COMMISSIONERS' COURT AGENDA REOUEST
PLEASE FURNISH ONE ORIGINAL AND NINE COPIES OF THIS
REOUEST AND DOCUMENTS TO BE REVIEWED BY THE COURT.
MADE BY: John D. Trolinger
MEETING DATE: August 22, 2005
OFFICE: Information Technology
TIME PREFERRED:
SUBJECT: Discuss the report "Kerr County Information Technology System Efficiency."
EXECUTIVE SESSION REQUESTED: (PLEASE STATE REASON)
NAME OF PERSON ADDRESSING THE COURT: John D.'T'rolinger
ESTIMATED LENGTH OF PRESENTATION: 11 Minutes
IF PERSONNEI. MATTER -NAME OF EMPLOYEE:
Time for submitting this request for Court to assure that the matter is posted in
accordance with Title 5, Chapter 551 and 552, Government Code, is as follows:
Meeting scheduled for Mondays:
5:00 P.M. previous Tuesday.
THIS REQi1EST RECEIVED BY:
THIS REQUEST RECEIVED ON:
t~,
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Meetings. Your cooperation will be appreciated and contribute towards you request being
addressed at the earliest opportunity. See Agenda Request Rules Adopted by Commissioners'
Court.
KERB COUNTY INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
SYSTEM EFFICIENCY
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The cost of automation for Kerr County is a significant portion of the
budget. No doubt this cost offsets additional facilities and manpower
requirements; but that is outside the scope of this report. Instead I present
the past five years and the next five years of costs and functions in a clear
format. The automated functions that we have today Vs what is required to
better integrate the county and reduce costs was the focus.
Annual costs to automate, averaged over the past five years, have been
$513,023 per year. This includes all the infrastructure, training, and
software that allows the county to operate.
The existing legacy system runs on a single high-end server that is at the
end of its servicable life. The cost to replace the server is $55,695. Several
software packages are available for the legacy system that we either do not
have or are not taking advantage of due to lack of training. Cost for
installation and training is $274,737. A lease purchase is possible that
~' would spread the cost to the taxpayer over the five year life of the server
and software.
In lieu of the Legacy system there are new software packages available that
would be benificial to the taxpayer and the county operation. Costs for
Financial, Tax, and Courts software and hardware, including full Internet
access for the taxpayer is $1,105,000. Significantly if purchased after
January 1 2006 the cost of this same system will be about $1,900,000.
Details aside the bottom line is that either the existing Legacy system must
be upgraded at significant cost and only a few years of remaining service
life or we may move to a state of the art system that will be viable for
another fifteen years as was the legacy system when it was purchased.
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Information Technology Plan
2006-2007 Budget Year
Non-Departmental
Telephone systems
The telephone systems should be rolled into the IT department. This includes the
Courthouse, Jail, Juvenile Detention, and Road and Bridge. Currently there aze
inefficiencies in the contracts, service, and compatibility. Tie-lines to each switch, Voice
over IP long distance, and a consolidated service agreement with a third party vendor
should be considered. A phone system audit should be the first step at $3,500.
Computer Room and networks
The computer room is growing in size with the relocation of the county attorney server,
the addition of five servers for web, email, remote access, virus/gray ware protection, and
file shazing and additional networking equipment. The existing TSG server had a
significant external storage upgrade, the DATANAS, in March.
The current system from TSG is on a single IBM server that has reached the end of its
useful life. It requires replacement. The hardware can be swapped one for one with a new
server for about $54,000 but this would lock us into another five years with the Legacy
softwaze which is limiting the users. Fortunately we have an opportunity to move to the
next generation of technology that eliminates the client server world in which we now
operate. Instead of one expensive server we would have many commodity servers, servers
~ that could be purchased from any vendor. Every three yeazs or so a new server could be
added for about $3,700 to add processing or storage capacity; giving the county a system
that grows along with the needs of the county. This results in a long term solution to
hazdware obsolescents and lowers the total cost of ownership.
I recommend that Tax, Courts, and Financial move to the new Softwaze Group solution in
the next budget year.
Email
County email was transitioned from ktacom to co.kerr.tx.us on our own internal server.
About 200 email accounts are in place and this should grow to 225 by the end of the yeaz.
