So you are training people on the previous contract until you are training people on the new contract?
You are not training supervisors and managers in terms of better practices that might be involved in the new contract?
The new contract, we cannot project what it is going to be. We have areas that we would like to see.
You obviously have an idea of what you are seeking during your contract negotiations. Are you training managers during the contract negotiations for possibly implementing? Or are you going to wait until after you have a contract, and then have to get managers and supervisors up to speed with regard to the changes in the contract?
We basically have to start once we get the new contract and the changes. Both sides, what we want and what we get 131 Bill Nos. 030004, 030008, and 030010 - 2/24/03 are two different things, both labor and management. What we do do is, we go out, we will have the personnel, human resources people from the departments in, and we will be talking to them.
So, essentially, what you are saying is, when we get a new contract, the managers and supervisors aren't trained to implement that contract?
Again, I can't predict. We may want one thing, and the union may want something else. And what happens is a hybrid in the middle.
And I am assuming you are saying that if it is a two-year or a four-year contract, it is going to take up to two years or four years to train the management and supervisors related to that contract?
In the past what we have done is, we have more stepped-up training for supervisors.
So how long does it 132 Bill Nos. 030004, 030008, and 030010 - 2/24/03 take to train managers and supervisors on a new contract? At what point after there has been a new contract?
We will call them in, we will call our contacts, the administrative services directors, the human resource people initially, and we will train them. And then they will go back and talk to their supervisors.
The question was, how long does it take to train managers and supervisors to get them up to speed on the new contract?
I would say within three to four months, it is out there. Are there problems still? Yes. But it is out there.
It takes roughly a quarter, three or four months? So what training are you doing after that?
After that, we do the ongoing training, where at least twice a month we are out in -- one day we are usually out in a specific department training, the other one we are training citywide. 133 Bill Nos. 030004, 030008, and 030010 - 2/24/03
So you just train different layers after you train the first layer within the first three or four months?
Thank you. Councilman O'Neill, you are next. However, Councilman Cohen has asked if you would yield. He has one question. He has an appointment outside of City Hall. Just one question, Councilman.
I am just interested in the timing and extent of that. Yes, I will yield.
Councilman Cohen, I would ask you, then, since Councilman O'Neill is yielding, would you please be brief.
I will try. That means I will limit it to 40 minutes, instead of 45. First, I am very pleased to note that the Administration agrees that RGI has proved very successful. I think it is a real plus. And particularly at this time, when the 134 Bill Nos. 030004, 030008, and 030010 - 2/24/03 Administration says it is looking for ways to be more productive, I think RGI will have even a greater role. But I would like to find out, what are you doing about the housing situation? I was privileged to be at a meeting of the PHA Executive Board on Friday, and there I heard the problems that exist in the housing situation, where two problems exist. First, there are a batch of union contracts that expired last year. And that I don't know whether they are being negotiated or not. If they are, they are going in a very slow-motion process, if any motion at all. And, secondly, there is a question of what's happening to housing. Is there going to be a consolidation, what kind, and the role of the union in helping to determine those decisions? And I understand that the union has not been given any information, despite repeated requests. When I say, "the union," I mean the unions with an S added, because they are both District Council 47, District Council 33, and an 135 Bill Nos. 030004, 030008, and 030010 - 2/24/03 independent housing police fraternal order of housing police involved. And it is very disturbing to find in Philadelphia that, except for the major building trades unions -- and even with them there are some problems -- but the other unions seem to get very little attention from the Administration. And I don't understand it with your office, with the other labor office. Can you tell us where you stand on the housing situation? How can your office work in such a way to expedite the realization of the ultimate contracts, and how can you get the Administration to behave? Because I think you ought to start the training with the level of the Mayor and train him that it means talking to people is the only way you let people know what you think about it. And when you talk to them, you lend an ear and you listen to them and you get ideas from them. And between what your ideas are and their ideas, you come up with a much better mix than if you depend on only your own ideas. 136 Bill Nos. 030004, 030008, and 030010 - 2/24/03 Now, I know that sound may sound foreign to this Administration, but by God let's begin listening and let's solve these labor problems. So tell us what you know of this housing, both with respect to the union contracts and with respect to the consolidation. How can we improve relations and get both sides working and together on an even, good, solid basis? You see how important it is to the Administration to work with the unions, the dividends you reap on RGI. Now it is time for you to show, on behalf of the Administration, that you appreciate what the unions do in their way of producing productive work. So tell us about the housing.
First of all, the negotiations for contracts with the Housing Authority and its unions we are not involved in. I will have to find out and I will get back to you on where they stand.
Well, is it possible for you, in addition to finding out they stand, can 137 Bill Nos. 030004, 030008, and 030010 - 2/24/03 you play a role in it?
I will look and see if it would be helpful for us to play a role.
Because the role ought to be to get those contracts settled quickly, fairly, judiciously. And then to sit down, talk openly, freely with the unions about what your proposals are on housing consolidation. Just like they give you good ideas in RGI that are productive and save the city a lot of money, you may find the same thing applicable in housing. Because my experience with these unions is that they seem to be much more interested in productivity and solid work for the city than many of the top-level administrative employees seem to be. And it seems to me you are missing the boat if you don't work with these groups, with these unions, and get good results can you get from working with them. So can we get a quick report back on both areas on the housing situation? 138 Bill Nos. 030004, 030008, and 030010 - 2/24/03
Thank you, Madam President and Councilman O'Neill. Is that soon enough? For Councilman Cohen it was a brand-new record.
Thank you, Chairwoman. Just a couple of questions. Going back over it, the $27,000 in savings, which is about 26,000 netted out for personnel, what were the two positions worth in total that were cut, including fringes?
