Dear Mayor & Council,

I submit the following “Technology Vision” for your review. Included is the Technology Report & Vision, Technology Components & Vision Chart, the Citywide Technology Policy the Information Services Strategic Plan / Standard Operating Procedures, and the PowerPoint Presentation Slides. The latter three (3) documents are only intended as backup material and not for you to read in detail ---- unless desired and in need of a cure for insomnia!

In this report I have tried to convey the fact that we have a good technological foundation. In an attempt to bring into focus this “Technology Vision” I discuss our mission statement, guiding principles, history, accomplishments, current state, issues to address, and vision & ideas. Furthermore, I want the Governing Body to know that we are at a crossroads with Information Services and that there is a “brave new world” upon us. It may be time to reengineer our business processes to meet this new world. Citizen demand for e-government exists and continues to grow --- we need to be prepared to meet that service demand.

Hopefully, in the following pages you will recognize the effort and thought put into this document and feel the excitement we have for the new opportunities that await us. I have given the “Technology Vision” presentation to all of the Department Heads and incorporated their input. As currently planned I will give this presentation to you after the April 17th Council Meeting, wherein, I will solicit your input and direction.

Respectfully Submitted,

Mark Andrasik, Director

Technology Report & Vision

This report contains information on the following:

Department Mission Statement

Guiding Principles

History

Responsibilities

Accomplishments

Current State

Issues to Address

Vision & Ideas

Department Mission Statement:

Our goal is to effectively provide professional information systems technology as a tool necessary to maximize expected high levels of Citizen service. We must be ever mindful of financial considerations, have a thorough understanding of technologies and our needs, and determine the most prudent course of action and strategies to achieve these goals.

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Guiding Principles:

In order for Information Services to accomplish our mission we must adhere to the following principles:

• Technology is a “tool” used to enhance operations.
• Technology needs to meet business process.
• Reliable voice and data systems are critical.
• Well-trained employees are key to success.
• Standards, policies, and procedures must be consistent with the goal of the organization.
• Technology is a means to an end and should only be used when there is valid application and benefit derived.
• Hardware and software is disseminated by need.
• Utilize proven technologies.

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History:

Briefly, the City of Leawood’s information systems began, modestly, in 1985 when we purchased 5 IBM PC computers. These computers were a combination of dual-floppy and 20mg hard drive machines. This started us into the PC world. Since then we have grown to approximately 180 pc's with 7 network servers ("main" computers). We have combined all of our personal computers into four local-area-networks (LAN's) and connected these LAN's into a metropolitan-area-network (MAN) via high-speed data circuits. City hall is connected to the Police Department, to Public Works, to Ironhorse, and to Johnson County. These connections allow us to share system resources such as printers, data storage, Internet connections, etc. Most importantly this gives us the ability to share databases, documents, spreadsheets, programs, software, electronic mail, and our calendar system.

History of Employees:

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Responsibilities:

General Roles:

Strategic Planning --- Coordination of Technology --- Install, support, and maintain systems and standard technologies --- Programming --- Training --- Equipment Purchase ---- Voice & Data Network Configuration --- Resource Dissemination.

Specific Roles:

Network Administration --- PBX’s & Voice Mail Systems --- Voice & Data Lines --- Internet Access --- Website --- E-mail Systems --- Personal Computer Hardware --- Software Programming & Configuration --- Interagency Connectivity --- Anti-virus Systems --- Video & Sound Systems --- Data Communication Devices (Routers, Hubs, CSU / DSU’s).

Please see pages 2-4 of the attached Information Services Strategic Plan / Standard Operating Procedures for detailed description of responsibilities.

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Accomplishments:

• Overall Infrastructure (High speed Ethernet Switches & CAT 5 wiring)
• Programming: (Consistent User Interface)

Municipal Court Program: Completed this in-house instead of purchasing this from a vendor. This saved $25,000 and enabled us to purchase the Interactive Voice Response system we have for Court.
Ticket Conversion Program.
Action Center Program.
Paycard Program.
Expenditure Program.
Budget Program.
Detective Program.
Building Permit & Inspection Program.

