HomeMy WebLinkAboutAgenda - 05-03-2012 - 2ORANGE COUNTY
BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
ACTION AGENDA ITEM ABSTRACT
Meeting Date: May 3, 2012
Action Agenda
Item No. a,
SUBJECT: Paperless Agenda Process Options
DEPARTMENT: Information Technologies PUBLIC HEARING: (Y/N) No
ATTACHMENT(S): INFORMATION CONTACT:
Todd Jones, (919) 245-2285
PURPOSE: To provide vendor-led demonstrations of two potential paperless agenda solutions,
as well as demonstrate an internal solution for managing BOCC meeting materials
electronically.
BACKGROUND: Since 1997, Orange County has been using various technologies and
updated business processes to create meeting agendas, distribute them to elected officials and
staff, and make them available to the public via the County's Internet site. The processes and
technologies matured and in 2000, entire agenda packages, including attachments, were
regularly posted on the County Internet site in advance of the meetings. These web-accessible
agenda materials are increasingly relied upon by the public to learn about issues under
consideration by the Board of Commissioners.
The agenda development and production process is coordinated by the County Manager's
office, where staff members collect submissions, route them through appropriate approval
processes and aggregate the finished components into a paper master agenda package
averaging 500 pages per meeting. Staff then makes 24 paper copies of the package. Copies of
the paper agenda packages are delivered by Sheriff's Department deputies to each
Commissioner five days before the meeting. A deputy clerk then converts the paper master
agenda package into an online file and posts it to the County's Internet site.
Technologies are available that potentially automate much of this process, while providing the
Board of Commissioners electronic format agendas that reduce paper and delivery costs. It is
critical to note that efficiency gains for change to the existing process rely heavily on having all
staff and all Commissioners adopt the new process. Thus, partial adoption of an automated
solution will result in a loss of efficiency over current processes.
It is also important to note that automation efficiencies are gained largely through the
development of strict chain of approvals tied to schedules, and staff adhering to same. While
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agenda automation software has mechanisms for circumventing these schedules and approval
chains, automation gains are quickly lost through such actions. Thus, it is of critical importance
to the success of these systems that County staff and Board members assess their willingness
to adhere to the schedules and disciplines enforced by these systems. Otherwise, the low-cost
solution offered by staff may be the preferable route.
FINANCIAL IMPACT: The Granicus solution will cost $31,000, with ongoing annual costs of
$12,000 per year. The Sire solution will cost $86,272, including required hardware (to be
supplied by Orange County Information Technologies) with ongoing annual costs of $6,280 per
year. The internal solution will cost $700 per Board member for iPads or equivalent tablets.
High volume printers for Board members wishing to print out Agenda packets from home or
office will cost $1,450 each.
RECOMMENDATION(S): The Manager recommends that the Board review the proposals and
provide direction to staff on further steps.