I think it is about $80,000 with the two together, and then fringes would be on tope of that. $59,000.
And fringes are about how much, 50 percent, 40 percent?
That's the lowest number I have heard in years. 139 Bill Nos. 030004, 030008, and 030010 - 2/24/03 So you are somewhere around 70, 80 thousand dollars on those two positions; is that fair?
The difference between that number and 26,000 is, you know, roughly 45, 50 thousand?
Oh, it doesn't show in your budget? Oh, okay. Well, that explains part of it. So the rest was just -- the difference between the and the 59 would have been 33,000? 19
It is basically to take care 20 of the negotiated increases. 21
22,000? 140 Bill Nos. 030004, 030008, and 030010 - 2/24/03
Yes. And there is another 2800 in, somebody is due an increment in their pay.
There is still about left. 6 Can you let us know -- you don't have to 7 figure it all out here. 8 And the last question I have is just one 9 of your involvement. Maybe it shouldn't be the last 10 one, because Councilman Ortiz and I discussed something, if I have time. The firefighters' arbitration, which is the first arbitration after 9/11, I believe. And police finish in the summer, firefighters usually follow right after the police in normal times. These are not normal times dealing with firefighting personnel from a morale and other standpoints. And, yet, they just finished in January, and we haven't heard. First of all, what role does your office play in the arbitration process?
We coordinate it with the Administration and the outside attorneys.
And what does coordination mean? 141 Bill Nos. 030004, 030008, and 030010 - 2/24/03
We help device the city's presentation in the arbitration and we appear as witnesses, fact witnesses, for the city.
What's the problem with the delay? Is it the arbitrator? Is it the union? Is it the fire department? What could possibly hold up a process like this so long?
They have been doing this stuff for years. I mean, same ones did the police this time or last time. It is not like they are all new faces who have never done this before.
Yes. But the issues here are scheduling hearing dates; all are busy, all have practices outside; the arbitrator has other cases that he is hearing; scheduling hearings.
So, basically, it is the arbitrators' schedules that cause this 142 Bill Nos. 030004, 030008, and 030010 - 2/24/03 problem?
I can say this, there were around or hearing dates since September. Of 8 those, they were divided, basically, equally, I 9 think it eight and eight, by the parties; the city 10 putting on eight direct testimony and the 11 firefighters putting on eight as direct testimony. 12 And the other three or four were cross-examinations, 13 closing, and things in that order. 14
Is there something 15 unusual about this year's arbitration, as opposed to 16 other years, that requires such a delay? 17 I mean, I don't think there are probably 18 any more hearings, are there? 19
I think it is a little bit 20 more hearings than we had in the past, especially in the firefighters.
What kinds of issues? I mean, you don't have to get into details, but what kind of issues are there this time that aren't usually there? 143 Bill Nos. 030004, 030008, and 030010 - 2/24/03
There are a lot of different issues. Health and Welfare takes up three or four of those days in itself.
But that would be expected. or days out of 20 is not a lot for health and welfare.
It is the wages, it is the health and welfare, it is the pensions, the working conditions.
But different this time than two years ago? I mean, I don't understand. Did 9/11 impact some of these issues? I mean, are we going to find that out?
Lastly, if I have the time, you were discussing with Councilman Goode the training under different contracts. It would seem to me that you would, at least one of my colleagues, that when you train managers on how to deal with grievances, the contract is irrelevant to that training. The contract is going to lay out certain 144 Bill Nos. 030004, 030008, and 030010 - 2/24/03 things. But the best practices in dealing with that, that you or an outside organization would be teaching, should be the same or very similar, irrespective of contract language. Could you explain that, because we are a little confused by that.
There are different things. For example, there are times when you, you know, when you need notes, when you don't need notes. Situations, it is a number of times --
A supervisor has to be trained on something like that?
A supervisor has to know when it changes and how it changes specifically so that he or she can apply that. I mean, other things that we train them on are things like just cause, just cause for discipline, when do you have just cause, when you don't have just cause.
That's what I don't 145 Bill Nos. 030004, 030008, and 030010 - 2/24/03 understand. Most of this stuff seems to be the same. You are talking about memos on the others, you know. You now have, you need a note after two days, instead of three. It doesn't seem like a training session is required for that.
Many times training sessions are needed. Departments have questions. When we say -- when we change, let's say, from three days to two days, which we haven't done, but if we changed something like that, it is how it is applied. Supervisors need to know that. It has to be disseminated out to the supervisors so they know that.
Thank you. I would just like to revisit the question about the consolidated facilities maintenance and outsource of custodial services. According to the five-year plan, we still have over 500 city employees performing custodial services. And it is my understanding that there is supposed to be an RFP issued during FY '03 to determine if outsourced services across the city 146 Bill Nos. 030004, 030008, and 030010 - 2/24/03 would be more cost-effective than performing the work internally. What would happen to the 500 employees?
The majority of those 500 employees are at the airport, and the airport is not part of this initiative.
Probably three to four hundred of them, 350. I am not sure of the exact number.
The vast majority are at the airport by far. We can get you the numbers, but most of them are at the airport.
Well, I think we would feel much more comfortable knowing the number of employees involved. And, if they are at the airport, what happens to them?
The airport is staying. We are not considering the airport at this time.
I think we need a more clear explanation, please. If there are 500 that we still have 147 Bill Nos. 030004, 030008, and 030010 - 2/24/03 doing custodial work, where are they assigned and what would happen to them if they did outsource this work?
