TITLE
Recommendation to receive a fiscal impact analysis report on the proposed creation of a Technology and Innovation Commission and forward Committee comments and/or recommendation to the City Council for consideration.
DISCUSSION
At its September 17, 2013 meeting, the City Council requested the City Manager to prepare a fiscal impact analysis report pertaining to the creation of a Technology and Innovation Commission for review and comment by the Economic Development and Finance Committee of the City Council. This report responds to this request.
Proposed Commission
As proposed in Agenda Item #16 (attached), the purpose of the proposed Technology and Innovation Commission is to ensure that the City of Long Beach continue to provide cutting edge services to our residents, visitors and businesses, and that we maintain, expand and capitalize on our leadership position. The Commission would be comprised of Long Beach residents with special skills, knowledge, expertise and interest in technological innovation, and would be able to advise the City Council on new technology, evaluate proposals for investing in technological innovation and infrastructure, and serve as a clearinghouse for new ideas that can enhance the City's use of technology and its place in our economy.
The Commission would be made up of 11 members, one from each Council District, and two at-large members. All appointments would be made by the Mayor and approved by the City Council. The Commission would meet monthly, as do most other City advisory bodies.
Before discussing the fiscal impacts associated with supporting the proposed commission, it is important to make note of the roles and responsibilities of the existing Citizen Technology Advisory Committee.
Citizen Technology Advisory Committee
The Citizen Technology Advisory Committee (CTAC) was created in the fall of . 2004, at the request of the City Council. The purpose of CTAC is to help the City Manager (through the Technology Services Department) identify and apply new information and communications technology to improve service delivery to both City departments and the public.
The CTAC is responsible for:
• Reviewing and commenting on the current use of technology and service approaches;
• Providing feedback on the City's future technology plans;
• Assisting City staff in exploring the feasibility of new technology; and
• Serving as informed communicators to others in the community of current policies, activities, and plans of the City's Technology Services Department.
In the recent past, the Committee provided useful input on disaster recovery planning, new website design, Wi-Fi development, and social media strategy.
CTAC members are appointed by the City Manager and are selected on the basis of individual interest, experience, expertise, and ability to provide objective feedback and input to City staff. Committee members serve a two-year term, and are precluded from doing business with the City. The Committee currently has nine members, though there is no set number.
Meetings are held bi-monthly during business hours at City Hall and are chaired by the Director of Technology Services. Staff time spent supporting the CTAC is estimated as follows:
Staff Position Annual Hours
Director of Technology Services 32
Manager, Business Information Services 36
Manager, Infrastructure Services 36
Upon learning of the City Council's interest in establishing a Technology and Innovation Commission, the current members of the CTAC expressed an interest in continuing as an advisory body. However, staff does not have the capacity to support two advisory bodies, it is recommended the City Council eliminate the CTAC if the Technology and Innovation were created.
Staffing Needs for Proposed Commission
While the breadth and scope of the issues the Technology and Innovation Commission will address is not currently known, additional staff resources will be required to support it. Staff will need to conduct research, perform analyses, and prepare reports of their findings. The support currently provided to the CTAC would not be sufficient to meet the work demands of the Commission, nor is it reasonable to assume that existing staff can provide additional time to support the Commission.
In order to effectively support the Commission, additional staff resources will be required. At a minimum, the Technology Services Department will require an Administrative Analyst III position and a Clerk Typist III position. This Administrative Analyst III position is warranted as the incumbent will conduct high-level research and analyses, prepare thorough reports (written and oral), and coordinate with other City staff members who have responsibilities in areas of interest or relevance to Commission agenda items. (It is worth noting that a Planner III position was added when the Sustainable City Commission was created in 2007.) The Clerk Typist III position is needed to support the preparation of agendas, notices, meeting minutes, and reports. Depending on the workload created by the Commission, further staff support may be required. This support might include 25 percent of a Business Services Specialist VI position and some amount of consultant support (estimated for this purpose to be $50,000).
FISCAL IMPACT
The additional cost of staff support for the proposed Technology and Innovation Commission ranges from $142,000, for the Administrative Analyst III and Clerk Typist III positions, to $221,000, which includes the 25 percent of the Business Services Specialist VI position and the $50,000 in consultant expenses. The funding for these resources was not included in the Adopted FY 14 Budget. Funding would need to be found and brought forth to the City Council as a budget adjustment.
SUGGESTED ACTION
Approve recommendation.
Respectfully Submitted,
APPROVED:
PATRICK H. WEST
CITY MANAGER