Title
Purchase of IPad2 for Paperless Agendas
History
Legistar has been utilized by the Village Clerk’s Office since 1992. In 2007, the Clerk’s Office completed a significant upgrade to the system. While reports remained the same, the interior of the system dramatically changed, becoming much more user friendly and easier to enter and search for data. The Clerk’s Office continues to streamline the Committee and Board of Trustee Meetings process, for both staff and elected officials.
Orland Park’s commitment to its green initiatives encompasses every village department, including the Village Clerk’s Office. In the FY2011 budget, the Village Board approved a $3,000 upgrade for the Legistar System, enabling the Clerk’s Office to move to paperless board agendas. The system upgrade will not only enable the village and its Clerk’s Office to achieve another green objective, it saves time and money for everyone.
The upgraded system will enable the Clerk’s Office to distribute information on the internet in a fraction of the time. For example, in the past, if there was a change to the agenda, staff would have to re-copy the entire packet and re-upload it onto the internet.
The Village Clerk’s Office has the technology to provide paperless agendas; however, the Clerk’s Office, working in conjunction with the Village Manager's Office and MIS division, need to determine the best tool to deliver this paperless service to the elected officials. After much research and conversations with Legistar’s developer, Daystar, it has been determined that the IPad2 would be the best and most cost efficient tool to deliver information to the Village Board members.
Using the IPad 2 would eliminate paper agendas. With its lightweight structure, it would enable the trustees to continue to have room on the dais because of its size and touch screen capabilities. Using the touch screen format, board members would be able to easily navigate through the agenda packet. The IPad 2 also has a library that would not only store the current agenda packet, it would hold past agenda packets to allow for quick reference, if needed. In addition, the IPad2 is less expensive than the cost of a laptop computer.
Because of the upgrade to Legistar, the agendas are refreshed every ten minutes. Thus, if there is a change to the agenda, elected officials would have immediate access to the most current information.
The paperless agenda initiative included in this year's budget was originally only intended to be introduced to a test group including several of the Board members and a few staff as a beta project requiring only the use of existing hardware. However, with the reasonable pricing of the IPAD2 and the ease of the program being used, this item proposes that this first phase expand the purchase to include all Board members. This expanded first-phase approach does require some additional funds be allocated to this project.
The Clerk’s Office long term goal is to have all Department Directors use IPad2s as well, thus altogether, eliminating the printed paper agenda. This first-phase approach, proposes a shared arrangement for staff in order reduce the costs this fiscal year. The remaining iPads needed would be budgeted for in FY12.
The first phase will also include the purchase of two Cisco Aironet Wireless Access Point units and a Comcast business account service to allow for a WiFi connection in the Board Room and Trustees office area. The WiFi would allow for access during meetings and throughout the week when uploads of the agenda would be made.
or
I move to recommend to the Village Board to approve a Beta Project and the purchase of 5 iPad2 units from the Apple Store in Orland Park at a cost not to exceed $3,805.00.
Financial Impact
The cost for the full first phase of this project are as follows:
|
11 iPad2 16GB WiFi (full Board/shared staff) |
$5,490.00 |
|
Cisco Aironet Wireless Access Point (2) |
$950.00 |
|
Comcast business account $60 x 6 months |
$360.00 |
|
Total |
$6,800.00 |
This would provide iPads for the entire Village Board including the Village Clerk and a shared arrangement for three iPads to be used by staff.
The cost for the Beta Project only for this project are as follows:
|
5 iPad2 16GB WiFi (full Board/shared staff) |
$2,495.00 |
|
Cisco Aironet Wireless Access Point (2) |
$950.00 |
|
Comcast business account $60 x 6 months |
$360.00 |
|
Total |
$3,805.00 |
This would provide iPads for three Village Board members, the Village Clerk and a spare iPad that would be shared by staff.
There is currently $4,000 in available funds in the MIS budget due to an early payment discount for the annual support payment to Innoprise. These funds were set aside to fund the beta project originally planned. However, to do the full first phase an additional $2,800 is needed. Should the Board choose to implement the first phase, the remainder of the funding will come from the same cost center which may require a reduction in other minor purchases. Account number 010-1101-499.60-11.
Recommended Action/Motion
I move to recommend to the Village Board to approve the first full phase of the paperless agenda project and the purchase of 11 iPad2 units from the Apple Store in Orland Park at a cost not to exceed $5,490.00.