HomeMy WebLinkAboutCommittee of the Whole 1 September 10 20021
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DISCLAIMER: This document contains the Whatcom County Council or Committee
minutes, as approved. However, unless an attested signature page is attached, they
are not the final approved minutes.
WHATCOM COUNTY COUNCIL
Committee Of The Whole
September 10, 2002
The meeting was called to order at 1:40 p.m. by Council Chair L. Ward
Nelson in the Council Chambers. 311 Grand Avenue, Bellingham, Washington.
Present: Absent:
Barbara Brenner None
Laurie Caskey- Schreiber
Sam Crawford
Seth Fleetwood
Dan McShane
Sharon Roy
1. SPECIAL PRESENTATION BY THE ADMINISTRATION REGARDING
INFORMATION SYSTEMS (AB2002 -017)
Dewey Desler, Deputy Administrator, provided a history of the technologies
used in Whatcom County. Today, there are two mainframe computers, 20 servers,
850 personal computers, and many printers. Every County employee has access to
a computer. The Executive has encouraged a rapid development of technology
development. The system is composed of local area networks (LAN's) and wide
area networks (WAN's). All the LAN's are tied together into the WAN. Future
applications will come through a virtual private network (VPN), with which
employees can access programs from home. The County is upgrading its wiring for
the system, which allows future applications to be implemented effectively. There
are fiber connections with a series of operations, digital subscriber line (DSL), and
T -1 connections. Soon the County will shift the T -1 connection to a local company,
FiberCloud. The County uses a firewall. He introduced the Information Services
(IS) personnel and explained the process of having IS contacts and the Computer
Technical Advisory Committee (CTAC).
Software is a key area. He listed the operating software and other software
that the County uses. Whatcom County has a very secure and safe system. There
have been virtually no breaches of the system. They use current computer industry
standards. The system will accommodate growth in the future. All the computers
are networked. There is adequate bandwidth. The system is designed to run with
limited personnel, and there is limited downtime because of the high quality,
standardized investments.
There are three key components for the future: infrastructure, personnel,
and software. There is a strategic plan for the Information Services Division in the
future. Elements come from the County's strategic plan. One goal is to improve
the interface between County government and citizens to provide better customer
Committee of the Whole - afternoon, 9/10/2002, Page 1
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DISCLAIMER: This document contains the Whatcom County Council or Committee
minutes, as approved. However, unless an attested signature page is attached, they
are not the final approved minutes.
service. There are many examples of how that has taken place. They are
improving the public's online access rather than having them stand in line. They
are expanding the website capabilities. Recent innovations include: online tax
payment, online Parks Department class registration, online search of Assessor's
database, online budget preparation, online administrative policies and procedures,
and an online intranet.
Key directions for the future include web development work, imaging,
improved geographic information systems (GIS), and improved management
information systems (MIS) for law and justice services.
Josh Nylander, IS Database Administrator, stated he is on the Web
Development Committee. He explained the uses of the website to meet customer
needs. The committee defined the essential elements the County needs to
succeed, which include developing staff resources. The County hired a webmaster
to coordinate the process with the committee. IS staff established department
liaisons and provide training to the departments on the website. The committee
also discussed how to coordinate the services in an orderly fashion. A consultant
provided some outside guidance in 1998. A product of that consultation was a road
map of where they are headed. Right now they are at a point of providing quicker
access to content and improving access to County databases by the public. In the
future, they will look to the web to gather information from the public, collect
payments online, and collect revenue. They are continually assessing and making
improvements to infrastructure. They've been able to reuse some technology. In
the future, they want to address security so they can engage in online transactions.
Once they identified needed improvements, they made those improvements. There
are over 3,000 web pages currently. Thousands of visitors are coming to the
website each year.
In the future, they want to get involved in electronic government. They are
looking at how to take advantage of the technologies. The more information the
public can get over the internet, the fewer phone calls the County receives and the
less the public stands in line. Over the next several months, they are releasing a
new website with a new domain name that will make it easier for people to find
them. The new website will have 5,000 pages, and lots of graphics. Beyond this
release, they will look at how to improve online transactions, such as fee payment
and revenue collection. They are also looking at how to provide services to other
agencies, provide secure access to law and justice data, provide GIS information to
the public, and work with the courts. A lot of the resources are to ultimately
improve the County's customers' ability to access information.
Desler stated they are also doing imaging work. The County wants to cut
down on paperwork and move into a more active imaging use. The Auditor's Office
is computerizing all of its document recording and imaging to index many
documents. It is an electronic visualization of the papers. They want to make
those documents available on the internet. The future applications are very
powerful in how they collect and distribute information.
Committee of the Whole - afternoon, 9/10/2002, Page 2
DISCLAIMER: This document contains the Whatcom County Council or Committee
minutes, as approved. However, unless an attested signature page is attached, they
are not the final approved minutes.
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2 Kathryn Morice, Planning and Development Services Administrative Aide,
3 explained the GIS system. Both state and local governments are required to
4 adhere to complex regulatory requirements. The countywide strategic plan also
5 calls for more efficiency using technological tools. Almost all of this information is
6 in some way tied to a geographic element, such as an address or postal code. The
7 GIS system is a system of software, hardware, data, and personnel with the skill
8 sets to enable them to analyze and present information when seeking innovative
9 ways to solve geologic - related problems and increase the quality of decision -
10 making. GIS is a tool that touches all aspects of County government. One
it challenge is that many different databases need coordination. A needs assessment
12 and technical task force were established. It was a coordinated effort of all the
13 County departments. The task force was set up to recommend an implementation
14 of a well- coordinated, strategic, and systematic approach to enhancing the existing
15 geographic information system and improve the efficiency of data sharing within
16 and outside of Whatcom County. All business practices is associated with a
17 geographical locations. The task force members decided to meet with their
18 counterparts in other counties to discuss the benefits and challenges the other
19 counties faced in implementing GIS system wide software availability. Various
20 options were researched and discussed. The task force made a recommendation to
21 the CTAC, which is to have multiple departments coordinate their geo- reference
22 data to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of operations. The central data
23 library would be established and a staff person would be tasked with oversight and
24 systems integration. This person would be a geographic information officer (GIO).
