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HomeMy WebLinkAbout11/09/1993, 3 - CORRECTION TO NOVEMBER 9 AGENDA MEETI - 9A AGENDA DATE/f�ITEM#® MEMORANDUM November 4, 1993 To: City Council From: John Subject: Correcti ovember 9 Agenda Attached is a slightly revised copy of my information systems memorandum, which is currently included on pages 3-10 and 3-11 of the November 9 agenda. My intent was to have this memorandum placed ahead of the City Clerk's and Finance Director's reports, since its purpose is to introduce the broader issue involved in these matters. Therefore, I ask that you insert this memorandum after the agenda summary, ahead of page 3-1. JD:mc Attachment h/rlov9.mem CECEI EL NOV 5 1993 CITY CLER MEMORANDUM November 4, 1993 To: City Council From: John Dunn Subject: Overview to discussion of information systems issues: Where to from here with the Cit}rs electronic information systems? With apologies to Charles Darwin and Stephen Hawking, for many years the City has had an evolutionary approach to its electronic data processing needs, but now a "critical mass" is building which could result in an information processing "big bang". Let me give just a couple of examples. The Cal Poly/City/County/Chamber 'Research Park" Committee has given itself the assignment of presenting an "electronic village community forum" early next spring, where the possibilities of a community-wide integrated telecommunications system would be explored which would operate for the advantage of a coalition of government/business/education. Councilmember Roalman and I and others have chatted with Art Gloster of Cal Poly, and the theme of these discussions is that there is a radical change on the horizon, an explosion of information technology possibilities within the next five years. There is general agreement that the technology is here today, and that the institutional arrangements (TCI/Atlantic Bell is one example) are on the threshold of being developed. The Council earlier heard a presentation on the advantages of the City participating in SLONET (previously called FREENET), a community bulletin board. Additionally, internal to City Hall, there are a number of substantial needs and proposals, as described more fully in the accompanying agenda report from Bill Statler and Lori Atwater. The accompanying agenda report from the City Clerk concerning remote access is yet another example of the new issues being raised by the burgeoning use of technology. Increasingly there is the danger that we will approach the various events and requests on a case-by-case basis, without really having a blueprint for our future in front of us. I contrast this with our other "infrastructure planning and implementation systems", where there would be a community uproar if we started installing.streets, water and sewer lines, traffic signals, and electrical power poles in a haphazard fashion without knowing where we are going,without a plan. As an analogy, the staff and the Council subcommittee have been working for months on the appropriate approach to the annexation of the Airport Area, and it has been decided that this process couldn't and shouldn't be completed without a fiscal cost-benefit analysis,plan for services,public facilities financing plan, and specific plan(land use) for the area. In short, as with this example, the classic SLO approach has been to anticipate the future, and then to develop a planning process whereby the community can determine what it wants and define the steps to getting there. In my assessment, the pending "build-up demand" for computer information processing is getting to be enormous, and there is the danger that we will be responding to the "squeaky wheels" portion of this demand. While that will cause enlargement and possible improvement of the system, it will also be done at risk to other perhaps-equally-legitimate parts of the system which, for whatever reason, didn't scream for equal attention. In the longer term, I think that these observations argue for two things: (1) that we should proceed with some caution, with the realization that by taking incremental actions we are really determining the de facto plan for the City's computer information processing system, whether the benefits are fully defined or whether it is properly integrated with other necessary components of the system, and (2) in order to avoid growing haphazardly, we should be proceeding according to a plan, so that we can determine what we want, can figure out a path to get there, know when we've arrived, and know what has to be given up in order to gain something else. Up until quite recently, our computer processing needs were largely internal to the organization. We had a need, and we figured out how to best meet that need within the resources available to us, with the major criteria for moving ahead being that we didn't somehow "goof up" other parts of the internal system, and that the "right hand knew what the left hand" was doing. The coming revolution, the seeds of which have been sewn this past year, is that the City's information processing is no longer seen solely as a means to get our work done, but is also being viewed by many as a community resource and as a prospective public service. Therefore, we are on the threshold of providing a new "service". If this "new service" were to be provided in Police, Utilities, or Public Works, it would receive a great deal of scrutiny and considerable analysis. I am simply arguing for the same care and concern in this area as we feel obligated to give to other areas. This, then, is the larger context in which these individual items or