• Wireless Data Network (Cerulean Packet Cluster Technology).
• In-car Laptops accessing KCMO Alert & Kansas ASTRA – First city in the State of Kansas to have this ability.
• Internet Website – First city in Johnson County to have website.
• Geographic Information System – Updated monthly from JoCo.
• Interactive Voice Response System for Court – Updated nightly. Court indicates that this reduces the number of routine calls that staff previously handled manually --- approximately a 70% reduction in call volume.
• Implemented Strategic Plan & Citywide Technology Policy.
• Established City Wide Technology Committee.

Aided in the Establishment of the Police Department Technology Committee.

Video Conferencing: ISDN connection with Johnson County so that defendants can be arraigned remotely from the jail.

Property Printout: Major citywide database that is integral to all of our major programs. (I met with Paul Welcome, Bev Baker, and William O’Brien of Johnson County a number of years ago to persuade them to let us get this information electronically. I showed them what we could do with the data and that it reduced double entry and double taxation. They agreed…)

E-mail & Calendar Conversion: Converted to integrated inter-office and Internet e-mail and calendar system. (Outlook & MS Exchange)

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Current State:

Staffing:

We have a very small and dedicated staff. This is a strength and a hindrance. While we maintain clear direction, at times we become saturated. It may be that we are not able to take advantage of certain opportunities to their fullest, but we are balancing the demands placed on Information Services with financial considerations. We are very fortunate to have retained our employees given the high demand for I.S. professionals.

We manage to the strengths of our employees and we truly enjoy working in a situation where there is autonomy to do our job as long as we provide results. My management style is very task-oriented.

Equipment:

It has been our department’s direction to allocate more money towards capital expenditure than personnel, comparatively speaking. When we purchase new computer equipment it has been done on an “as need” basis. This has worked, in the past, because we were able to send the replaced computers to someone who didn’t have a computer. Now that all appropriate personnel have computers we must now surplus the old out-of-date equipment. Don’t be misled by this statement. We strongly believe that computers can continue to provide us service even when they’re “out-of-date” ---- if used in the appropriate capacity.

We now need to address the replacement of computers with updated technology. For example, two years ago we purchased in-car police laptops through a grant. Now these computers are becoming out-dated and are showing considerable wear and tear. We are now faced with the task of replacing these computers. We believe the best method would be to replace a third of our police laptops every year. This policy may extend to our desktop units, replacing a fourth (1/4th) them a year. We are still analyzing this. (See Issues to Address)

• We purchase Gateway Computers discounted through the State of Kansas Government Contract.
• We have standardized on Microsoft operating systems and desktop applications.
• Our seven (7) network servers range from 1-4 years of age. These are Compaq Servers and have been very reliable. These are backed up nightly.

Policy & Procedures

Please find two attachments:

1. City of Leawood Technology Policy
2. Information Services Strategic Plan / Standard Operating Procedures

These two attachments attempt to provide direction and policy regarding the use of Leawood’s technologies. In the Technology Policy we delineate the “do’s and don’ts” for usage and in the Strategic Plan we define roles and responsibilities. Our intent here is to show that we are not just “technicians” but that we grasp concepts and can set direction and make policy.

