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Appleton officials squabble over direction of technology services [The Post-Crescent, Appleton, Wis.](Post-Crescent (Appleton, WI) Via Acquire Media NewsEdge) July 15--APPLETON -- Like those of similar-sized communities, Appleton's website features links to all city services. Residents can navigate through information about votes on the Common Council, recreational programs, police and fire protection and property assessments. But anyone who has ever wanted to watch council meetings, access accident reports or submit forms for various services knows those functions are not available online. Their absence is an example of how far behind the times the city's technology services department is. City leaders on Thursday said the city has some serious catching up to do. "My goal is to focus on what do we need to move forward," Mayor Tim Hanna said. On Wednesday, the Common Council will consider whether to eliminate the technology department's director position and instead hire a network administrator. Hanna thinks the department's operations should be folded into a different city department. He said he plans to make an announcement before he introduces his 2012 budget proposal, but he will face opposition. Council members Jeff Jirschele and Peter Stueck at a Human Resources Committee meeting on Monday voted against the personnel change. The committee's recommendation passed 3-2. "The department is struggling," said Ald. Curt Konetzke, who heads the Human Resources Committee. "I think (the council members) are leery about filling this position and (creating a) deputy director when you fully don't know how the department is going to operate and who's going to control it." The move comes exactly a year after an audit report found police, public works and finance employees had a "high degree" of frustration with technology services. The audit also showed the troubled department was slow and inflexible and hindered worker productivity. "Nearly all users reported that TS staff are not particularly communicative about services requests. In many cases, work has been completed, but no one informed the requestor that the item was closed. In others, several days or weeks went by without any update from TS staff as to progress on a given issue," the report said. Police Chief David Walsh is serving as the department's interim director. Hanna made the temporary appointment two months ago, following the May 6 retirement of Scott Liske, the former director. The audit, though completed in July 2010 by the Government Finance Officers Association Research and Consulting Center, only recently came to the attention of several members on the council and ignited debate over the future of the department. Ald. Kole Oswald questioned the proposed personnel changes in the department. "It's not the council's job to manage the technology services department. That is the job of the mayor and his staff," he said. "However, it is our job to make responsible budget decisions and exercise oversight. ... I consider good IT services to be the life force of any organization." Part of the reason the city lags behind is that it still uses a mainframe system. "My understanding is that stuff of this size like we have has been on its way out for a long time, and we have not stepped forward and spent the dollars to bring it to the next generation," Konetzke said. Maintenance of the city's website is only one of the tech staff's responsibilities. But, full use of technology could streamline city services and keep costs down. Cities such as Waukesha offer residents a way to report potholes. Eau Claire has a YouTube channel for meetings, speeches and public service announcements. Racine has a feature that allows residents to key in their address to locate their representative on the council. "There's a concept called 'government 2.0' and it has to do with where your municipality falls on digital interactions," Oswald said. "How can an Appleton taxpayer interact more with its government? One way to achieve that is through a more robust IT services." ___ To see more of The Post-Crescent or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://www.postcrescent.com . Copyright (c) 2011, The Post-Crescent, Appleton, Wis. Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services. For more information about the content services offered by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services (MCT), visit www.mctinfoservices.com, e-mail [email protected], or call 866-280-5210 (outside the United States, call +1 312-222-4544) |