requests should be discussed. Though the various proposals contribute in some way towards our long-term "plan" for both servicing the needs of the organization and the needs of the community,we need to ask ourselves: are some "components" of this plan more achievable and more beneficial than others, and can we "get it all" in the relatively short-term or do we have to enter into some priority setting mechanism to separate the kernel of our needs from the chaff of our desires? Again, these'are the sorts of questions that float through my mind as we eagerly anticipate a greatly expanded future in this arena. While I am a strong proponent of the future, I find myself asking "where are we really going?" and trying to think through the implications of various proposals and wanting the City to design a course which produces the greatest benefits which our resources will allow us to achieve. For all of the above reasons, I am recommending that the Council strongly consider preparation of an information systems master plan in the near future. JD:mc �� MEETING DATE: 10111 lp��1pf 11 city Of Sa. . suis OBISPO 11/9/93 - 9a.m. Oft A COUNCIL AGENDA REPORT ITEM NUMBER FROM: Diane R. Gladwell, City Clerk SUBJECT: Remote Access for Council Members RECOMMENDATION: Consider amending the City's Remote Access Policy to provide City-owned computers to Council Members DISCUSSION: At the October 26th Council meeting, Council asked for further discussion of equitable access to computer information by Council Members. During the pilot remote access project, we have ensured that information access has been equitable to the entire Council, but there are "on-line" reports not currently available to Council Members that we would like to make available to the full Council: *Electronic Agendas, including: 60-day agenda,preliminary agenda, current agenda, and action updates. The 60-day agenda is updated on a real-time basis by the entire organization, and the preliminary agenda is updated by City Clerk staff as changes occur. Electronic access to these reports would also allow paper distribution to be discontinued to those Council Members who wish to rely on electronic access. +Citylink, etc. In addition to electronic agendas, there are a number of other applications, including Citylink, that would be easier and less expensive for Council Members to access if they could do .so from their homes. FISCAL IMPACTS: If two Council Members wish to be equipped with IBM-compatible computers at this time, the City would incur an expense of approximately $3,000. In the long-term, this could result in expenses totalling $7,500 if all Council Members want to be provided with computers. ALTERNATIVES: 1) Utilizing the current Remote Access Policy, make electronic agendas and Citylink information available. Council Members with IBM-compatible computers at home would be able to access the information remotely, those without IBM-compatible computers would access the information through the Council Office computer. I 2) Continue the.current practice of relying on written agenda updates rather than making information electronically available. 3) Amend the Remote Access Policy to provide Council Members with City-owned computers. ATTACHMENT: Remote Access Policy 3-� ATTACHMENT "A" REMOTE ACCESS TO THE CITY'S COMPUTER SYSTEMS PURPOSE STATEMENT Modem use to and from the City's computer systems should occur under guidelines that are incorporated into the Management Information Systems policies and procedures. The remote access policies outlined below are intended to establish a framework for the use of modems City- wide. LINK TO MANAGEMENT INFORMATION SYSTEMS POLICIES The City is committed to a strategy of decentralized computing systems based on local area network technology. Although decentralized, centralized support through the Information Systems Division of the Finance Department is provided for hardware, software and devices that are integrated into each site local area network. Non-LAN data communications, including modems, fall into the category of uses not supported by Information Systems. As such, purchase, installation, maintenance and support of modems are the sole responsibility of the operating departments. Under Management Information Systems guidelines, the City encourages the use of information systems that are compatible and maximize the easy exchange of information between users and departments, and minimize the duplication of data bases and maintenance efforts. Modems installed in different locations for individual use should be minimized in the future. If growth of these devices continues, a modem pool (communications server) should be installed as a local area network resource which will allow many users to access the same modems using network communication software. This device would be installed, maintained and supported by Information Systems. AUTHORIZED USE Council Members and System Administrators are specifically authorized to have remote access to the City's local area network. Access by other staff members requires the approval of the Department Head and the concurrence of the System Administrator. Any significant use of remote access for "telecommuting" must be approved by the CAO. SECURITY The following practices are intended to provide reasonable, but not absolute, safeguards against unauthorized access to the City's computer systems: Communications Software. All communications shall be conducted via"dial-back" communications software. The caller list in the software contains the user login name,password and phone number of authorized users. This ensures that the host is accessible only to