HomeMy WebLinkAboutAgenda - 08-15-2000-8k4.
ORANGE COUNTY
BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
ACTION AGENDA ITEM ABSTRACT
Meeting Date: August 15, 2000
Action Agenda _
Item No. ~`
SUBJECT: Extension of Vital Records Imaging_System to Process Deeds Imaging _
DEPARTMENT: Register of Deeds PUBLIC HEARING: (YlN) No
ATTACHMENT(S):
Imaging Project Status Report
Task Definitions/Timelines far Remaining
Phases
INFORMATION CONTACT:
Joyce Pearson, ext 2675
TELEPHONE NUMBERS:
Hillsborough 732-8181
Chapel Hill 9fi8-4501
Durham fi88-7331
Mebane 33fi-227-2031
PURPOSE: To consider approving a contract extension with Mackin Imaging and Harshman
Consulting to implement an imaging system for deeds in the Register of Deeds office.
BACKGROUND: In April 2000, the Board of Commissioners authorized the expenditure of up
to $90,000 for the acquisition and installation of computer hardware and software to implement
an imaging system for the storage and retrieval of vital records (births, deaths, marriages,
Uniform Commercial Cade (UCC) documents, etc). Mackin Imaging Systems provided and
installed the computer software, with project management and additional technical advice
provided under contract by Harshman Consulting, Inc. (HCI). The Mackin approach was
selected because it could be implemented at substantially lower cost and substantially more
quickly than several "custom built" options that were examined by County staff.
The deployment of the Mackin system for vital records has been highly successful, with all work
contemplated in the original contract completed and a viable vital records imaging system up
and running in the Register of Deeds Office by July 2000. During the deployment process, it
was noted that additional customer service benefits could be obtained by using elements of the
system installed for vital records for the imaging of deeds as well. Mackin and HCI have
provided the Register of Deeds with a proposal far additional computer programming and
consulting services, as outlined in the attached status report and table of proposed activities.
FINANCIAL IMPACT: Estimated casts of the additional work total $70,000. Sufficient funds
are included in the Register of Deeds current year budget to cover the costs.
RECOMMENDATION(S): The Manager recommends that the Board approve the extension of
a contract with .Mackin Imaging and with Harshman Consulting Inc. to complete the deeds
imaging system through Phase 9 for the Register of Deeds office at an estimated cost of
$70,000, plus reimbursable expenses of consultants; and authorize the Manager to execute any
documents associated with carrying out the scope of work of the deeds imaging project up to
the cited amount of appropriation for this project.
REGISTER OF DEEDS IMAGING PROJECT STATUS REPORT
August 2000
The process to convert current record and database information to Mackin AX document
management system began the week of May 1, 2000. The process of transitioning from the
GeneSys Image system to the new system involved many interacting steps. A Transition Plan
to specify and coordinate essential activities and responsibilities to successfully accomplish the
transition was prepared by Cy Harshman of Harshman Consulting, Inc. The process included
establishing a Pilot System, training users and performing capture, indexing and retrieval
functions successfully. Through the use of the pilot system, it was determined that the Mackin
AX was fully capable to perform the desired functions.
The production system hardware and infrastructure was procured and installed, the
infrastructure integrity validated, and SQL Database and Mackin AX Application Extender was
installed the week of June 5th. Backup and error notification procedures were established.
Data was successfully imported from the GeneSys System for marriages, births and deaths;
notaries were successfully imported from the IKON system database and aday-forward
scanning procedure was created and the backlog of scanning began.
The backlog scanning of notaries, marriages, deaths and births was completed in July and,
currently, day-forward scanning is progressing well. The new system allows the staff to fiunction
from their own workstation, thereby providing a much higher level of customer service. This is
an accomplishment of a major goal.
This office is pleased to report that the progress on the imaging project during the past four
months exceeds that which has been made for the past several years. The Board is well
familiar with the citizen service requirement of the Register of Deeds office. The completion of
the Vital Records is a major accomplishment, however, only partially meets the long term goal
of providing electronic access of records to citizens. Since a significant amount of preliminary
work to make the installation successful was associated with infrastructure and system
capacities, a good deal of work toward the implementation of the deeds system has already
been accomplished. In order to maintain the momentum of the imaging project, I am requesting
that the Board allow me to extend the Mackin Imaging contract to include imaging of the deeds
as well. The implementation of the vitals/notaries system has gone so smoothly with the
consultant team of Harshman Consulting and Mackin Imaging, that I believe it is in the best
interest of the County to continue the association through the deeds implementation as well.
The completion of the deeds system will provide a significantly higher level of service to our
citizens than that which they have been afforded in the past.
At my request, our consultant laid out the steps and estimated costs that would be needed to
carry out the deeds imaging project. That information is detailed on the attached sheet entitled
"Task Definitions and Timeline Estimates for Remaining Phases." Since the UCCs will be
tracked by the State of North Carolina beginning July 1, 2001, I am requesting approval only to
proceed through Phase 9. The estimated cost to complete the work is approximately $70,OOD
plus reimbursable costs from the consultants (such as travel, per diem for overnight stay, etc.).
Funds were included in the 2000-2001 Register of Deeds budget to support this cost.
Task Definitions and Timeline Estimates for Remaining Phases