Thank you, Madam Chair. Language to me is important. I will go back to what Councilman O'Neill asked you about in a little bit. But I want to know what you meant by this phrase in an answer you gave to Councilwoman Tasco. She asked you about, I guess, a company that we were contracting out to, and you said, "they bring the kind of intensity that we cannot give." What do you mean by that? Is that what we hire them out for, their intensity?
There are times that problems arise where we have to come in and a lot of time, a lot of -- is spent in the training, a lot of focus just on that group. And that's what I meant by the intensity. 148 Bill Nos. 030004, 030008, and 030010 - 2/24/03
You are not clear. You mean that your staff, if there is a problem -- and going back to Councilwoman Tasco -- there was a problem, obviously, in some grievance, that you had to bring somebody in because your staff could not focus, could not bring the intensity, could not -- I am not clear. We are not clear why we are hiring an outside consultant because of it. I mean, obviously, either you have the skills within shop, within your shop, or you have got to be able to explain what the skills are that this consultant is bringing. They have got to be bringing something other than intensity.
Part of it is intensity. The other thing is, they are becoming a third party in there. When we come in, we are seen, and we basically are, as part of the same management as the airport.
They are, too, because they are being hired by you. Management is not -- you know, the workers and 33 and 47 are not dumb. They understand if you bring in an outside consultant, that outside 149 Bill Nos. 030004, 030008, and 030010 - 2/24/03 consultant is going to be doing your job, the management's job.
That is not what we are hiring them for. We are hiring them to work with the parties to develop relationships.
You are hiring them to develop relationships. But isn't that what your job is supposed to be? I mean, you are called the Office of Labor Relations.
And you have to bring somebody in in order to teach you how to do labor relations?
Many times the third party is what will soothe and work out the rough situation. It is a mediation service, more than an advocacy service.
Well, I understand what it is. I am just questioning the logic of hiring outside consultants for certain things that should be done in shop, and that within your staff it should be being done.
Historically this has been 150 Bill Nos. 030004, 030008, and 030010 - 2/24/03 the way that the city and departments have handled --
Always done things. That's the way we always do things. Isn't that part of the RGI program, to change the way we always do things?
But we don't go, necessarily, outside to hire a consultant just because they bring a different level of intensity. I hope that we go outside because they bring in different level of skills that we don't know.
I think what we do is, we hire and go outside to get another viewpoint on the situation.
I went to law school. I majored in labor relationships. It is befuddling me. Because Councilman Goode asked you several questions as to this 151 Bill Nos. 030004, 030008, and 030010 - 2/24/03 training that takes place, our supervisors. It doesn't change from contract to contract. The public policy on sick leave, for example, the criteria for giving sick leave really doesn't change from contract to contract. The Family Leave Act right now requires certain things to be done. Supervisors and managers should know that. If they don't know it, they should get fired, not -- I mean, it is just that we are trying to find out what it is that you do.
We train supervisors in such things as when the Medical Leave Act, FMLA law, comes in. We change new supervisors. We go over it with --
Do you have a public policy? Do you have a personnel manual?
Do you have a personnel manual? Do you give your supervisors a manual that sets the policy for the department?
Do you require them to read it? 152 Bill Nos. 030004, 030008, and 030010 - 2/24/03
No further questions, Madam Chair. (Councilwoman Blackwell assumed the Chair.)
Thank you very much. Councilwoman Blondell Reynolds-Brown had to leave but requests a copy also of the Department of Human Services report. Councilman Rizzo.
Thank you. Thank you, Madam Chair. Mr. Grab, I want to tell you a little story that will probably make all of us realize why you and labor relations have such a tough job. I want to start off telling you that I have recently involved myself with an issue in the Philadelphia Fire Department and some systems that are required for the firehouses to expel the products of combustion, especially when diesel-powered equipment starts from cold start. If any of us have seen trucks over the 153 Bill Nos. 030004, 030008, and 030010 - 2/24/03 road, you see them when they are already at operating temperatures, and they still put out a lot of emission. The reason I think you have such a tough job is that, I tried to pull a meeting together with capital programs and the union to talk about this issue, and could not get that meeting accomplished. Then the light bulb went off and I said the union leadership, I said, you know, did anybody ever tell you why they chose one system that you are in favor of versus the one that apparently capital programs is looking at and, basically, has it out to bid as we speak, or very close to having it out to bid? Do you know, not one person in the fire department or the Administration or capital programs, or risk management ever had the idea to sit down with those people and try to explain to them why capital programs was making a decision that they didn't agree with? Now I know why you have such a tough job. Because if that's consistent through our labor force and the way that the Administration interacts with the various unions, that's sad, and you have a 154 Bill Nos. 030004, 030008, and 030010 - 2/24/03 tough job. Could you respond to that?
I will let Mr. Tolan respond, who works with the fire department on this issue.
My name is Joe Tolan. I am Deputy Director for the Office of Labor Relations. It is my understanding that the Office of Risk Management has an industrial hygienist/safety expert on staff, and that he did have meetings with the union at various times to talk about testing of different facilities and selection and what kinds of criteria were being applied in determining which system to pick. Now, that's my understanding of the situation there.
Well, I don't want to disagree with you, but I spoke to the president of the union, talking about health issues with risk management and the management of the fire department, the management of capital programs, sitting down in an intelligent way and trying to explain why their decision was a good decision and why, maybe, the equipment that they preferred, that 155 Bill Nos. 030004, 030008, and 030010 - 2/24/03 they preferred, was not the best choice. These are intelligent men and women. And they can sit down at a table and understand maybe that their initial observation of a particular system may not have been a good decision, and maybe that the one that capital programs came up with, in fact, is a better system. But then when I wanted to speak with the people in the room, I was stonewalled. Do you think that's good labor relations, that you can't even have a discussion about a system that's potentially going to be installed in a fire department, saying that that could affect labor relations? I think if anything, it could improve labor relations. And I think that you have a tough job because of those actions that continue to occur, continue to say, you are like a mushroom, and you know where they keep mushrooms. Could you respond to that?