remote users at the numbers in the caller list. The communication software will "dial-back" to the authorized remote user who has requested access to the system. Passwords. All users of the City's computer systems must be issued a login name and password. The City standard login name is first initial and last name up to eight characters. Passwords are a confidential sequence of letters and numbers. Because passwords are the key to system security, 3-3 which becomes an even greater issue when remote access is provided, it is essential that they are not disclosed or utilized by other persons. All passwords will be assigned by the System Administrator and changed every six months. Disclosure of passwords (or the use of an unauthorized• one) may result in terminating access (remote or local) to the City's LANs, and depending on the severity of the outcome of the disclosure, may result in disciplinary action, including termination. SUPPORT RESPONSIBILITIES Information Systems Information Systems will establish standards for remote access communication software and external modems to be used. Information Systems will also provide initial installation of external modems and communication software for Council Members in their role as System Administrators for City Hall LAN. Information Systems does not otherwise support remote access to the City' computer systems. System Administrators Each site System Administrator is responsible for the training and technical support required for use of remote access and for developing procedures for its use at their site as appropriate. System Administrators are also responsible for installing external modems and configuring the communication software for remote access to their site's local area network. Modems shall rum at speeds of 9600 baud or higher. This speed will allow the transfer of documents, text processing, and provide the best investment of funds. This approach should provide reliable use of the City's standard application software such as WordPerfect, E-mail, and Lotus; databases such as the Land Use Inventory will probably be too slow and are not recommended for use via remote access. Printing to the network printer is available and incorporated into the user login name; printing to the home printer creates potential problems for support and therefore, can not be guaranteed. Departments. Departments are responsible for the costs of purchasing modems and communication software, and for approving employee access to the LAN. In the case of Council Members, the City Clerk's Office is responsible for training and support for use of modems in accessing the City Hall local area network as well as the use of standard City office applications. USER RESPONSIBILITIES Users who own a computer and are authorized to have remote access may dial-in to the City's local area network. The minimum computer must be an IBM PC or compatible with 640K RAM and DOS 3.1. The remote user must coordinate with their site System Administrator for the installation of a City-owned modem and communication software. Any other costs associated with installing remote access as well as the on-going maintenance, repairs, and upgrades of the remote computer are the responsibility of the individual user. At the end of employment with the City (or termination of remote access privileges), the communication software and external modem must be returned to the City. Each remote user will have the same level of access to programs and files as they would while on site. As noted above, unauthorized access or improper system utilization may result in terminating access (remote or local), and depending on the severity of the outcome of improper use, may result in disciplinary action, including termination. J-,f4 1""44— �III�IIIIIIVhI�II�� IIuIU MEETING OATS: hj► c�".7 orr san 01S osispo //- � & COUNCIL AGENDA REPORT ITEM NUMBER: FROM: William C. Statler, Director of Finance UI k Prepared by: Lori Atwater, Information Systems Coordinator SUBJECT: INFORMATION SYSTEMS PLANNING CAO RECOMMENDATION ■ Review current issues before the City regarding its use of automated information systems. r ■ Discuss alternatives for addressing the City's long-term information systems needs. OVERVIEW Two basic approaches are available to the City in planning its information systems needs: ■ Ad hoc. Planning will occur, as needs arise, on an ongoing basis. ■ Long-terra plan. In addressing our basic infrastructure needs like water, wastewater, and circulation, it has been our practice to prepare master plans to ensure that we maintain and improve our infrastructure in the most cost effective manner possible by focussing on what we should do and when. Perhaps it is time to view our information systems infrastructure in the same way, and prepare long-term plans accordingly that identify and prioritize needs Attached is an outline of information and communications technology which are being proposed by City departments as well as improvements being considered externally by other organizations in the San Luis Obispo community that will undoubtedly affect our own information systems planning. This listing is not intended to be all-encompassing, but to provide the Council with a brief overview of the issues that will be planned one way or another: ad hoc or through a comprehensive, well thoughtout strategy. DISCUSSION In 1990, the City began a planning effort to chart the City's future systems and networking direction. City staff compiled a comprehensive assessment of present systems, resources, and future needs, and used the expertise of a consultant from the Warner Group to prepare a high-level needs