25 The task force decided that the County needs a GIO to guide the County, to prepare
26 an implementation plan, to assist the departments in developing strategies for
27 reengineering work functions, and to design support strategies for disaster
28 management. Staff and departments would need to be trained and supported as
29 members of a GIS team. They would need to investigate further integration with
30 the internet. They would need to look at additional sources for revenue generation.
31 A GIO would help facilitate all of these tasks.
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33 This is a long -term endeavor for the County. It is an evolution. Regulatory
34 changes will become more complex. With all of these issues, and adding more data
35 to the countywide information base, it will be a continual project. The benefactors
36 include the decision - makers, who determine resource allocation, and the public,
37 which would receive more timely and accurate information. The analytical tool
38 provides support to many of the decision - making needs of the County and the
39 public. The County could realize a cost avoidance when the public can answer their
40 land base questions on the internet.
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42 The GIS system could be their land data reference -based future and a
43 reliable tool. This is the future in which the task force has envisioned.
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45 Desler stated the GIS system has tremendous value to the County in the
46 future if it is properly implemented and integrated. It is going to be the way they
47 are going to use all the data to evaluate how to go forward in land use policy, public
Committee of the Whole - afternoon, 9/10/2002, Page 3
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DISCLAIMER: This document contains the Whatcom County Council or Committee
minutes, as approved. However, unless an attested signature page is attached, they
are not the final approved minutes.
health issues, responding to emergency management issues, and the justice
system.
He asked the Council to help them build the future, which is e- government.
A web presence is not optional; it is mandatory. Whatcom County has some of the
highest internet use rates in the state. Government presence on the internet is
growing. The purpose is to make life easier for employees and business partners.
Their goal is to improve the workflow and to eliminate paper.
The County Council can help by using the system and becoming familiar with
it. Remind the public of its tools. Request regular reports from the administration.
Request and review the technology plan. Support plan implementation. Provide
the IS department with the Council's feedback.
Crawford stated the Council was shown the possibilities regarding the water
resources inventory area (WRIA) decision support system (DSS). He asked if that
database would become accessible to the public through the County's system. The
County is investing millions of the taxpayers' dollars in the DSS system, and it is on
the cutting edge of technology for this system. It would be nice for the public or
engineers and professionals to be able to access that information. Desler stated
the administration has made steps with those goals in mind. The County is capable
of moving in that direction.
(Clerk's Note: End of tape one, side A.)
Fleetwood asked if this process would require that any business done with
the County be done by internet access. Desler stated they would always have
personal customer service. A bigger issue that affects people is voting, and the
extent to which the communication can exist between the public and decision -
makers.
Roy asked where the Sheriff's Department fits in. Desler stated the Sheriff's
Department is one of the key members. The Executive is committed to making a
more effective process for collecting and distributing information related to law and
justice.
Crawford asked if the County would get Windows XP.
George Reid, Information Services Manager, stated the County is in the
process of converting everything to Windows 2000, which has more business
applications.
Desler stated they are not at the point yet where they want to install
Windows XP. It's a big deal to update 800 computers and 800 people into a new
stage of technology. They've tried to make that transition as efficient as possible.
Committee of the Whole - afternoon, 9/10/2002, Page 4
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DISCLAIMER: This document contains the Whatcom County Council or Committee
minutes, as approved. However, unless an attested signature page is attached, they
are not the final approved minutes.
Nelson stated paper is redundant in government. Imaging would be great.
He would like to get to the point to do Council packets online so it can be worked
on. Reid stated they have a committee that is looking into it.
Desler stated they are making progress on imaging material and distributing
the material through the internet.
Nelson stated it would help a lot of people who work in County government.
Many times, they recopy documents for Council packets. Every department will
have stories about how they have to recopy documents for office use. If there is
some way of putting it on the internet so it can be used, they could transfer ideas
back and forth. It would save time and staff efforts. Desler stated there are
examples of that happening now. The contracts process has developed recently.
People can construct a contract online in a format that is consistent throughout the
County. They can transfer that information online to all the entities who need it.
Nelson asked how they tie all this together for future use throughout
Whatcom County. Desler stated there are fiber connections. The County served as
the catalyst for encouraging the Public Utility District (PUD) to start to establish
fiberoptic capacity in this area. The County doesn't want to serve as the wiring
entity for the entire county, but they would like to see it done. The Council
approved the engineering work, which is designed to connect denser and less dense
areas of the county. Some people speculate that wireless technology is the future.
They'll have to see.
OTHER BUSINESS
There was no other business.
ADJOURN
The meeting adjourned at 2:35 p.m.
Jill Nixon, Minutes Transcription
These minutes were approved by Council on October 8 , 2002.
ATTEST:
WHATCOM COUNTY COUNCIL
WHATCOM COUNTY, WASHINGTON
Committee of the Whole - afternoon, 9/10/2002, Page 5
DISCLAIMER: This document contains the Whatcom County Council or Committee
minutes, as approved. However, unless an attested signature page is attached, they
are not the final approved minutes.
1 Dana Brown - Davis, Council Clerk L. Ward Nelson, Council Chair
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Committee of the Whole - afternoon, 9/10/2002, Page 6