I think that we would agree with you it is always good and it is always appropriate to share as much information and to have as much dialogue as possible. 156 Bill Nos. 030004, 030008, and 030010 - 2/24/03 And when issues are brought to us by either the labor organization or management, we try to arrange meetings and to work towards that kind of dialogue.
There is a mushroom initiative, and I think we are part of it today. Do you believe that we could have appropriately discussed this issue with the union, with the Administration, without it having an effect on labor relations?
I'm not sure. Do you mean that City Council having the discussion?
Me, Frank Rizzo, Councilman-at-Large, sitting down with the union leadership and capital programs to try to intelligently explain to the union why a decision is contrary to the equipment that they want. Do you think that could have been damaging?
Okay. Either could I. So, that's why you have a tough job. Thank you. 157 Bill Nos. 030004, 030008, and 030010 - 2/24/03 (Council President Verna resumes the Chair.)
Thank you. Are there any other questions from members of the committee? Thank you very much. Mayor's Office of Information Services is next. Good afternoon. Please identify yourself for the record and proceed with your testimony.
Good afternoon, Council President Verna, and members of City Council. I am Dianah Neff, the Chief Information Officer. On behalf the entire staff of the Mayor's Office of Information Services, I am pleased to provide the testimony on our proposed Fiscal 2004 Operating Budget. The Mayor's Office of Information Services works in partnership with the city agencies to implement and manage information systems that support and enhance city government operations. MOIS coordinates the city's information 158 Bill Nos. 030004, 030008, and 030010 - 2/24/03 technology activities by providing centralized planning, enterprise IT standards, IT project management, computer training, and desktop support. MOIS also operates the city's central data center, the metropolitan wide area network known as CityNet and the Operations Support Center. MOIS is requesting a total of $12,960,195 from the General Fund for Fiscal Year 2004; $7,585,144 in Class 100 for 120 full-time positions; $5,081,562 in Class 200 for computer hardware, maintenance, software licenses, training, and project management support; $199,875 in Classes 300 and 400 for materials, supplies, and equipment; and $93,614 in Class 800 for repayment, and final year repayment, of our productivity bank loan. This General Fund request represents a $169,077 increase from the Fiscal Year 2003 estimated obligations. This is due to increases in salary and lump-sum DROP payment pay-outs. In the Water fund, we are requesting a total of $1,044,446; $686,116 in Class 100 for 13 full-time positions; $292,000 in Class 200 for hardware and software maintenance; and $36,350 in Classes 300 and 400 for materials, supplies, and 159 Bill Nos. 030004, 030008, and 030010 - 2/24/03 equipment. The Water fund request represents a $71,656 increase from Fiscal Year 2003 estimated obligations. This is due to transfer of one position to MOIS and the general salary increases mentioned above. In the Grant fund, we are requesting a total of $2,900,000 in support of the technology projects for the Neighborhood Transformation Initiative. This represents an $800,000 increase from Fiscal Year 2003. These funds will be used to complete the Unified Land Records Management System, buy and implement an integrated vacant property transaction tracking system, and develop needed interface programs to support the sharing of property information among departments and the city's NTI business partners. In the fall of Fiscal Year 2003, MOIS redesigned the city's internet site and enhanced intranet site so city employees could have access to current departmental information. The internet site is now complete with features like bids and RPFs online, social services 160 Bill Nos. gov, recreation center activity sites, and parking ticket payments online. The site has become a valuable resource to the residents, businesses, visitors, and staff. The web site receives over 27,000 unique visitors per week. Throughout the Fiscal Year 2003 and into the future, MOIS will continue to develop innovative solutions to help transform our relationship with the citizenry, the business community, traveling visitor groups, and other governmental agencies. At the heart of this transformation is achieving the ability to implement electronic government transactional applications; such as, business privilege license and tax identification online systems and payment of school income tax online. Ultimately all business tax returns could be filed online. These systems improve the city's management of citizen requests for services and overall responsiveness, provide for interdepartmental data sharing, reduce duplicative 161 Bill Nos. 030004, 030008, and 030010 - 2/24/03 business processes, and improve the ease of payment of obligations to the city. Citizens can now conduct business online, rather than in line. In Fiscal Year 2003, MOIS continued support of the process for system selection, implementation, and enhancement of city applications.