analysis. Based on a roundtable discussion with the consultant, Management Team, and other key staff involved in managing the City's information systems, a consensus was reached that the next step should be the development of a Citywide information systems master plan. The planning project should emphasize development of a process that is flexible, action-oriented, and involves representatives from every department. An information systems strategic plan would enable the City to identify and prioritize inter-departmental and intra-departmental needs. ilm�►>I►I►�IIIIIII�P II�IU city Of San SUIS OBISPO INUM11 mg COUNCIL AGENDA REPORT This project was budgeted for completion in the 1991-93 Financial Plan but was deferred due to City financial constraints. The City has since implemented several information . systems projects, several more are in development stages, and there is an increasing number of information systems projects being planned in the community that may affect the City. An information systems master plan is needed now more than ever before: with the installation of the wide area network City-wide service consolidation, interdepartmental workgroup efforts and electronic communication with the world outside of the City are possible. The objectives of an information systems master plan would be to develop a strategy that: ■ Defines the City's requirements in the areas of information systems, networking, connection to information systems outside of the City,financial management systems, and telecommunication systems over the next three to five years ■ Considers the wide range of available alternatives for information and communication systems and identify the best available approaches for the City ■ Considers the organization, training and support needed to successfully implement and maintain the new systems ■ Prepares a cost/benefit analysis of the planned approach ■ Develops a phased implementation schedule to effectively meet the City's long-term objectives based on agreed upon priorities SUMMARY As the City continues to increase its use of existing office automation equipment and networks, individual department requests for improvements vie for limited funds. During this time when government agencies from the federal to local level are encouraging the effective use of technology for increased productivity, the City must make a serious commitment to planning for future uses of its information systems. ATTACHMENT Overview of information systems projects currently funded or under discussion internally by the City and externally by other community organizations PROPOSED INFORMATION SYSTEMS PROJECTS INTERNAL Funded in the 1993-95 Fptancial Plan Wide area networking. An"electronic highway"'using fiber optic cable, microwave radio link or lease lines which allows local area network traffic to travel without bottlenecks between geographically dispersed City sites. The proposed sites to be connected include: City Hall Corporation Yard Engineering and Public Works/Utilities Administration Police Station Fire Station Headquarters Parking Administrative Offices Recreation Administrative Offices Integrated email, calendaring and scheduling. Allows networked City staff to send messages, reports, forms and schedule meetings from their workstation. Fiber optic installation policy. Fiber optic cable runs between City buildings provide the most cost effective, reliable and flexible backbone for data, voice and video communication. This policy would outline when fiber optic cable should be installed,what locations are most advantageous to the City, what material specifications should be used, building standards for its proper installation, and references to City engineering standard specifications and details. Recreation scheduling. Application software that allows Recreation staff members to schedule facilities, leagues, equipment and staff. Records management system. The current document filing and retrieval system using microfilm and microfiche is obsolete. Developing an optical disk storage system that has full text search capabilities would significantly improve information access and increase productivity. This system would eventually be available to all departments for document search using their workstation computers over the network. Only an initial pilot program is currently funded. Other Projects Under Discussion Information kiosk A public information touchscreen computer designed to provide an effective, interactive and widely accessible method of delivering government information directly to the citizens. A pilot program is currently under conceptual design using Cal Poly student resources. Barcoded opticalscanning systems. Devices which read barcode for direct input into the City's computer systems which can significantly reduce data entry time and minimize errors. These systems may be used for billing, inventory management, and any other entry-intensive systems where barcoded forms can be effectively preprinted. Common uses of this technology are seen at grocery store check-outs and video rental stores. U?