HomeMy WebLinkAboutAgenda - 02-16-1993 - III-J r
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ORANGE COUNTY
BOARD OF COMMISS IONERS
Action Agenda
Item No. 2 -,J
ACTION AGENDA ITEM ABSTRACT
Meeting Date: February 16, 1993
SUBJECT: ANNUAL ACHIEVEMENT AWARD COMPETITION (NACo)
DEPARTMENT: COUNTY COMMISSIONERS PUBLIC HEARING YES: NO: X
ATTACHMENT(S) : YES-ENTRY FORM INFORMATION CONTACT: COMMISSIONERS'
OFFICE
TELEPHONE NUMBER -
Hillsborough - 732-8181
Chapel Hill - 968-5401
Durham - 688-7331
Mebane - 227-2031
PURPOSE: To review and approve the one entry as submitted for the NACo
Annual Achievement Award Competition
BACKGROUND: Any project or program which has been undertaken during the
past year and which resulted in improved services is eligible for entry
into the NACo Awards competition. One application for the "In Touch with
Orange County", A 24-Hour Computer Information System, has been submitted
for your consideration.
RECOMMENDATION(S) : Approve the one entry for submission to NACo.
1993 NACo ACHIEVEMENT AWARD ENTRY FORM
COUNTY: Orange STATE: North Carolina
Note: NACo member counties only.
POPULATION: 93,851 •
1992 COUNTY`BUDGET: $53 ,887 ,298
TITLE OF PROGRAM TO BE CONSIDERED FOR ACHIEVEMENT AWARD
(Please limit title to 60 characters. Do not include county name in the program title. Indicate the title of the program to be considered for an Achievement
Award using the exact wording you would like to appear on the certificate should your entry win.)
"IN TOUCH WITH ORANGE COUNTY", A 24-Hour Computer Information System
CATEGORIES Entries must be made in the following categories. Check only ONE category for this entry.
❑Community Development ❑Land Use and Land Planning
6 Computerization ❑Labor Issues and Employee Benefits
❑Criminal Justice ❑Mental Health
U Community Services D Media Relations
O County Administration and Management ❑Older Americans
❑Drunken Driving Deterrence and Seat Belt Safety U Parks and Recreation
❑Employment and Training ❑Public Safety/Emergency Management
❑Energy and Environment ❑Rural Programs
❑Fiscal Management and Use of Federal or State Funds ❑Substance Abuse Control and Initiatives
❑Health ❑Transportation
❑Human Services ❑Taxation and Finance
❑Juvenile Justice ❑Youth Programs
1993 Special Focus: If your program addresses issues in the areas of either Health Care or Budget
Shortfall Reduction Strategies, please indicate so by checking the appropriate box below:
❑ Health Care ❑ Budget Shortfall Reduction Strateg:es
NOTE: Our list includes two general categories-Human Services and Community Services. We are looking for the
following information under those categories:
HUMAN SERVICES -Programs that primarily benefit the individual,such as: food ac istance programs;programs
for the homeless;programs that improve the service/administration of welfare or general assistance programs;child
care; improvements in the management/administration of human services programs.
COMMUNITY SERVICES -Programs that primarily benefit the commmunity such as: infrastructure improvement;
programs promoting the enhancement of the community;programs that give citizens more input in county govern-
ment
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Name,title,mailing address and phone number of county's Name,title,department,division,mailing address &phone
Chief Elected Official-the county's board chair,president, number of the program contact-a person able to provide
or elected county official-and his or her signature author- more information to inquiring juristictions. The division
izing this entry. must be specified.
Name: Moses Carey, Jr. Name: Albert Kittrell
Title: Chair, Bd of County CommissionersTitle: Assistant County Manager
Address: Orange County Department: County Manager' s Office
P. 0. Box 8181 Division:
City: Hillsborough State: NC Address: Orange County
Zip Code: 27278 Phone: (919) 732-8181 P. 0. Box 8181
ext. 2125 City: Hillsborough State: NC
Signature: Zip Code: 27278 Phone: (919) 732-8181, ext. 2300
EACH ENTRY MUST BE SUBMITTED WITH A PHOTOCOPY OF THE ENTIRE APPLICATION
PLEASE CONFORM TO THE SPACE LIMITATIONS GIVEN. DO NOT SUBMIT ATTACHMENTS.
DO NOT FOLD APPLICATION. 1
1993 NACo ACHIEVEMENT AWARD PROGRAM SUMMARY
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY (Provide a summary of the program that does not exceed 200 words. Briefly•
describe the problem that was addressed,how it was addressed,the costs involved,and the results.)
NOTE:This section must follow the following format: •200 words or less
•75 characters or less per line
•straight text: no bolded, underlined or italicized text
•submit the original(not photocopied) text
"In Touch With Orange County" is more than a new piece of
technology. It is a resourceful way of communicating with
citizens. It provides citizens with an innovative way to get
fast and accurate information about county government and the
community.
"In Touch With Orange County" , generically known as a 24-Hour
Courthouse Project, uses video, audio, and graphics to create a
multimedia environment. The project was developed by Public
Technology Inc. (PTI) , and IBM. The system features a
microcomputer equipped with a touchscreen. The touch-screen
computer is connected to a video laserdisc player, a modem and a
printer -- which are all housed in an attractive kiosk (cabinet) .
This format allows citizens to browse through a wide array of
service related information. Users receive information in both
text form and video.