In public safety, the police selected a vendor and will begin implementation of an incident report recording system that will be operational before the end of Fiscal 2004. In social services, phase one of the social services integrated data information system, known as IDIS, was launched to help better provide program services for clients. In municipal services, licenses and inspections, dangerous building inspectors are now using small, hand-held, wireless computers to receive and send inspection details to the department's central data center; eliminating paperwork, saving inspector's time, and reducing license processing lag time. City agencies are now utilizing IT as an efficiency tool to improve our citizen relationships 162 Bill Nos. 030004, 030008, and 030010 - 2/24/03 for the betterment of everyone: businesses, citizens, visitors, and employees. Finally, in Fiscal Year 2003, MOIS further improved and enhanced the city's information technology infrastructure; accelerated additional development, with NTI funding, of a major geographic information system application called the Unified Land Information System. This system will provide an integrated, single-parcel database so that all references to a parcel are automatically pointed to the same piece of property. This will enable the emergency services to all have the same information in their address data files; will allow all taxes, fees, and utility billing to be collected from the property owner in a timely fashion; and, it will allow for a rationalized planning process throughout the city. MOIS will also continue to support the migration of our metropolitan area network, CityNet, from leased telephone lines, to a city-owned fiber network that we are calling FiberNet. The FiberNet will link major city-owned building downtown to enhance our disaster-recovery 163 Bill Nos. 030004, 030008, and 030010 - 2/24/03 capability, lower our data telephone line costs, and to support increased data traffic for more data-intensive applications. In Fiscal Year 2004, the city will begin to plan to centralize the delivery of enterprise IT services under the direction of the IT governing Board and in consultation with the departments. While individual departments need to retain the responsibility to identify their own business needs and operational responsibilities for the implementation of specific business applications, the city can more efficiently and cost effectively deliver basic, standardized IT services by centralizing infrastructure needs. The consolidation of main frame data centers and the central management of department and enterprise servers will be the first area to be studied. As the city moves to centralize the delivery of these enterprise services, it will be able to better standardize on software and hardware, reducing staffing and maintenance costs, and providing the city with better economic leverage with the various IT vendors. 164 Bill Nos. 030004, 030008, and 030010 - 2/24/03 The city will build on industry-best practices in the area of centralized IT management in an effort to curb costs, provide equalized service levels throughout the city, and replace aging equipment and systems. In Fiscal 2004, MOIS will continue to enhance and develop and implement electronic government transactional applications. Working with the revenue department, the city treasurer, the Board of Revision of Taxes, L & I, and the law department, MOIS plans to facilitate the ability to file all business tax returns online. MOIS is also working to develop an automated method for BRT and L & I to share geographic information systems data about properties. This will reduce redundancy of inspections made by each agency, and it will provide a more consistent tax and public-safety enforcement approach. MOIS is also coordinating the permit application process between L & I, the Health Department, and Fairmount Park to develop a one-stop permit shop. 165 Bill Nos.
030004, 030008, and 030010 - 2/24/03 During Fiscal 2004, MOIS, in conjunction with the Records Department, L & I, the Streets Department, and BRT, will create a single-parcel database that will function as a switchboard to link the various address-based databases and unify them into one address system for all departments to use. The expected increase in accuracy will allow more departments to use GIS in their daily work, provide citizens access to precise maps on the internet, avoid the costs and foregone revenue that result from discrepancies that occur when multiple-parcel information systems are not integrated. Finally, in Fiscal Year 2004, construction is expected to continue, in coordination with the public property department, on the next generation of the city's metropolitan-wide area network, CityNet. CityNet, FiberNet, will be enhanced to connect 13 major city buildings owned or leased by the city with fiber-optic cable in order to improve band width and eliminate lease costs. The city will realize faster service at a lower cost. Madam President, this concludes my 166 Bill Nos. 030004, 030008, and 030010 - 2/24/03 testimony. I want to thank the City Council for your ongoing support, and I am going to answer any questions that you may have.
Thank you, Ms. Neff. On of your testimony you state, "The city will begin to plan to centralize the delivery of enterprise IT services under the direction of the IT Governing Board and in consultation with the department heads." Who is on the IT Governing Board, and how will you be centralizing the delivery of services?
The IT Governing Board is comprised of the Chief of Staff, Joyce Wilkerson; the Finance Director, Janice Davis; the managing director, Phil Goldsmith; and myself. This group oversees major IT projects from an enterprise perspective, seeing that it is meeting the city's directions and goals; as well as reviewing it for financial capabilities and ensuring that we have appropriate resources to fund these projects adequately. This group -- and I think there are about 30 people -- participated in a strategic 167 Bill Nos. 030004, 030008, and 030010 - 2/24/03 planning process. And as a part of that, there were a number of areas that were identified to look at for further consideration on consolidation. We have chosen to look at areas that have been successfully consolidated in other municipalities and county governments. So, that's why we will be looking at the main frame areas, where we have a centralized data center today that exists in MOIS. We also have a data center in other departments. And then we will be looking at servers, which are large computers, that have applications that run on them. And we have over 300 throughout the city. Some are under people's desks, others are in common-located areas. And we will be looking at how we can centralize those to reduce costs and to standardize on our maintenance.
On -27 of the detail, you are requesting $100,000 for a contractor, I assume for an RFP. Would you please explain what that is for.
I am sorry, 7-27. We have an 168 Bill Nos. 030004, 030008, and 030010 - 2/24/03 open. The $100,000 will be to -- that's in conjunction with the strategic plan. There have been many areas that have been suggested to be reviewed. We need to do an asset inventory. We have over 200 applications in the city, varying agents from 30 years to new. We need to do some detailed work before we could do consolidations on the logic of how the system needs to be laid out. So these dollars are in there as a place-holder. We will go out for bid to select a vendor, whether that's in the infrastructure area, in the architecture, but in those areas.
When do you anticipate the completion of the single-parcel database switchboard?
Well, if Jim has the answer, maybe Jim ought to get the microphone, 169 Bill Nos. 030004, 030008, and 030010 - 2/24/03 identify himself, and provide us with the information.
Yes, Madam President. My name is Jim Cray. I am the Director of Enterprise GIS for the City. The program is in its second phase right now, and that includes the parcel base that is being maintained by the records department. That would be completed this fall. And then about the second quarter of Calendar Year 2004, we will complete the first section of the Phase Three, which is the addressing model. We will actually have a product by this fall, and we will be using it by spring, about this time next year.