_ 7 Voice mail system/automated attendant. Significantly reduces cans transferred between City departments using a programmed "tree" of messages which leads the caller to the correct department or staff without requiring knowledge of the City's organizational structure. This system could be designed to ensure that no caller receives a busy signal or more than three rings; it also allows the use of "voice mail boxes" with the option of talking to someone rather than simply hearing a message. Cable television franchise. The City may wish to evaluate the changing face of CATV in light of trends in the data, voice, and video communications field. Personal computer purchasing by employees. Many cities allow employees to purchase computers through their City via payroll deduction. This program would recognize the importance of information technology in increasing employee productivity, and recognize that the most cost effective way of training employees in software programs is at their own homes on their own time. Planning presentation resources. The Council and advisory bodies have expressed a need for improved presentation materials for their review and analysis of planning proposals. The technology would provide for improved mapping, photo-realistic modeling, virtual-reality applications of walk-through presentations, and interactive graphics portraying a number of "what-if' scenarios. Updated financial management information system (FMIS). The City's current FMIS hardware (IBM System 36) was acquired in 1985 (and was relatively "old" technology even at that time). This hardware as well as the software applications purchased at that time ' cannot be expanded to meet changing storage and processing requirements as programs are based on archaic coding practices that are not compatible with City software and hardware standards. It is highly unlikely that this system - which pays vendors, produces payroll checks, issues utility bills, and generates financial reports - can be relied upon much longer to provide these services. As our fiscal future becomes even more challenging, the need for reliable, timely financial information will be even greater than it is today. Optical disk storage systems. Several department have data storage devices which use optical disk technology. As noted above, the City Clerk's office is currently developing a pilot program using this technology. The City should have defined standards as the use of such devices grows. Internet access. The Internet is a world-wide network of computer systems which has been used by higher education for 15 years and has more recently been used by government and private industry for information search and retrieval, sending messages, and file transfer. We have recently received many requests throughout the organization for access to this system, which will undoubtedly become the backbone for the "information highway" that has received a great deal of "pop culture" attention lately. Police mobile data terminals. These devices allow police officers in the field to scan drivers licenses, receive on-line crime information, and prepare reports in the field. Their use would increase available officer hours in the field, reduce paper, and allow faster delivery of public safety services. J4 Public safety communica --ns. A complete revision of radio frequencies and communication channels used by Police, Fire, Utilities, and Public Works will be required by. the FCC in the near future. It is anticipated that the Police Department will coordinate with Fire, Public Works and the County in a JPA-type approach to define future communication requirements. Geographic information system (GIS). Developing land use databases and computer aided design (CAD) mapping to allow automated land use planning, zoning, modeling, simulation, utilities infrastructure and distribution management, and public safety routing. Standards must be developed so that each department uses the same base map, similar drafting symbols,and the most widely required data elements and compatible interfaces for searching and reporting on the information retrieved. Although the benefits of a well planned and implemented GIS are significant, it requires a significant commitment of resources to do so. Telecommuting. Reduced trips and better air quality can potentially be achieved by facilitating staff use of home computers to access the City's computer systems for the purpose of work. Access to the "electronic highway". While the federal government has made much to do about the electronic highway, the City has no plan for when, how or even why access to this infrastructure should be obtained. Electronic village concept. The SLONET project has created increasing discussion about how citizens should be given electronic access to information and services provided by government, educational institutions and the business community. The City should clearly defined what our role in this effort should be, what information we wish to offer, and how. often we will provide it. Training and support for expanded applications. Adequate funding and staff resources to train, support, and maintain any enhanced information systems will be essential if we are to truly benefit from the use of automated technology. EXTERNAL County of San Luis Obispo Voice response system. Allows the public to access information about County services over the telephone. Cal Poly Distance learning project. Allows the interactive delivery of classroom instruction via video for schools, businesses and government agencies. The City has the opportunity to use this training tool. SLOIVET Project Electronic village concept. Community computing access (private citizen, business, government, educational institutions) to an electronic bulletin board for email, information sharing. An electronic village forum has been proposed for Spring of 1994. ,3-9 MEMORANDUM November 2, 1993 To: City Council From: John Dunn Subject: Overview to discussion of information systems issues: Where to from here with the City's electronic information systems? With apologies to Charles Darwin and Stephen Hawking, for many years the City has had an evolutionary approach to its electronic data