce paper usage even more than just implementing Phase 1. Another element that can be studied as part of this phase is the expansion of access to the system by the remaining members of the City Executive Team. The study could look at hardware alternatives for accessing and presenting information as well as how changes may be integrated with the regular replacement of personal computers. Staff would also consider the viability of other City Commissions' and Committees' possible use of the agenda management software, and to what degree. There are agenda packets produced for the Planning Commission (17 meetings held in 2009), Parks & Community Services Commission (11 meetings held in 2009), Heritage and Cultural Arts Commission (11 meetings in 2009), Senior Advisory Commission (12 meetings held in 2009), and the Youth Advisory Committee (11 meetings in 2009). Due to the fact that there are also more than 5 members of some of the Commissions, and to avoid duplicative hardware purchase and support costs, it may result in considering fixed computers at the dais as part of a future phase that would more broadly address agenda preparation throughout the City. Total estimated costs associated with this Phase would include: Agenda Management Software including set-up, $ 30,000 -$ 46,000 licenses, trainin and one ear s stem maintenance Project Management Services to develop an accurate $ 15,000 -$ 20,000 business process map of proposed electronic agenda process and oversee selection of agenda manager software and im lementation E ui ment / Hardware $ 18,000 -$ 39,500 Phase 2 Total $ 63,000 - $105,500 Phase 1+ Phase 2 Total $ 83,500 -$126,000 Page 3 of 4 In addition to the above costs, there would be indirect costs associated with Staff time for implementation and on-going training of both the City Council and Staff. Again, as with Phase 1, one paper packet would be produced for the public and City Councilmembers would have the option of continuing to receive a paper packet if they so choose. The remaining Staff and media would receive a CD or be encouraged to access the agenda and associated Staff Reports via the City's website, or depending on the solution selected alternatives may exist that would also eliminate the need to create a CD. The Agenda system would have its own access point for City Councilmembers and Staff. The City was informed in May 2010 that it had been preliminarily approved for $3,000 in funding from the StopWaste Partnership mini-grant program for this paperless agenda software project. To be eligible, the proposed project must be in the area of waste prevention, reuse, recycling or market development and have an impact in Alameda County. During implementation of any of the above Phases, Staff can examine whether providing CDs to the City Council, Staff and media should be continued and also examine if accessing the agenda on the City Network would be a preferred solution. For this to occur, additional access to the City nefinrork would need to be established in the City Council Chambers. This cost has been budgeted as part of the 2010/2011 Nefinrork Capital Improvement project. NEXT STEPS The next steps are dependent on what Phase(s) the City Council chooses to direct Staff to complete. At a minimum, Staff would recommend proceeding with Phase 1 as outlined in this report. Based on the direction, Staff will prepare a Capital Improvement Project for consideration at the July 20, 2010 City Council meeting which would include a Budget Change and additional appropriation. If the City Council directs Staff to proceed with both Phase 1 and 2, Staff will proceed as stated above, and with the Project Manager, begin developing a formal Request For Proposal (RFP) and soliciting responses from vendors. A multi-departmental Staff Review Team would be assembled to evaluate RFPs of agenda management software, including features, as well as costs. NOTICING REQUIREMENTS/PUBLIC OUTREACH: Not applicable. ATTACHMENTS: 1. Survey Results of Area Agencies and Associated Findings regarding Agenda Process Page 4 of 4 AGENDA PROCESS AGENCY SURVEY AGENCY AGENDA PROCESS AGENDA DELIVERY City of Livermore No specialized agenda Paper agenda packet delivery (4 software City Councilmembers, 1 electronic) and paper agenda acket at meetin . City of Pleasanton No specialized agenda Paper agenda packet delivery software and paper agenda packet at meetin . City of San Ramon No specialized agenda Paper agenda packet delivery software and paper agenda packet at meetin . Dublin Unified School Agenda software provided Accessed via website prior to District through California School meeting; accessed via laptop at Board Board meetin . ACTIA No specialized agenda Paper agenda packet delivery software and paper agenda packet at meeting; electronic link to a enda acket also rovided. Stopwaste.org No specialized agenda 50-50 percentage of paper software agenda packet delivery vs. electronic access to packet. If agenda packet accessed electronically, member provides their own laptop for use at Board meetin . ATTACHMENT 1