KEY PROJECTS

RECENT ACCOMPLISHMENTS:

PERMITTING/LICENSING/INSPECTION SYSTEM
Implementation of the Tidemark system has automated many of the permitting, licensing, and inspection activities in the Permit and Development Center, Neighborhood Conservation Services, and the City Clerk's Office. Enhancements to this system in the coming year will include web-enabling some of the functions.

CUSTOMER RESPONSE SYSTEM
Our Customer Response System (CRS) provides a uniform method for responding to citizen complaints and requests for service or information. CRS has improved our ability to track citizen requests, provide follow up information, and measure the performance of departments in providing service to our citizens. This service is now available on the City's web site as method to serve the City's citizens at their convenience 24-hours a day, 7 days a week. The City's Customer Response System recently was awarded the "Aberdeen Award" for recognition as one of the top 10 customer relationship management (CRM) implementations of 2001.  

WEB-ENABLED SERVICES
A major web site redevelopment in January 2002 provided a new home page, additional layers of citizen-focused navigation and new applications for our web site. The revised site includes the addition of "Centers" for contacting city offices, requesting services, completing and downloading forms, making online-transactions, and viewing maps. These centers all provide additional ways for citizens to find the information or services they want easily. Among the new services available on the web site are:

The revised site also features live streaming of City Council Meetings. This service opens a new channel for citizens to observe their government in action. Archived meetings will also be available on the City's web site.

NETWORK REDESIGN AND CONNECTIVITY
The City has made substantial improvements to its Metropolitan Area Network. Network switches have been installed to increase the bandwidth available to network users, a fiber backbone has been developed to connect all City facilities in the downtown core, network connectivity has been standardized with Ethernet Gigbit on the backbone, and Fast Ethernet the standard transport protocol within buildings, and network cabling within all City facilities has been improved to allow for greater desktop efficiency.  

The availability of fiber connections to all City facilities provides a solid foundation for enterprise connectivity that will support nearly any future IT initiative. The connectivity of fiber at City locations was a joint project between Information Technology and Mediacom as the result of the City's 1998 cable franchise renewal agreement.  

CONTINUING INITIATIVES:

PUBLIC SAFETY
Substantial improvements to the Police and Fire  computer and communications systems are underway.  Replacing existing mainframe-based applications with a client server application is of highest priority and will allow us to complete our migration away from the mainframe environment. The updated public safety systems will provide the enhanced capabilities necessary to maintain a dependable and reliable communications and data management system. This project was expected to be completed by 4/01/2004.

GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION SYSTEM
Geographic Information Systems (GIS) is an exciting area of information technology that can provide valuable information using maps for a visual image.  With the creation of the GIS division in Information Technology, the City has emphasized an effort to extend the benefits of GIS throughout the entire City enterprise for use as a management, analysis and decision-support tool. Current City applications include integration of property parcel numbers with sewer lines, street lighting and paving projects, fire station areas, neighborhood association borders, and Police boundary areas. While Engineering continues to play a major role in GIS, personnel in every department have been trained in desktop GIS tools, and are finding new uses for this system. The City has partnered with Polk County for more than 10 years to provide an information-rich system.  

PEOPLESOFT 
PeopleSoft,  the City's enterprise software, has been implemented for all departments.  IT staff have assisted the Finance and Human Resources departments in their development and overall implementation of PeopleSoft modules for time and labor, projects, and accounts receivable/billing.  Current activities include enhancing functionality for the existing modules with a major version upgrade,  improving financial reporting, and providing additional  information to employees at their desks for enhanced project analysis.

VIRUS PROTECTION
Virus-scanning software is resident on all Servers and Workstations. Microsoft Exchange servers to protect our system from viruses initiated through e-mail. This software interactively scans files to detect known viruses as the files are used. When a virus is detected, the system automatically repairs the file by cleaning the virus, then notifies both the user and staff at IT of a virus problem. This software is updated regularly for new virus patterns and greatly reduces the need for concern about virus alerts for e-mail.

While many organizations were severely damaged by virus attacks during 2001, the City lost very little productive time to these attacks. IT has developed a methodology that successfully reduced even the most severe of these attacks to mere annoyances. We will maintain continued vigilance in this area.