Thank you. The Chair recognizes Councilwoman Tasco. The Chair recognizes Councilman Rizzo.
Thank you, Madam Chair. Good afternoon. I am curious. We talked earlier about efficiencies in some of the operating departments. And there is a thin line 170 Bill Nos. 030004, 030008, and 030010 - 2/24/03 between what communication division does, Public Property, and what you do. Are you convinced that all of the communication and technology -- better word, technology issues, are in your shop, or are there things that you could take from Public Property that would be more efficient to be under your shop than where they presently are? Example, what is your involvement in the police department's -- and I understand a very expensive process -- the data terminals that are in our police vehicles that we spend thousands of dollars -- and I don't want to exaggerate -- a month on leasing the service from Verizon, I believe it may be. What is your involvement in that? And I will wait until you answer the question.
Okay. To start back with the first question, on telecommunications and network support that resides in MOIS, this is an area that has been identified. In past experience, in the government positions that I have held, telecommunications has reported under me, as well as IT. 171 Bill Nos. 030004, 030008, and 030010 - 2/24/03 So that is a standard model that is used probably by 80 percent of governments across the United States. We are taking a look at that. We are discussing the issues. No decision has been made to centralize that or not.
Let me just stop you there. Since 80 percent of those relationships are around the country, then I don't want to use the word "assume," but I believe -- and I have done a little homework here -- that we could probably be more efficient and save this city some money having a closer coordination of these two activities.
I know it means more work, but I think you are here because you want to try to do the best you can do. That's why I am here. 172 Bill Nos. 030004, 030008, and 030010 - 2/24/03
Well, particularly as the city moves forward with the use of telecommunications, we can start using some of the more advanced technology, such as voiceover IP, And -- instead of having to lease some of our lines as we move into this fiber-optic capability. So there certainly are opportunities for us to work together on this. And, as I say, some of the issue has to do with the Charter. We are looking, as telecommunications is under the Managing Director and Public Property. So we are looking at those issues, and it is being studied. In regards to public safety, and looking at replacing public-access terminals in the vehicles, our representative that works with the public safety departments is my first deputy, Howard Baker. He can answer specific questions regarding the equipment in the vehicles. And we advise, but we are not directly responsible.
And I would like also 173 Bill Nos. 030004, 030008, and 030010 - 2/24/03 to talk about what your role is on the whole 911 issue, because I believe that that operation is technology driven. So I would like to talk about the amount of money. And if you know that amount of money, if you have a feel for what we spend just for that technology, that's not in your organization, but also what your involvement is in, let's say, the police and fire departments. What do you do to support that technology, to make sure that they are doing it as efficiently as possible?
Good morning. My name is Howard Baker. I am the First Deputy C I O for the department, and I also represent the public safety sector in the IT arena. As you know, both departments, police, fire, and prisons, have individual IT audit departments. The prisons are directly under MOIS. The police department has a rather large IT department. And I have regular monthly meetings with Deputy Commissioner Brennan. And we also do project management on the 174 Bill Nos. 030004, 030008, and 030010 - 2/24/03 various projects that we have in the police department. And we meet on those projects at least once a month, sometimes twice a month. We also review and approve any technologies to ensure that they are compatible with our infrastructure, to ensure that they are best practices, and to ensure that they are getting the best product possible for the field. With regard to your specific questions about the computers in the police cars, the police department right now is testing the Panasonic laptop computer for replacing the current version of CDPDs that they have in the cars now, which are no longer produced. Those are the same computers that I was instrumental in installing when I was the Deputy Police Commissioner of New York City. And those computer systems are very rugged and very capable. With regard to hooking those systems up to the Verizon backbone, the CDPD backbone, right now the whole telecommunications industry is undergoing a review and revision along a lot of its delivery of services. So we are negotiating with the police 175 Bill Nos. 030004, 030008, and 030010 - 2/24/03 department and with Verizon regarding those services, and those negotiations are undergoing. We are talking about consolidation of services in the telecommunications industry generally. So to answer your question more directly, we work with the police department, fire department, as well as the courts, the district attorney, and the sheriff, to coordinate all of the public-safety programs so that we have an oversight of what they are doing and make sure they fit within the city family of programs.
I hear what you are saying. But I also heard somewhere in there Ms. Neff saying that you don't really call the shot.
The departments make their own business decisions relative to, generally, which way they are going to go within the specified standards that MOIS has called for certain, like, computer technology or operating systems or whether or not they fit within the infrastructure of our city. We make those calls. And they do have to approve their projects. The CIO has to sign off on them. No IT 176 Bill Nos. 030004, 030008, and 030010 - 2/24/03 purchase can be made for any system without the CIO's approval and without it being vetted before the ITGV, which is the CIO, CFO, COO, and the managing director.
The difference on that is that telecommunications has a separate process for the actual contract with Verizon and so forth. Also in 911, that is the purview of the public property and the police department -- or, excuse me, public safety departments. We have not been involved in the 911.
How serious is this conversation? Again, an example of what I said earlier. We are going to talk about it this year, I am going to ask the same question next year, and I am going to get the same answer that I got last year. So how serious is this effort to do it right?
It is a serious effort, but it is a complicated issue. And, for us, we started talking about Joe Marks, when he was Managing Director, Estelle 177 Bill Nos. 030004, 030008, and 030010 - 2/24/03 Richman, and now Phil Goldsmith. And, so, we will continue the discussions. We are working with law on the Charter issues. And we will make a decision on, should we go forward. As we're looking at consolidation of the standardized IT services, this will be one area, realistically, that will be Fiscal 2005.