To operate the system, the user approaches the kiosk, touches
the screen and accesses a menu of over 200 files of County and
community information. Any of the files can be printed. "In
Touch With Orange County" has 21 short video segments which
provide a visual and audio introduction to Orange County services
and facilities . The touchscreen makes this system very user
friendly.
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1993 NACo ACHIEVEMENT AWARD PROGRAM SUMMARY
PROBLEM/CONCERN (Describe the problem,need or concern in your county/department that prompted the
development of the program. Describe the objectives of the program.)
One of Orange County' s most important mandates is to serve
the citizens and to keep them informed about publicly funded
programs, services, and procedures. Information access is a
sensitive and highly charged issue, one that "In Touch With Orange
County" seeks to address by making access to local government easy
and timely for the largest possible number of citizens. Because
Orange County is constantly striving to enhance and further
promote our communication efforts, this system was deemed to be a
resourceful and efficient method of relaying county and community
information.
SOLUTION (Describe the steps that were taken by the county/department to remedy the problem or to address the
concern. Explain how the program's objectives were met,)
Following the approval of the Board of County Commissioner' s,
the County Manager' s Office took the lead role in the management
of the project. The necessary equipment was purchased and a
project team, consisting of representatives from various
departments, was formed to coordinate all of the required efforts.
The initial tasks were primarily technical in nature. The
information for the text material was written by the department
heads and the data processing department was responsible for
structuring the information in the proper format -- which resulted
in more than 200 text files.
All of the narrative information was completed in-house.
However, the County did not possess the capability to produce the
audio and video components . Consequently, this process had to be
contracted with a design and production company. This company
served as consultants in the development of the video, and was
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1993 NACo ACHIEVEMENT AWARD PROGRAM SUMMARY
SOLUTION (continued)
responsible for the technical steps involved the production. Once
the videotape was completed, the material was transferred onto a
laserdisc. The laserdisc contains the 21 audio and video segments
describing county services and activities.
Lastly, a local cabinet company was contracted to build and
install the kiosk in a local mall. The mall was chosen because of
its "high traffic" area and the desire to provide accessibility
for extended periods of time. Citizens are provided easy access
to information at any time the mall is open - which is virtually
24 hours a day, seven days a week. Initially, the kiosk was to be
free-standing in an area determined by mall officials. However,
as we neared completion, the officials totally embraced the
project and suggested that we install the- kiosk in their newly
constructed "Customer Service Center" . This location makes the
kiosk very visible and increases citizen interaction.
In addition to the mall unit, we also developed a mobile
unit. These units are identical, except the mobile unit does not
have a printer. The mobility of this second unit allows it to be
transported to various sites throughout the county.
COUNTY ROLE (Describe the county support or input. Describe the specific resources-time,money,personnel-
that were used by the county to implement the program and how they were used.)
This project was considered to be a county-wide effort. It
was designed to represent all departments and county services and
activities. Because it was all encompassing, it was received very
positively by staff. Each department had the opportunity to
further expand its communication efforts with the public.
However, in coordinating this project, a project team was
formed to oversee the development and implementation process . The
project team consisted of seven members, representing various
departments. These people worked cooperatively to ensure that the
video & audio component was representative of the respective
departments . They also worked together to compile the information
for the written text.
COSTS (Describe in exact numbers the amount of money used to fund or operate the program. List all sources of
funding.)
This project was proposed to and accepted by the Board of
County Commissioners . A special appropriation of $50 , 000 was
awarded for the purchase of the equipment ( @ $18 , 000) ; training
( @ $8 , 000 ) ; the production of the video and audio component; and
the construction of the kiosk. This appropriation was used for the
production of two units. There will be no additional costs for
the systems, except for the purchase of paper and ribbons, and the
minimal staff time required to routinely update the information.
1993 NACo ACHIEVEMENT AWARD PROGRAM SUMMARY
RESULTS (Describe the tangible results of the program: cost savings, service improvements,etc. Tell how the
program benefited the county or community.)
•
By implementing this project, the County has expanded its
methods of communicating with the public. This innovative, and
non-traditional approach to disseminating public information,
serves as an enhancement to our communication efforts. It is
important to note that these systems are not considered as
replacements for regular county government public information
service. To the contrary, this project can reach out to new
groups of citizens, those who have not or do not know how to
access county services, i.e. , new residents and the mobile student
population, and- to people who need the convenience provided by the
systems . Getting information to citizens is a major concern for
our county officials. And, by placing these information systems
in locations that are frequented by the public, we are
anticipating to provide increased access to information, and
ultimately meeting the needs of our citizens .
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INDEXING IDENTIFIERS
For example, a program entitled "Prenatal Care Access" where a
List 5 words or phrases that best de- county,in conjunction with pri vate organizations,created a system to
scribe your program and can be used improve access to prenatal care, might consist of the following
to index your program. These words identifiers:
should be different than those used (1)Health Care Reform
in your program title. (2)Coordination of Health Care Services
If your program addresses issues in the (3)Public-Private Partnership
areas of Health Care or Budget Shortfall (4)Obstetrical Care
Reduction Strategies,please include ei- (5)Health &Nutrition Education
tiler phrase in your indexing identifiers.
(1) Public Information
(2) Government Accessibility
(3) Communication Efforts
(4) Community Education
(5) Computer Guide to Services
DO NOT SUBMIT ATTACHMENTS WITH THIS APPLICATIONS FORM 5