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Issues to Address:

• High Speed Data Communications between facilities: We are currently reviewing our network communications. One problem we have is a small data connection (bandwidth) between the Police Department and City Hall. It currently is a 1.5mg T1 line. We would like to increase this to 10mg or greater. The question becomes do we do this with our own buried or hung fiber optic cable, or do we purchase this service via SWB for $1,800/month?? In discussions with Blue Valley Schools IT Director it seems prudent to at least pursue fiber optics. Rough costs include: $55,000/lineal mile to bury fiber and $25,000/ lineal mile to string fiber on poles (does not include KCPL cost).
• Training: Skills Assessment Testing. We have purchased a Skill Assessment Manager testing software that will give us a baseline for our employees’ computer skills. Once we get the results of this we can compare them with the skill sets we require for the various positions. This could help us direct our training efforts. Once the training is complete we then re-administer the test to determine the effectiveness of the training. Human Resources and every department will be heavily involved with this project. The overall goal is to increase our organizations “technology quotient” appropriate to the position they hold.
• Staffing: If this vision is accepted it may be that in the near future we would have to add I.S. staff, outsource certain functions, hire some part-time help or a combination thereof. I do see a need for a Web / Windows database programmer and a technician. We may be able to contract some of this or hire part-time help.
• Computer Replacement Policy: We need to determine the most effective policy regarding computer replacement. Do we replace 25% of our desktop computers and 33% of our in-car police laptops annually? Lenexa and Overland Park replace 1/3 of their computers a year. To replace 25% of our desktops every year would run approximately $52,500. To replace our 33% or our in-car laptops every year would be $12,500. We would need to include in this policy the replacement of phone equipment, routers, CSU/DSU’s, etc.
• Council Direction for Information Services: What is the Council’s vision for the City of Leawood’s Information Services? Are you receptive to additional staffing for I.S.? Do we want to be more visibly proactive? I say “visibly” because I believe we already are given our resources.
• Enhanced 911 Interface: We would like to have this interface integrated with our Computer Aided Dispatch software system currently in use at our Police Department. The software and hardware are ready, but it will require that the Council sign an indemnification agreement with the vendor. Instead of manually inputting the names and address the system would be automated thereby reducing input time. This agreement is available for your review. Cost is $7,500.
• Records Management: The imaging and records management systems for the City of Leawood has lagged. This is due in part to other priorities and current staffing levels for the City…. Sarah Hilton is in the process of establishing policy and procedures for records management. Once complete we will determine the software and hardware requirements with their associated costs. This will aid us in our ability to computerize our Council and Plan Commission packets.
• Integrated “Web Enabled” Software Systems: “Web enabled” highly integrated software for Finance / HR / Building Permits / Recreation Registration, etc. This software will provide the basis for our e-commerce initiative and hopefully will tie together our paycard, payroll, purchase / expenditure programs, personnel programs, etc. into an integrated system which eliminates much duplication of effort. For a turn-key permit web-enabled system it would be $115,000. Lenexa estimates $750,000 - $1,000,000 for their integrated accounting / payroll / human resources software. We need to re-engineer the way we do business to meet the changing world.

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Vision & Ideas:

Vision: Internet… E-Commerce… “Electronic City Hall”…

A vision where technology, the Internet, and our website will allow Citizens the opportunity to “do city business” from their homes or offices, at their convenience ---- an “Electronic City Hall”. A vision where the City provides a much more open platform for communication within the confines of law. A vision where technology provides immediate access to appropriate information and a vision that evolves and is dynamic.

Why this vision?

• Community Demographics:
  

  Our community is highly educated, affluent, and technically literate. This is a growing community whose residents rightfully have high expectations. The demands of this type of community definitely must be reflected in the types of service we provide.

• Internet Connection Technology:
  

  With all the new high speed Internet access services available, such as, DSL (Digital Subscriber Line from SWB), ION (Integrated On Demand Network from Sprint), and RoadRunner Service (Time Warner) the citizen demand for higher level website services will grow exponentially.

• Internet Experience:
  

  We have approximately 16,400 requests/month to our website and 3,200 visits/month (a visit means the user has opened more than one page and they have stayed for longer than 4 minutes). We have experienced rapid growth in the volume of people accessing our Internet website.

• Knowledge Empowers:
  

  Knowledge empowers a community to effect positive change. When you can obtain updated information readily from the Internet on various “city business” you then create informed opinions, which leads to informed decisions. Plan Commission packets and staff reports are an example of what we want to provide.

