04-22-17 Special Meeting of the La Porte City Council - Budget Retreat

Browse Search

REQUEST FOR CITY COUNCIL AGENDA ITEM Appropriation Agenda Date Requested April 22, 2017 Source of Funds: Requested By Patrice Fogarty, City Secretary Account Number: Department: City Council Amount Budgeted: Report X Resolution: Ordinance: Amount Requested: Exhibits: Budgeted Item: YES NO Exhibits: SUMMARY & RECOMMENDATION As a topic for the Budget Retreat, staff requests input from Council to determine if this budget year is the time to enhance departmental participation in the City’s electronic records management program. In 1990, Ordinance 1675 was passed appointing the City Secretary as the City Records Management Officer responsible for directing and coordinating all records management operations for City offices and departments. In its infancy stage, the City’s program of electronic records management mainly addressed permanent documents. The City bought Laserfiche software, which is a DoD certified search and retrieval software. Mostly just permanent documents were scanned in, and that accomplished two things. It made the records easily accessible and searchable and also safe from the destructive elements of time, temperature, insects and natural disasters. Expanding the program to encompass the scanning needs of other City departments’ records, even non-permanent records, would greatly enhance the ability to easily locate records which are currently in boxes in the records center and also make them accessible to staff at their fingertips without the need to go offsite to try to locate them. In addition to enhanced location of documents for end users, it ensures the State of Texas required retention of documents. Additionally, the Texas State Library and Archives Commission permits the scanned copy to be the original copy for records management and retention purposes. One central strategy of cost-effective records management is the separation of active from semi-active or inactive records and the removal of the latter from the active office space in each department of the local government to a centralized records storage area. Scanning active records into Laserfiche accomplishes this strategy. After scanning active records and checking for quality control, the paper copies can be destroyed. After reaching the desired level of active records scanned into the system, inactive but valuable records need to be reviewed for retention and scanning. In order to ensure success on expanding the City-wide records management program, a position dedicated to scanning is recommended. This position would be under the City Secretary’s Office. A document scanner would not need to be purchased if this position could utilize the document scanner in the Finance office. Annual cost for a position, including benefits, would be approximately $41,422.00 ($25,000 salary + 24% ($6k) for FICA, Medicare & Retirement + $10,422 for insurance). Action Required by Council: Provide direction regarding expanding the electronic records management program. Approved for City Council Agenda Corby D. Alexander, City Manager Date