HomeMy WebLinkAboutRes2005-086
Sponsored by: Corbridge
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CITY OF SEWARD, ALASKA
RESOLUTION 2005-86
A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SEWARD,
ALASKA, AUTHORIZING THE CITY MANAGER TO PURCHASE
LASERFICHE DOCUMENT IMAGING AND MANAGEMENT SYSTEM
FROM COMPULINK FOR USE IN THE CITY CLERK'S OFFICE FOR AN
AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED $35,000 AND APPROPRIATING FUNDS
FROM THE GENERAL FUND FUND BALANCE
WHEREAS, the City of Seward has its permanent and vital records inaccessibly stored in
the basement of city hall; and
WHEREAS, it has become crucial the City of Seward work out a solution to a myriad of
records management issues it now faces such as; extremely limited storage space, records not
accessible to the public, no search and retrieval capabilities, vital records vulnerable to disaster with
no disaster recovery plan in place; and
WHEREAS, the city has a need to organize its information and make it more accessible to
its constituents and staff; and
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WHEREAS, these permanent, historical and essential records need to be safeguarded against
damage or disaster and eventually stored off-site; and
WHEREAS, the city clerk has been researching solutions to these problems and how to
manage its vast history of records for three years; and
WHEREAS, Laserfiche document imaging and records management systems by Compulink
is versatile software that addresses most all problems of government records needs, and manages
paper and electronic documents while offering internet access, and has a powerful and easy search
and retrieval engine to meet future city needs; and
WHEREAS, this system would allow records to be scanned and available on the computer
for easier search and retrieval, and would incorporate a web link to allow for faster access to city
documents via the internet; and
WHEREAS, Laserfiche solutions have been in business since 1987, and service over 21 ,000
public and private sector organizations, including 900 municipalities around the world; and
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CITY OF SEWARD, ALASKA
RESOLUTION 2005-86
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WHEREAS, this system should reduce and eliminate time spent searching for documents
saving countless hours of stafftime, free up storage space, reduce paper distribution costs, allow for
future growth, streamline and strengthen processes to help make government more efficient, make
records available and accessible to the public. while addressing the crucial issue of establishing and
preparing a disaster plan; and
WHEREAS, Seward City Code 6.10.120 (9) specifically exempts the purchase of electronic
data processing software and hardware systems from competitive procurement requirements; and
WHEREAS, for the number of modules purchased, the annual operating and maintenance
fees and upgrades associated with this product will be $4,842.00 per year; and
WHEREAS, Laserfiche system appears to meet most of the records management needs for
the City of Seward that have become so crucial to find solutions for, while allowing the city clerk's
office to manage the entire document repository from a desktop workstation.
NOW THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY
OF SEWARD, ALASKA, that:
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Section 1. The City Manager is hereby authorized to purchase Laserfiche document imaging
and management system, hardware/software, and related professional services from Compulink.
Section 2. The City Manager is hereby authorized to approve annual software maintenance
support services for an amount not to exceed $5,000, on a year-to-year basis, subject to annual
appropriation, as mutually agreed by both parties.
Section 3. An amount not to exceed $35,000 is hereby appropriated from the General Fund
fund balance reserve account # 101-0-3050 to 101-1130-5930.
Section 4. The above recitals are incorporated herein by reference.
Section 5. This resolution shall take effect immediately upon adoption.
PASSED AND APPROVED by the City Council of the City of Seward, Alaska, this 26th
day of September, 2005.
THE CITY OF SEWARD, ALASKA
-Y~lL ~~
Vanta Shafer, May.
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CITY OF SEWARD, ALASKA
RESOLUTION 2005-86
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AYES:
NOES:
ABSENT:
ABSTAIN:
Branson, Dunham, Valdatta, Clark, Shafer
Amberg, Lorenz
None
None
ATTEST:
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~a Dollorlrid,
Assistant City Clerk
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Agenda Statement
Meeting Date: September 26, 2005
To: Seward City Council
From: Jean Lewis, City Clerk
Thru: Clark Corbridge, City Manager
Kris Erchinger, Finance Director
Agenda Item: Purchase of Laserfiche document imaging and management system.