• Paradigm Shift: (**Proactive**)
  

  There is paradigm shift occurring within Information Services. This department is shifting from a purely internal staff function to one that includes more direct interaction with Citizens via the web. Actually, this is a paradigm shift for all forms of government.

How do we achieve this Vision?

Generally, we must continue to maintain, upgrade, and replace the core components of our technology. These components include our voice and data infrastructure and our hardware and software. We must retain our employees, add new personnel as necessary, and consider outsourcing where appropriate.

Specifically we must:

Resolve the above stated issues:

Continue to Expand our Website:

• Add the Code for the City of Leawood. Once the codification is complete we will post the Code to the Internet in a searchable version.
• More detailed departmental information. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ’s) for each department.
• Electronic Commerce (Recreation Registration, Business Licenses, Court Ticket Payments) those types of business processes that lend themselves to this format should be considered. We may need to modify certain business process to meet this form of service.
• Homes Association Page: Have a listing of Homes Associations where they could post pertinent subdivision information. Have the Homes Association e-mail us with information they would like posted. More of a message board for them and not highly labor intensive from our end.
• Agenda Distribution: We are working on distributing our agendas via e-mail to those who sign up for this service. (Homes Associations, Citizens, etc.)

Integrate Programs:

• As stated above.

Ticket Entry:

• Drivers License Swipe to automatically fill in driver information. In car ticket printer. This would substantially reduce our input time.

Internet Training for Citizens:

• Give internet training classes through our Recreation programming wherein we teach citizens about the Internet: the benefits and concerns, the “how to’s” of browsing, etc.

“Out There” Ideas:

• On-line Council & Plan Commission Meetings. We could have a real-player server setup and broadcast the meetings onto the Internet.
• Lay Fiber cable from east to west thru City. Sell off portions of this service to utilities that want to run through the City….
• Telecommuting: Give employees an opportunity to work from their homes.
• “Tech” Students: Consider using technology students from various colleges to help us develop web pages. They earn experience and we benefit from their efforts.
• Internet Advertising: Maybe we can enhance our revenues through advertising on our website.
• Computer Purchase Plan for Employees: Possibly offer a computer purchase program through payroll deduction. Gateway offers such a program. This would benefit us because our employees would gain more technical experience due to their vested interest.

The benefits of this vision are many:

• Citizen Friendly: Citizens can do “city business” from their office or from their home at their convenience.
• Labor
• Facility Costs

Bottom Line:

For the City of Leawood, technology is a tool used as a backbone of our daily operations. Tools are only as good as the person using them. Training, management, and the employees themselves determine the results we obtain from technology. The reliance placed on our information systems is tremendous as witnessed when we have to take the systems down for routine maintenance.

The ongoing communications and computerization of the City of Leawood is very exciting in that technology is ever changing and the need for automation continues and expands. We are positioning ourselves to effectively provide communications and computer service with an eye toward the future, an understanding of our current equipment and software, our needs analyzed, and being ever mindful of financial considerations. Unfortunately, in the past the Citizens of Leawood did not readily see the total impact communication and computers have on the operations of the City, unlike the construction of new roads, but the effect is real and continuing.

I firmly believe that we have laid a very solid technical foundation. Our staff, equipment, policies and procedures are integral components of this foundation. This foundation will enable us to be both proactive and reactive to various needs the community and staff place upon us. We will remain diligent in our responsibilities and enthusiastic about new opportunities.

The vision for the City of Leawood would be incomplete without the understanding that in this informational age the Governing Body, volunteers, and staff are the repositories of the wealth of the community. They have the experience and information, skills and knowledge, which provide tremendous value to Leawood.

Please don’t hesitate to call me if you have any questions or ideas --- 913-339-6700 ext. 125.

Sincerely,

Mark Andrasik, Director

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