Many of the users did not have email access before, example patrol officers. Unrealized
savings in reduced spam and virus infections + efficiency will be over $100,000 per year.
Training
Problem: Nearly non-existent in the budget, user training is the key to efficiency and
productivity.
Solution: Purchase of the new Software Group system will train all of the users in the first
year and give the users the tools to bring on new users when necessary. The new system
I am proposing includes extensive end user documentation and online help giving the
county the ability to cross train its own personnel. Additional yeazs training is shown
averaged over five years in the proposed budget. Each department should be encouraged
to fully fund training.
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Adult Probation
Independent of the county network and tied to the Software Group server via dedicated
line. Current year project will eliminate the dedicated line for a secure Internet
connection and provide enhanced functions, such as mugshots.
Adult probation should budget for $9,800 in computers, peripherals, and maintenance.
With the new connection in place, adult probation will be in position to upgrade to
Odyssey next yeaz. This might provide integration with the Gillespie County office and
will greatly enhance the collaboration with the court system. Gillespie County is
installing Odyssey now.
County Attorney
Hot Checks
The existing system is provided by a one-man shop out of North Cazolina. Although the
system works well and has great support the future of the system is not certain and it
could become obsolete overnight. Hot Checks processing with Software Group's new
system would integrate the cases with the courts package and eliminate obsolescents
while greatly enhancing the sharing of data between the courts. With the Odyssey
package automated processing from vendors such as Wal-Mart would be available.
Prosecutor
Currently lacking integration with the Courts and Probation. All cases aze handled on
paper, the computers aze used as electronic typewriters using softwaze that is over ten
years old, and not supported by the vendor.
I recommend that the County Attorney install the Prosecutor Package, if the legacy
system is retained.
The new Odyssey system would fully automate the department with the Sheriff,
Probation, and the Courts and reduce paper files greatly.
County Clerk
The most automated user in the county the county clerk's office has a need to provide the
public with automated records requests. Despite the current automation the public must
still come to the courthouse for land, vital, or other records. An attempt was made to use
a third party to provide Internet access to land records but the project has stalled. Public
web servers are included with the Odyssey package and provide a highly satisfactory
solution to the public's records needs. This solution not only satisfies the need to provide
the public with information but also increases efficiencies by off loading the work at the
counter to the Internet.
Good progress was made this year using existing funds to upgrade computers and the
counter operation. Additional funding is required to replace outdated computers and
printers at $16,000.
Attorney efiling and attorneys subscriber access is included in the new Sofrwaze Group
System. In fact the Odyssey system is capable of efiling that can be automated achieving
a seamless process. The proposed system offloads a great deal of attorney work by
providing attorneys with the information they need online, from their offices.
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Justices of the Peace
The legacy package has not been upgraded in several years and is stagnate. With JP4
coming on line to the county network it is a logical next step for all the JP offices to
upgrade to Odyssey. The new functions provided by Odyssey will allow better co-
ordination between offices located in three different buildings. The Odyssey system will
also greatly enhance DPS electronic reporting. This reporting capability offloads a great
deal of repeat work from JP office staff.
District Clerk
Good progress was made this yeaz using budgeted funds to replace computers in the law
library, and thanks to the Sheriff replacment of both computers in the district courtrooms.
The counter operation is the example of efficiency.
With a counter operation that is an example to be Teamed from and followed there are
some improvements required.
A larger issue of records storage and public access is not solvable with the existing legacy
system. The District Clerk requires Odyssey as soon as possible to convert paper
documents for retention and public access. The district clerk can also greatly benefit from
the systems document imaging capabilities. Allowing documents to be uploaded into a
que at the counter and then attached to their appropriate case in a batch format.
The judges also can greatly benefit from the calendazing, and bench view functionality
included in the Odyssey courts package. This functionality will allow the county to attach
courtroom notes directly to the cases from the courtroom providing the rest of the county
with instant updates to the disposition of the cases. Gillespie County is installing Odyssey
now.
Juvenile Detention
Independent of the county network this facility requires significant upgrades in
connectivity and software. Also, as the lazgest user of long distance telephone a solution
is needed to reduce cost.
Technology wise the juvenile detention facility is the least efficient facility in the county
and requires immediate attention.
Recommend a broadband connection via Time Warner to the county network. This would
also be used for Voice over IP for long distance service. Cost is $4,400 per yeaz vs the
existing DSL line at $1,000 per year. An option of connecting to the county network via
Fiber Optic should be explored.
