Draft Minutes of Technology Advisory Board Meeting of September 19, 2007

Present: J Tasse, Chairman, G. Eggleston, J. Kelley, M. Schorr, P. St. John, B. Gardner-Town Board

 liaison; A. Smith – Guest, Absent: J. Egry

1.       The minutes of the 6-19-07 meeting and 7-17-07 meeting were approved without change.

2.       System Administrator job spec - copies of position guides from county and schools as examples of the system administrator’s job had been previously distributed by Bruce. Tasse asked if we could write the job spec based on those. Paul asked Al Smith if he would do that job.

3.       The Town’s accounting system software was discussed. The current system is old and outdated. The general consensus of the TAB is that the Town should migrate to a new system. Marv suggested that the TAB recommend to the Town Board that the Town computers migrate from the current old, cumbersome, outdated system that is not usable with Windows VISTA to an up-to-date system such as Williamson’s. Additionally, a system that has more than one person capable of servicing it, as is the case with the current system, be purchased. Heather Scribner joined the TAB discussion. S he pointed out that the current system does not meet the state municipal accounting requirements. Further discussion concluded that the basic security of the system is not being met, security for individual access to the system is not being met, the system is reliant on specific platforms that are not always available to the Town Clerk, the application will not function with a server and, the Town Clerk says that the current system is becoming “buggy”. The major thing in favor of the current system is that appears to be inexpensive. However, Heather pointed out that there are hidden costs associated with its use. These include significant numbers of hours spent resolving issues and problems. The current system does not display routine functionality for tax administration, it does not comply with general municipal accounting practices and the vulnerability of the system depends on one persons continued good health.

The Williamson package, as an example, would cost $6,500 plus installation and training. A yearly support contract would cost $1,200 which is $200 more than the contract for the current system. However, the hidden costs associated with the current system likely more than makes up the difference.

The TAB should ask the Town Board for permission to explore other options for getting off the current system. Since the Board is in the 2008 budget process now the TAB should present a recommendation to the Board at its next meeting. While it would be ideal to migrate to a new system at the start of the new year, that is not an absolute requirement. A new system could be installed at any time and operated for some period in parallel with the current system while it is debugged and users become familiar with its use.  The TAB should strongly recommend use of a new system. Marv will prepare the TAB recommendation to be presented to the Town Board at its October 9 meeting.

4.       The TAB needs quotes for a server. Kelley had previously obtained some. Heather needs help with s a server grant application she is preparing. Kelley said that roadrunner will provide aid with the server firewall. Paul showed that the General Code package has most of the information needed.

5.   Status of the MacAfee protection package – Kelley said that everyone except the two justices and the Highway Dept. appear to be on line and getting automatic updates. Kelley will try to install the software for the justices; John and heather will take care of the Highway Dept.

6.      Heather is meeting with the NYS regional officer and grant writer on Oct. 15 to discuss the server grant. She needs someone from the TAB to attend. Kelley, Eggleston, Gardner will.

7. The status of the new Town hall was discussed.

 The meeting was adjourned at 9:07 pm. The next meeting will be on October 16, 2007 at 7 pm in the Town Hall. The recommendation on a new accounting system will be presented to the Town Board on October 9, 2007.

Prepared by M. Schorr