BACKGROUND & JUSTIFICATION:
We live in a constant changing environment where the platform keeps moving. Seward is long
overdue in finding a solution to safeguard its records. With Government budgets being slashed and
increased workloads and demands, the city must find a system that will save time and money through
streamlined processes and improved efficiency. Government should also provide instant document
retrieval, a means for off-site storage of vital records in case of disaster, protect the integrity of those
historic and essential records, and provide for better public access to its records and daily business.
The city clerk’s office has a remarkable challenge managing city documents and records that are in
boxes in the basement with antiquated search and retrieval capabilities. Current records management
problems are: limited and declining storage space, inefficient search and retrieval of documents, old
systems of finding documents vulnerable to failure, loss of all records in the event of damage or a
disaster and virtually no public access.
This office has been researching document imaging software since 2002. Although there are no
perfect solutions, I believe this Laserfiche system to be an optimal solution in addressing a myriad of
records management needs for this community for today and the future. It is “Windows” based,
therefore more user friendly for the public. Since our computers are “Windows” based, staff training
should take less time because of familiarity. This system integrates well with GIS systems if added
later, and with additional modules that could be added in the future such as agenda managing,
document audit control, and replacement of DOS based records management control.
Laserfiche, pioneered by Compulink, is a storage system with instant retrieval capabilities. The
intended reseller of this package is eDocsAlaska, Inc. This agreement will pay for an MSDE version
of SQL team server, software, assurance plans for one year, full and retrieval licenses, training and
implementation, initial scanning of all minutes, resolutions and ordinances, along with two scanners.
This would allow the big scanner to be set up downstairs for a project that may take years to
accomplish, along with a smaller desktop scanner for the day-to-day office scanning. This will allow
both projects to run simultaneously. The copy machine for the office will be purchased separate.
With the modules purchased today, this will allow the City to scan all of its historical, vital and
essential records and store them in the computer, making the entire permanent vault repository
available from our desktop workstation. There are access safeguards built in, old resolutions and
minutes, will be available over the internet within the next year, and information can be scanned onto
CD’s which could be stored off-site in case of disaster. The city could then go to each individual
department and scan in their most important records. Eventually this information will be available to
staff and public with a click of the finger. It will be text searchable, making it easier to retrieve
documents being sought. Paper distribution costs and staff time will be reduced, thus resulting in a
cost savings down the road, while improving efficiency and easy access to the city’s records.
This project is long overdue and needs to be a high priority for the City of Seward as a whole, to
safeguard and protect the integrity of its records for today and the future.
INTENT:
To safeguard the history and vital records of the City of Seward from damage or disaster, to
streamline processes for increased efficiency, and make these stored documents available and
accessible to the staff and public through its retrieval system and the internet.
CONSISTENCY CHECKLIST
: Where applicable, this agenda statement is consistent with the
Seward City Code, Charter, Comprehensive Plans, Land Use Plans, Strategic Plan and City Council
Rules of Procedures.
Other: Would eventually establish a disaster recovery plan for the management of its records in the
future.
FISCAL NOTE:
This initial cost of the needed modules is estimated to cost between $30,000 and $35,000 (see
attached estimate). $1,190 will be used to pay for resolution, ordinance, and minute books to be
scanned and entered into this system immediately in Anchorage. The annual operating and
maintenance costs will run $4,842.00 per year for the assurance plans purchased.
There will be a cost savings that cannot be quantified through reducing paper distribution costs and
eliminating countless hours of staff time searching for documents, and strengthening processes to
make local government more efficient. By purchasing before the end of the month, Laserfiche is
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running a 3 quarter web special that is computed into the attached estimate which saves the city
about $1,000 and adds retrieval licenses to the weblink portion of the package.
Approved by Finance Department: ________________________
RECOMMENDATION:
The city council approve Resolution 2005-86, authorizing the city manager to purchase Laserfiche
document imaging and management systems modules from Compulink through eDocsAlaska.Inc.