processing needs, but now a "critical mass" is building which could result in an information processing 'big bang". Let me give just a couple of examples. The Cal Poly/City/County/Chamber "Research Park" Committee has given itself the assignment of presenting an "electronic village community forum" early next spring, where the possibilities of a community-wide integrated telecommunications system would be explored which would operate for the advantage of a coalition of government/business/education. Councilmember Roalman and I and others have chatted with Art Gloster of Cal Poly, and the theme of these discussions is that there is a radical change on the horizon, an explosion of information technology possibilities within the next five years. There is general agreement that the technology is here today, and that the institutional arrangements (TCI/Atlantic Bell is one example) are on the threshold of being developed. The Council earlier heard a presentation on the advantages of the City participating in SLONET (previously called FREENET), a community bulletin board. Additionally, internal to City Hall, there are a number of substantial needs and proposals, as described more fully in the accompanying agenda report from Bill Statler and Lori Atwater. Increasingly there is the danger that we will approach the various events and requests on a case-by-case basis, without really having a blueprint for our future in front of us. I contrast this with our other "infrastructure planning and implementation systems", where there would be a community uproar if we started installing streets, water and sewer lines, traffic signals, and electrical power poles in a haphazard fashion without knowing where we are going, without a plan. As an analogy, the staff and the Council subcommittee have been working for months on the appropriate approach to the annexation of the Airport Area, and it has been decided that this process couldn't and shouldn't be completed without a fiscal cost-benefit analysis,plan for services,public facilities financing plan, and specific plan (land use) for the area. In short, as with this example, the classic SLO approach has been to anticipate the future, and then to develop a planning process whereby the community can determine what it wants and define the steps to getting there. The accompanying agenda report from the City Clerk concerning remote access is yet another example of the new issues being raised by the burgeoning use of technology. In my assessment, the pending 'build-up demand" for computer information processing is getting to be enormous, and there is the danger that we will be responding to the "squeaky wheels" portion of this demand. While that will cause enlargement and possible improvement of the system, it will also, be done at risk to other perhaps-equally-legitimate parts of the system which, for whatever reason, didn't scream for equal attention. In the longer term, I think that these observations argue for two things: (1) that we should proceed with some caution, with the realization that by taking incremental actions we are really determining the de facto plan for the City's computer information processing system, whether the benefits are fully defined or whether it is properly integrated with other necessary components of the system, and (2) in order to avoid growing haphazardly, we should be proceeding according to a plan, so that we can determine what we want, can figure out a path to get there, know when we've arrived, and know what has to be given up in order to gain something else. Up until quite recently, our computer processing needs were largely internal to the organization. We had a need, and we figured out how to best meet that need within the resources available to us,.with the major criteria for moving ahead being that we didn't somehow "goof up" other parts of the internal system, and that the "right hand knew what the left hand" was doing. The coming revolution, the seeds of which have been sewn this past year, is that the City's information processing is no longer seen solely as a means to get our work done, but is also being viewed by many as a community resource and as a prospective public service. Therefore, we are on the threshold of providing a new "service". If this "new service" were to be provided in Police, Utilities, or Public Works, it would receive a great deal of scrutiny and considerable analysis. I am simply arguing for the same care and concern in this area as we feel obligated to give to other areas. This, then, is the larger context in which these individual items or requests should be discussed. Though the various proposals contribute in some way towards our long-term "plan" for both servicing the needs of the organization and the needs of the community, we need to ask ourselves: are some "components" of this plan more achievable and more beneficial than others, and can we "get it all" in the relatively short-term or do we have to enter into some priority setting mechanism to separate the kernel of our needs from the chaff of our desires? Again, these are the sorts of questions that float through my mind as we eagerly anticipate a greatly expanded future in this arena. While I am a strong proponent of the future, I find myself asking "where are we really going?" and trying to think through the implications of various proposals and wanting the City to design a course which produces the greatest benefits which our resources will allow us to achieve. For all of the above reasons, I am recommending that the Council strongly consider preparation of an information systems master plan in the near future. JD:mc 3��