In order to integrate the detention operation with the county the purchase of the Softwaze
Group's jail package is required. With the existing legacy system cost would be over
$25,000. Cost with Odyssey would be nothing (Free) if we chose to work with the
software group on modifying the jail package for the purpose of juvenile detention.
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Commissioners Court and County Judge
Good progress was made this year in automating and providing the public access to the
agenda and court minutes.
Significant improvements are needed for the county judge. Integration with Juvenile
Probation and the county attorney, including computers in the courtroom aze needed now.
The judge also can greatly benefit from the calendaring, and bench view functionality
included in the Odyssey courts package. This functionality will allow the county to attach
cournoom notes directly to the cases from the cournoom providing the rest of the county
with instant updates to the disposition of the cases. The legacy package that the county
owns for Juvenile probation is not being used. An effort should be made to integrate.
Initially $2,400 should be budgeted to install a computer and network wiring in the
courtroom.
With new legislation requiring the court agenda to be posted to the www site and the fact
that all four computers aze fully depreciated, the commissioners should budget $3,200 for
new computers and software. Once the new computers are in place the commissioners
might enjoy greater access to the county network and the public.
County Jail
The county jai] is a highly automated and efficient operation but lacks public access.
Providing access to the public and especially other law enforcement agencies is desired.
The new Odyssey package would provide this function. The Odyssey package also
provides innumerable tools to help manage the function of the jail and it's staff.
Sheriffs Office
Good progress was made this year with the addition of Incident Report Manager and
Wordmerge to the legacy system. Many computers and peripherals were upgraded or
replaced. Fourteen of the computers were replaced for the cost of software due to the
jokers wild seizure. Remote secure access to the county network via the Internet was
established for the Sheriff, CID, and Ingram City Mazshall. Very good progress indeed.
More progress is required. The Dispatch Center needs the Computer Aided Dispatch
package. Cost is $96,000 for the legacy system but is being offered at no cost with the
Odyssey package. The public benefit of a modern system in dispatch means faster
response and for the patrol officers less keystone kops' episodes of searching for the
scene.
Patrol officers should have access to mugshots, county data, and be able to file reports
from the patrol car. Preliminary testing with Sprint wireless has shown this to be practical
but at a first year start up cost of $21,000 for the patrol sazgent's and CID. Recurring costs
are high, the cost of wireless connections aze $55 per unit per month. With the increasing
cost of fuel this program deserves serious consideration.
With Odyssey the ability to access custom reports on crime patterns will help run a more
analytical operation.
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County Tax Assessor Collector
Integration with the central appraisal district is required. The new Orion package
provides needed integration along with side benefits of modern book keeping and faster
customer service. Public access to records and electronic payments via the Internet would
be possible with Orion with a corresponding increase inefficiency and the lowering of
public and employee frustration with the existing system. This solution not only satisfies
the public' need for information but also increases efficiencies by off loading the work at
the counter to the Internet.
New computer equipment should be budgeted at $4,600.
Environmental Health
Independent system composted of five computers connected to the county network but
using an independent database. The users are technology savvy. The conversion of Tax
and central appraisal district to Orion would allow some integration with the county and
reduce currently duplicated efforts in mapping with the ArcView program. Going forward
database sharing with Road and Bridge, Central Appraisal, and Environmental Health
should be studied.
Mobile access to the county network would increase efficiency during site visits.
Budgeting for wireless service to one laptop next year would be $700 plus $500 for
installation.
County Treasurer
A need exists for time cazd management. County-wide time reporting is redundant on
several levels.
The current system is manpower intensive ................Encode or a sepazate, stand alone
system is needed now.
County Auditor
The Encode package would revolutionize the methods and timeliness of maintaining the
county budget.
Road and Bridge
Independent system composed of five desktop computers and DSL Internet access.
Maintains a database of all roads in the county with no off site backup.
This department actively refused to co-operate in the efficiency study and email
conversion.
City of Kerrville Police Department and Ingram City Marshall
The cities and the county need better interoperability for warrants and bookings. Initial
steps have been taken that will put us in position for a shared database and data entry at
the county jail. The cities should be encouraged to participate in our upgrade to Odyssey.
Page 6