HomeMy WebLinkAboutItem 01 Council Communication Options
Meeting Date:
Meeting Type:
Department:
Staff Contact:
Staff Phone No:
Estimated
Time:
April 2, 2007
Work Session
Information Technology
Rod Lathrop
736-1025
20 minutes
AGENDA ITEM SUMMARY
SPRINGFIELD
CITY COUNCIL
ITEM TITLE:
COUNCIL COMMUNICA nON OPTIONS
ACTION
REQUESTED:
Review the attached Issue Paper. Provide direction to staff regarding desired
options. City Council direction can be incorporated into the preparation of the FY08
budget.
ISSUE
STATEMENT:
The City engages in primarily paper-based communications with the Mayor and
City Council. There is no mechanism for the City to send electronic mail, electronic
meeting notifications, online agenda packets or electronic documents to elected
officials. This hampers the ability of the City to communicate with elected leadership
during the conduct of regular business, and could be a constraint during an
emergency.
ATTACHMENTS:
1. Council COInn?unications Issue Paper February 23, 2007
DISCUSSION/
FINANCIAL
IMP ACT:
Staff communication with elected officials was raised as an issue during the
December 4, 2006 City Council Emergency Management work session. Options
were presented and discussed at a Council Work Session on February 5, 2007.
Subsequent two-on-two meetings were held with elected and appointed City
leadership. These follow-up meetings have informed four options for enhancing
. communication between the City of Springfield and top elected leadership:
1. Status Quo, no new capabilities, no additional costs;
2. Cel1/Internet allowance of $45 per month, to reimburse elected leadership
for using their personal cell phones and Internet resources for city business.
Costs $3,780 per year.
3. Furnish Smartphones and wireless service to interested Elected Officials.
Other Councilors would receive the $45 monthly cellJInternet allowance.
Cost would be $6,452 the first year;
4. Option Four would add a laptop computer to the solutions identified in
Option Three. First year costs would be $8,452.
CITY OF SPRINGFIELD
Date:
To:
From:
Subject:"
"Febriiary23,2007
Gino Grimaldi
Rod Lathrop
Council Communications
ISSUE
The City has recently examined technology options for enhancing communications with
Springfield Elected Leadership. All Councilors have beeIl interviewed, and have received an
orientation concerning capabilities for wireless communications, pocket PCs, Smartphones and
laptop computers. The outcomes of these interviews is as follows: .
· .. Many City Councilors use pt;rsonal cell phones and computers for City business, without
being reimbursed;
· . It is often difficult to maintain a unified calendar to manage their personal, business and
City appointments and commitments;
· Important e-mail communications and electronic appointments are often not available in a
timely manner.
This ISsue Paper identifies solutions for enhancing electronic communications between
Springfield elected leadership and City Hall.
OPTIONS
1. Maintain the status quo. Springfield Elected Officials will continue to utilize their personal
resources to communicate with City Hall. The City will continue to try to reach the City
Council and Mayor via cell phones or land lines during emergencies.
2. Provide a cell phone allowance and Intemetallowance to Elected Officials, to off-set the
personal cost of electronic communications used for Council business and emergency
communications.
3. FUrnish Smartphones and wireless data service to interested Elected Officials. This would
enable Council and Mayor to communicate via cell phone or wireless e-mail with City Hall
for Council business and emergency communications. Option 3 provides a real time tool for
managing personal, work and City appointments and schedules.
4. Acquire laptop computers for interested Elected Officials. Make electronic Council Agenda
packets available. This would enable individuals to familiarize themselves with Council
Agenda packets, when physically away from access to the traditional paper agenda packet.
~DISCUSSION/FINANCIAL IMPACTS
Option I Status Quo has no additional direct cost to the City. The City would continue to
communicate with the City Council primarily via land line telephones and utilize paper Council
Attachment 1
Page 1 of3
Agenda packets.
Option 2 would provide a $45. monthly allowance to those Elected OfficIals who use their
personal cell phones, personal computers and Internet resources for City business. This would
provide a fairly reliable means of cOInmunicating during an emergency, and is a fair
reimbursement of personal expenses. If all Elected Officials chose this option the cost per year
would be $3,780 per year.
Oprio~ 3 furnishes each interested Elected Official with a Smartph6ne (or Poc~et PC) and
wireless service. In addition to providing cell phone communications, the Smartphone would
enable Elected Officials to manage appointments and receive wireless e-mail. Costs per unit
range from $200 - $500. Mpnthly service agreements cost about $69.
Four Elected Officials have expressed interest in a Smartphone. The one-time cost for equipment
would be $1,520. The ongoing costs offourSmartphone service agreements and three
Cellular/Internet allowances for those Councilors who did not choose to get a Smartphone would
be $4,932 per year. Total first year costs with equipment would be $6,452.
Option 4 envisions the solutions identified in Option 3, plus it provides a laptop computer for
one Councilor who would like the ability to review Council Agenda Packets and other materials
electronically, especially when traveling. One time equipment costs for Option 4 would be .
$3;520. Monthly costs would be $4,932, with the same service as in Option 3. Total first year
. costs with equipment would be $8,452.
OPTION EV ALVA TION
OPTION 1
Option 1 is the status quo option.
OPTION 2
. Option 2 could provide better communications between City Hall and the Elected Officials
especially during an emergency, by making a cell phone readily available. Option 2 fairly
reimburses Elected Officials who are currently using their personal resources to conduct City
business.
OPTION 3
Option 3 is a significant enhancement to Elected Official communication capabilities. With a. .
Smartphone, Springfield Elected Officials could receive phone calls, e-mail including
attachments, and meeting notifications. outside of their hbmes, 'away from their.businesses, and
away from City Hall. This could make current information and updates available anywhere there
. is coverage. Those Councilors who chose not to receive a Smartphone would still receive the cell
phone and Internet allowance.
OPTION 4
Attachment 1
Page 2 of3
Option 4 envisions the solutions described in Option 3, plus it provides the power and mobility
of a laptop computer to Springfield Elected Officials. Currently only one Councilor has
expressed interest in a city-furnished laptop computer.
ADDITIONAL CONSIDERATIONS
Options 3 and 4 present two additional considerations. Any writing which contains information
relating to the conduct of a public business (including information stored on computer tape,
microfiche, photographs, films, tape, or videotape, and virtually any other method of recording
information including machine readable or electronic form) is a public record and, unless
exempt, subject to disclosure under the Oregon Public Records Law. When utilizing Options 3
or 4 it would be best to consider this information non-exempt, and subject to disclosure to the
public imd communication media.
The other issue presented by Option 4 is the potential for inadvertent electronic "meetings" when
a quorum of the members may be on the system at anyone time.
If an inadvertent meeting occurs, there would be a violation of the Oregon Public Meetings Law
for lack of notice and lack of public aCcess. Thus, Option 4 should be limited to communication
between a Councilor or the Mayor and City Hall, and certainly no more than 2 Councilors or 1
Councilor and the Mayor at anyone time.
Attachment 1
Page 3 of3