Thank you, Madam President. Good afternoon. I had a couple of quick questions. On of your testimony, you reference the implementation of the E-government transactional activities being a more user-friendly government, I am assuming. What impact has that had on staffing levels? I am assuming since you made reference to online, rather than in line, that we probably do not need as many intake centers, or the intake centers will not operate as long as a result of the ability of individual applicants being able to go online. 178 Bill Nos. 030004, 030008, and 030010 - 2/24/03 And you seen any reduction in staff time yet, or do we anticipate seeing that?
At this time it is brand-new, and it is not -- we have not seen a reduction. What we have seen is people using the tool significantly more because they have this option. The city's residents and businesses have -- about 67 percent have access to the internet via home, work, or school. So by still have a section of the population that do not use this medium, that we will probably never be able to do away with the multiple channels of service delivery. But what we can do is help drive the behavior to using what we will call self-service applications, which are those where you can actually go online, take care of your business directly with the computer, and not have to deal -- you know, come to a counter, have to phone into the system, and you could do it at your leisure. And we do anticipate having performance improvements, the ability to not have to add additional resources, and to be able to eliminate 179 Bill Nos. 030004, 030008, and 030010 - 2/24/03 resources. But they are project specific. So that as we review each project, we look for what are the performance measures, what are the benefits that we will be able to approve from this specific project.
In terms of our attempt to market this particular program, first of all, what are we doing? Second, are we looking at a particular category of user? Say, for instance, we assume that most businesses have access to online services. Would we target them, understanding that a large percentage of them would be able to, if needed, access this particular service? What are you doing to enhance the program as we move ahead?
Yes, we are looking at businesses first, not forgetting our residents by any means. But the ability to have access to the internet, as you rightly stated, is higher in the business community than in the residential community. Last October we did a technology 180 Bill Nos. 030004, 030008, and 030010 - 2/24/03 showcase, where we had over 3,000 individuals, including city staff, that actually came through and saw the use of the different technologies in the department. And we really keyed on the internet transactional capabilities. The courts were there, the parking citations were demonstrated there. And, so, a number of these businesses. In the testimony you will see that we have a number of different projects that are geared towards being able to do your business tax ID online to be able to pay your business taxes online, so we are focusing there. We also do routine press announcements as we release projects and new products up on the internet. We are working on a very exciting project with the state right now that's called PA Open For Business. So that if someone comes to register with the state, they are asked do you want to register with the City of Philadelphia. And they would be -- click on that and be able to come directly to your site, fill out any additional information that is required. 181 Bill Nos. 030004, 030008, and 030010 - 2/24/03 Likewise, if they come and register through Philadelphia, they would be able to link to the state. So we are working with the state to promote our site. We are working in the tourism area to have them, for our visitors, which is an important area, to beef up that particular segment of the internet. So, yes, we are choosing, looking to business partners outside, working with the press to keep them apprised of the work that we are doing. And then we are in trade journals. We have been in the Business Journal here and a number of others working with our vendors.
Is there an informational packet that you can possibly provide to Council Members so they can forward it to their constituents? You know, we do these mass mailings on occasion. I would like to be able to send that information out. Some of us technophobes don't use the internet as much as possible; we use the old-fashioned way, you send a letter with the stamp in the mail. 182 Bill Nos. 030004, 030008, and 030010 - 2/24/03 But to get the information out might be one of the better ways, particularly to some of the households that may not have that opportunity.
We do have a video clip of the technology showcase from last October that we can make available. We also have some collateral material that I will be happy to share with you. And we also, I think, just on February held what we called an IT encounter, where we 11 brought our IT businesses and our local 12 disadvantaged women and minority-owned businesses 13 together, and allowed them to network to see what IT projects were coming up in the future.
Great. You referenced that probably 60 percent of households have opportunities in terms of the internet. The 40 percent that don't I am a little concerned about. Do we have or will we have an opportunity to have some of these services available in public buildings, outside of the larger municipal buildings? The reason I ask that question, in a particular part of my district we are getting a new 183 Bill Nos. 030004, 030008, and 030010 - 2/24/03 library, hopefully by the end of the year it should be online. And one of the questions that came up was being able to have access to information that currently you can only get in the MSB or in the prothonotary's office. Would there be possibilities of having that type of information available at the local level, so folks can just kind of go around the corner and access that through a computer system?
Absolutely. All of our libraries today have public-access computers. I believe there are around 1700 across all the different libraries. New libraries are equipped for that. So, that's an important part. And then there is also what they call computer technology centers, in coordination with the schools, that people can go to. We have 11 recreation sites that were funded by donations from our business partners that have computers in those 10 -- we require at least ten computers to be accessible in those various sites.
They will be able to 184 Bill Nos. 030004, 030008, and 030010 - 2/24/03 utilize all aspects of our service?
Yes. And so we are working with the departments to get them to put more and more information up on the internet, again, the transactional capabilities. Our long-range direction is to put all services that are feasible to do so, make them available in a self-service module up on the internet.
You are welcome. The Chair recognizes Councilman O'Neill.
Thank you, Madam President. Dianah, first of all, I would like to thank you personally, over the past year particularly, for the help you have given me 185 Bill Nos. 030004, 030008, and 030010 - 2/24/03 learning about some things that I didn't know enough about and still probably don't. And also Jim Query, because a lot had to do with GIS and some things going on in Washington. The level of IT spending, you mentioned your budget and the water department, in addition to the General Fund. What's the level of IT-fund spending in the government citywide, enterprisewide?
Citywide, based on budgetary, the 2004, without grants it is around 65 million. That does not include telecommunications.
