Town Technology Committee Meeting Minutes, October 8, 2009

Posted on: 10/08/2009
Date of Minutes: 
10/08/2009



Rhinebeck Technology Committee Meeting Minutes

 

October 8, 2009

 

In attendance

 

Dave Kliphon

Bruce Washburn

 

 

Agenda items, as addressed:

 

 

  1. Cloud Computing

 

Summary:

    • Gmail does not provide the ability to capture outgoing mail
    • Dave has not made progress utilizing Google Apps for Tech Committee purposes

 

Actions:

    • Dave will initiate research into whether Gmail offers archives of incoming/outgoing mail

 

 

During the month Dave researched the possibility that Gmail could be used to capture outgoing email, a feature needed for the Town/Village to archive mail for legal coverage.  Online research did not reveal an indication that Gmail could do this.  In this case, the committee must stick to its current email hosting recommendation.

 

In the meantime, Dave reported that he did not find time to experiment with Google Apps for Tech Committee purposes.  The goal is to prove the value Google Apps as a cloud computing solution that can be utilized by the Town and Village.

 

 

 

  1. Five-Year IT Plan

 

Summary:

    • A final Five-Year Plan was offered to the team for review during the month
    • The plan creation stage is complete

 

Actions:

    • Dave will send Bruce a copy for Board reference
    • Topic will be removed from agenda

 

 

Five-Year Plan updates were applied during the month, and a copy sent to team members for review.  It was explained to Bruce at the meeting that the plan creation stage is complete, and the document should now be considered active.

 

The Five-Year Plan topic will be removed from next month’s agenda, and the document will now be used as a committee reference.  Dave will send a copy to Bruce, who will bring it to the Town Board as a reference as well.

 

 

 

  1. IT Policy and Topic Summaries

 

Summary:

    • No action this month

 

Actions:

    • Documents will be provided to Bruce for addition to October 28th Board meeting

 

 

Bruce noted that the IT Policy and the topic summaries (email hosting and tech inventory) did not make it onto the late September Board meeting.  Dave will supply fresh copies of the documents, and Bruce will add the review of the material to the October 28th Board meeting.

 

Dave noted that at least the IT Policy should be addressed in the month of October.  As a policy, this document has more gravity and should be properly reviewed and ultimately adopted.

 

 

 

  1. Town IT Audit RFP

 

Summary:

    • Team confirmed that the topic should remain on hold for now
    • Tech inventory task could be facilitated in the future by interns, supporting an audit

 

Actions:

    • Topic will be kept on the agenda for review at next month’s meeting

 

 

A potential Town IT audit would benefit the municipality greatly.  The committee could initiate an audit proposal by providing a Request for Proposal (RFP).  Although started, the RPF creation process was put on hold until greater urgency emerged.  Bruce and Dave agree that the RFP can remain on hold for the month, and that the topic should remain open for review next month.

 

Bruce highlighted his goal of hiring one or more youth interns to assist in Town IT tasks.  Dave noted that there are plenty of Tech and Web Committee-related tasks that could be performed by an intern.  The role would certainly be warmly received.  Also, interns could facilitate the Tech Inventory, which would support the proposed IT audit.  The committee currently has requirements for collecting Tech Inventory information.

 

Bruce noted that there is no timeframe at this point to actually having one or more interns available, but that there is motion to make this happen.

 

 

 

  1. Change Management Procedure Policy

 

 

Summary:

    • An updated Change Management Procedure Policy was presented
    • Team review and contribution is still required to strengthen the policy

 

Actions:

    • The policy will be sent for second review, and put before team review at the next meeting

 

 

Updates to the Change Management Procedure Policy were made during the month, and the revised version sent to the team for review.  Dave explained that he needs assistance from the team in filling and strengthening the policy.  Therefore, the current version will be sent to the team for a second review, and the resulting document will be given attention by the team at the next meeting in order to improve it and prepare it for submission.

 

 

 

  1. Password Policy

 

Summary:

    • The policy is nearly ready for submission to the Board for review
    • Team needs to discuss collection of passwords and “should” statements

 

Actions:

    • Dave will adjust the delivery representative to Town Clerk from Bookkeeper
    • Policy will be sent to team for review of identified issues
    • Agenda topics for password collection and optional requirements will be added

 

 

The Password Policy document was improved during the past month.  Bruce review the updated document, which contains policy requirements, options (“shoulds”) and a reference of content leveraged in assembling the guidelines.

 

Bruce identified two areas for discussion and potential improvement:

 

  1. The need and/or procedure for collection of passwords must be defined.  The current policy proposes that representatives deliver passwords to the Town Bookkeeper.  Bruce requested that this be adjusted to the Town Clerk.  The team must discuss this topic.

 

  1. Optional requirements must be reconsidered.  Bruce noted that soft requirements as these are always ignored.  The team should decide how to address these additions.

 

Ultimately the policy is nearly ready for submission to the Board for review.  The Reference (lower) section could be removed if considered an improvement or simplification.  The team goal is to complete the policy at next month’s meeting.

 

 

 

  1. ZEO Document Organization

 

Summary:

    • No action taken this month

 

Actions:

    • Paul plans to get to this issue in the next month

 


Paul reported via email that “haven’t done any more with the zoning variance document assignment but now that summer is over will get to it.”

 

 

 

  1. Bookkeeping Accessibility


Summary:

    • An email was sent to Shelly asking whether she has the ability to print reports to PDFs

 

Actions:

    • Dave will send a reminder, and ask Joan to assist
    • Bruce will check with Shelly when he sees her
    • If needed, Dave will ask Shelly to have a consultant install a PDF print driver

 

 

Dave explained that he did send an email to the Shelly (bookkeeper) several weeks ago asking whether she can print financial reports to PDF format, but that the recipient address was incorrect.  Dave resent the email earlier this week, CCing Bruce and Joan (clerk).  A reminder email will be sent again in the near future.

 

Again, the goal is to initially determine if financial reports can be printed as PDFs.  If so, these documents should be ready for uploading to the Town website, and the team (or Web Committee) will help tutor.  If PDFs cannot be generated, a consultant will be asked to assist getting a PDF print driver installed on the bookkeeper’s machine.

 

 

 

  1. ZBA Notifications

 

Summary:

    • Paul reported that he was able to effectively research the ZBA network problem

 

Actions:

    • Paul will document the process and re-test
    • Via email, the team will discuss how to properly apply the fix

 

 

Paul reported success in his ZBA notifications research task: “I’ve been able to resurrect the process that had been working previously.  There are 4 workgroups on that network and I’ve learned that the machine where the labels are printed can, given the proper conditions, access the computers in the other 3 workgroups.  Will document the procedure better and give the process another test on Wednesday.”

 

Paul will report back on his subsequent test, and supply the procedure document.  The team will be petitioned via email to discuss the next action. 

 

 

 

  1. Miscellaneous

 

Summary:

    • An Email Usage Policy is needed

 

Actions:

    • Dave will add the item to the next agenda

 

 

Dave resurrected the Email Usage Policy issue.  Many Town and Village representatives are using their personal email addresses to conduct municipality business, and Bruce points out that this is becoming a problem.  The two agreed that the topic should be put back on the agenda for team discussion.  Dave noted that the policy may have been put on the back burner while the IT Policy was created and submitted.


 

 

 

Next Meeting

 

Wednesday, November 4th at 7:00 pm.