Memorandum

City of Lawrence

City Manager’s Office

TO:	David L. Corliss, City Manager
FROM:	Jonathan Douglass, Assistant to the City Manager
CC:	Scott McCullough, Director of Planning and Development Services Ron Hall, Director of Information Systems Lisa Patterson, Communications Manager
DATE:	November 20, 2007
RE:	Implementation Plan for Online Planning Commission Agendas

Staff has been working toward a January 2008 implementation of online Planning Commission meeting agendas. Planning staff currently prepares paper packets of agenda materials that are delivered to Planning Commissioners prior to their meetings. The City Commission moved from paper packets to online agendas in January 2003.

The advantages of online Planning Commission agendas include the following:

Elimination of paper packets will save significant staff time and other resources consumed as paper packets are printed, assembled and delivered by Planning staff to ten Planning Commissioners before each meeting.
An online agenda complements the Planning and Development Services Department’s efforts to get all planning materials submitted electronically.
Online Planning Commission agendas will lead to more seamless transitions as materials move from the Planning Commission to the City Commission.
Online agendas make items before the Planning Commission more accessible to the public, creating a more transparent public process.
Planning Commissioners will be able to access other resources during their meetings, including the comprehensive plan, GIS and other city policies.

New Approach to Commission Computing Practices

When online City Commission agendas were implemented, City Commissioners were each issued a notebook computer that could be used to access the agendas during meetings and from outside City Hall. Since that time some Commissioners have taken the notebooks home with them during the week, but most Commissioners have left them at City Hall and viewed the online agendas from their personal computers. The notebooks are used mainly at the City Commission Room dais during City Commission meetings.

An option being considered by City staff is to use a thin-client server and workstations for the Planning Commission, rather than purchasing and issuing notebooks for ten more Commissioners. With the thin-client option a monitor, keyboard and mouse would be stationed permanently at each of ten workstations at the dais. Small drives would be mounted underneath the dais, linking to one thin-client server. All of the workstations would be able to independently access the programs and files on the server.

Advantages of the thin-client approach include modest cost savings over notebooks, reduced staff time dedicated to downloading/updating agendas and routine maintenance of the machines, and the ability to expand the use of online agendas to other boards/commissions in the future without additional cost.

If thin-client workstations are implemented for use by the Planning Commission, they could also be used during City Commission meetings instead of the current notebooks utilized by City Commissioners. The City Commission notebooks would still be available for study session seating arrangements and other meetings outside of City Hall.

An example thin-client workstation with low profile monitors will be available for City Commissioners to see during the 11/27/07 City Commission meeting. Initially the monitors, keyboards and mice would simply be placed on top of the existing dais, but in the future the dais could be altered to lower or hide the monitors and make the City Commissioners more visible to the live and television audiences of the meeting.

The photo at left is of the City Council dais in Austin, Texas, with thin-client workstations rather than notebook computers being utilized by the council. Computer monitors are slightly recessed so as not to block the public’s view of the council. While only thin-client workstations and low profile monitors are planned for Lawrence at this time, a similar dais could eventually be installed in the City Commission Room.

The photo below is an example of a product which would allow for the monitor, keyboard and mouse to be hidden from view when not in use. This sort of arrangement is another option for eventual installation in the City Commission Room dais.

New Online Agenda Format for Planning Commission

Two versions of the City Commission agenda are currently posted each week – a viewable (HTML) version and a downloadable version. The HTML version is accessible any time an internet connection is available, and the downloadable version can be saved to a computer’s hard drive for viewing where an internet connection is not available. The downloadable version of the agenda does not follow best practices for posting large files and multiple formats to the web, but a previous City Commission requested access to the agenda files in their original format (Word, Excel, etc.).

Staff recommends posting online Planning Commission agendas in PDF format, a change from the method used for City Commission agendas. A PDF agenda can be opened online and can be saved to a computer’s hard drive for times when internet access is not available. Virtually all computer users have access to free software for viewing PDF files, which is not the case with Microsoft applications such as Word or Excel. Posting the agenda in PDF format means only one version of the agenda will have to be prepared by City staff.

Even with a PDF format, Planning Commissioners will have the ability to make notes inside the agenda materials. The full version of Adobe will be installed on the machines and staff will be available to train Commissioners if necessary.

Implications for the City Commission

Implementing online Planning Commission agendas as outlined in this memo will have minimal impact on the City Commission. The use of notebook computers can be replaced with the use of thin-client workstations permanently installed at the dais, depending on City Commissioner preferences. The City Commission will still have access to notebook computers for different meeting arrangements such as study sessions and locations outside City Hall. The City Commission, as well as the public, will have earlier and better access to items that are being considered by the Planning Commission.

No actions are required by the City Commission to move forward with this project, but staff welcomes any comments or suggestions that Commissioners may have.