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County commissioners embrace use of iPads [The Dispatch, Lexington, N.C. :: ](Dispatch, The (Lexington, NC) Via Acquire Media NewsEdge) July 21--He's not anymore. Besides being able to download meeting agendas and minutes from the commissioners' website, Potts said the device serves as an integral part of keeping connected with all facets of county government. "I had very strong reservations at first, because I'm not the most technology savvy person," Potts said. "It's definitely a money-saver and a time-saver." Before the advancement of iPads and smartphones, Potts recalled how he would have to rely on faxes and emails to view critical county documents that needed his attention. Thankfully, those days are over. "I was very apprehensive at first, but it's been an excellent change to government," Potts said. "If you're going to be a 21st-century county, you need 21st-century technology." Potts also said the iPad is beneficial because it keeps commissioners connected to the county whenever they are away from their office on a job site or traveling for business purposes. "It reduces phone calls, faxes and making unnecessary trips," Potts said. "It also increases productivity." Commissioner Fred McClure said he lobbied for several years for the commissioners to be given such a device. "It's been a real advantage and allows us to do research," McClure said. "It has reduced paperwork." McClure also used his iPad at a recent national conference of county commissioners in New Orleans. Commissioner Don Truell said the tablets have been a substantial money-saver for the county since large documents no longer have to be printed out. "We don't need to print out a 100-page document for each commissioner anymore," Truell said. "The bad thing is that it's hard to thumb through a hundred pages on the iPad." Truell praised Joel Hartley, Davidson County's chief information officer, and his staff for the implementation of the tablets. "(Hartley) and our entire IT department have done an excellent job in keeping the county up on technology. I'm really pleased with the iPads," Truell said. Hartley, meanwhile, said the commissioners began using iPads in June 2011. The county purchased iPad2s (16GB of storage, Wi-Fi and 3G wireless capability) for each commissioner with a keyboard case at a cost of $670.70 each. The Verizon service for the 3G on the units costs $37.99 per month for each. In January, the iPad2s were replaced with iPad Airs (16GB, Wi-Fi and the faster LTE wireless capability), keyboard case and a two-year Apple Care contract for each commissioner at a cost of $698.05 each. The Verizon service was moved from the older units to the new iPads, and the cost remained the same at $37.99 per month for each. The iPad2s were reused in other county departments. Commissioner Steve Jarvis said the use of the iPad makes him much more accessible to his constituents and allows him to provide immediate answers via email. "This technology is a thing of the future, and if we don't move forward with it, we'll be moving backwards," Jarvis said. "I am very pleased with using the iPads, and I don't know what we'd do without it." Debbie Harris, who works as clerk to the board, said the iPads allow her to keep in constant contact with the commissioners, if the need arises. "The iPads have made it so much easier for them to carry out business and made them more accessible to the public," Harris said. "It makes it much easier for us to be able to get information to them and not have to constantly feel that we are bothering them by having them on the phone, since they all work during the day." Vice chairman Todd Yates said the iPad is an excellent time-saver because he can access meeting minutes from the commissioners' website. Yates added the device is also an example of creating a paperless work environment. "Before we had these, they'd give us notebooks full of minutes and agendas," Yates said. "It's an invaluable tool, no doubt." Commissioner Sam Watford agrees with his colleagues that the iPad is a definite cost-savings instrument because it cuts down drastically on the amount of paper generated. "They sure are a time-saver, and they've become a way of life," Watford said. "You don't have to read word for word with every document. You can get right to the section you need." David Exum can be reached at 249-3981, ext. 227, or at [email protected]. Follow David on Twitter: @LexDisptachExum ___ (c)2014 The Dispatch, Lexington, N.C. Visit The Dispatch, Lexington, N.C. at www.the-dispatch.com Distributed by MCT Information Services |