So without telecommunications, your budget is roughly 16 percent of the total IT spending. 17 What would telecommunications add to 18 that, rough number? 19
Okay. You obviously have a vision of where you would like to take the department that you have and the information technology under it. Where do you see, from just a rough 186 Bill Nos. 030004, 030008, and 030010 - 2/24/03 percentage, if you had to kind of give me a shoot from the hip, where are we compared to where you want to be?
No; technology advancement. Having things done as well as they can be done using technology.
About halfway there. My real directive would be to move us up to the B, B plus. I think that it would be very difficult just economically to move us into the A range, which is usually your leading-edge type. But we definitely have areas that we can improve. And you have seen that over the last two years, just from where we were with the use of the internet, where we are with the use of GIS, and bringing that together and having the single-parcel capability and then wireless technologies. We are starting to really see the 187 Bill Nos. 030004, 030008, and 030010 - 2/24/03 benefits of those, of that particular technology, come in. And we are finally getting where the industry is getting where it has better through-put on hand-held devices. And so those, really, are the three key basic technology platforms that I see us moving in over the next five years. Plus the word "integration," the ability to integrate our legacy data with that to give us better access and to reduce our costs.
Okay. The inter-operability question. Disaster happens in Philadelphia tomorrow, God forbid. Feds, state, city agencies show up. The one thing we know is that, in Oklahoma, the city couldn't talk to each other, using cell phones and different things. Where are we, and are we completely there or are we close to being there right now in Philadelphia?
I think we have made some great strides in that area. And because Howard Baker is our representative on our emergency response team, I am 188 Bill Nos. 030004, 030008, and 030010 - 2/24/03 going to ask him to respond directly to that for you.
Councilman, I think that all of us would agree that, in times of emergency, what we have is not good enough. We always want better. What we didn't have prior to 9/11, I think, probably was a lot of inter-agency cooperation. And as Councilman Rizzo said at the last hearing, basic communications between disparate groups is two people, two groups sitting down and talking, working out issues and problems and coming up with plans, solving the problems before they become issues. We have been meeting with all of the departments that use our technology. We have been helping to coordinate that in conjunction with the police department, the fire department, the EMS, and the Department of Public Property. And, of course, all the auxiliary roles that every supporting agency plays in the infrastructure. I think if you were to ask us what's our grade, a response right now, it would depend on the severity of the emergency. But we are a solid C 189 Bill Nos. 030004, 030008, and 030010 - 2/24/03 plus. We are approaching a B. We won't get there, I don't think, until we have an integrated platform emergency-disaster-handling platform. We are moving in that direction under the leadership of the Managing Director's Office and the Emergency Operations Center. We are finally getting onto the same platform, same page, same marching orders. And I hold out that within a year and a half we will be at the B-plus level.
Thank you. The 9/11 you mentioned, your department is not involved in that. How about the coming of 311, these customer-service management, or depending on how you want to phrase that. Are you involved at all with the planning for 311?
There are two projects that are running that the IT Governing Board and I met this morning to discuss. We will be getting all of the 311 people that have really looked at it from an emergency-response perspective, together with the customer relationship management, the combining of 190 Bill Nos. 030004, 030008, and 030010 - 2/24/03 the call centers. These all need a knowledge base which are very IT-related. And, so, we are just beginning that process. Now, to look at their requirements, we did extensive requirements study last fall as to what the system needs were in the customer-relationship-management area. We now need to bring that together with the public safety disaster recovery needs and make sure that we have an integrated system that makes sense. So we haven't started the process, but we are just beginning to bring that together.
Thank you, Madam President. Ms. Neff, let me ask you about something that I have asked about in the past. And I know some people contacted me about it, but I do not recall, to be honest with you, whether a complete solution had been developed. 191 Bill Nos. 030004, 030008, and 030010 - 2/24/03 And that is in the area of off-site access to e-mail, is one. And, generally, off-site access to the city's computer system for employees who do not work in City Hall, but who work for the government and are on City Council staff and payroll, but work at off-site locations, and our ability to ensure that they have complete access to the city's system, similar to people who work here in City Hall.
There are a multitude of solutions, depending on the specific need. We do have the ability to do remote access to e-mail, if that's all that you need to do, actually, through the web; and our, what we call, I-note solution, which is a part of our Lotus Notes operations. So, you can get to it. If you need to have access into specialized applications that run on the network, then, depending on the frequency of that, we can do what they call virtual private networks, that allow you to come in on a secured mechanism to get access to those. And then there are less costly solutions, such as, DSL, say, from your home, where 192 Bill Nos. 030004, 030008, and 030010 - 2/24/03 you would have access, again using a security software, that validates who you are to allow you to get into it.
I am just primarily interested in the outside, generally from home, access to e-mail. I am not even computer literate enough to know the other applications that you may have in the system. If I can't figure it out from the office, I am certainly not going to try to figure it out from home. But every now and then, you know, there might be a document or something that someone has sent me as an attachment which, you know, I may want to access on the weekend or in the evening from the home location. If we could figure out what I need to do to be able to do that, I would appreciate it. Now, as I mentioned, the second part of the question had to do with staff who do not work here in City Hall or don't work in any of the main buildings, City Hall, MSB or One Parkway, but are out in remote locations, their ability to access the entire city computer system. 193 Bill Nos. 030004, 030008, and 030010 - 2/24/03 What's available to them?
It depends. It does depend on the site. There are some sites that have dial-up access, where they come in through a modem at a relatively slow speed. We also have the higher-speed option to them called DSL, direct service dialing there, that is available to them. Depending on their location, they may be tied into, directly into, the city's network, CityNet, or they may come in through a dial-in into the computer banks.