Electronic Processes
Colleen Damon
Retired City Clerk
Hudson, Iowa
July 2014
Colleen Damon
• 48 years
– From a convent to city clerk
• Four years City of Waterloo Recreation and Arts Center
• 25 years in mortgage banking
– 20 years as a Coordinator of Investor Services in Waterloo
– Five years as a Director of Loan Administration in DC
• Over five years for City of Hudson
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Part-time semi-retired
Deputy City Clerk
City Clerk
Deputy City Clerk (on-call)
Certified Municipal City Clerk
The importance of documentation…
• Taking great minutes-history
• Writing clear and informative ordinances-rules
• Using resolutions
– For various functions
• Appointments
• Expenditures, etc.
• Legal aspects
Roxanne
Previous presenter
Do you...?
• Rely on paper exclusively for
– Council packets
– Committee meeting packets
– Memos
– Internal communication
– Reports
– Community announcements
– News releases
Did you know that…?
Every 15 cases of paper destroys one pine tree
Do you …?
• Do most everything on paper because
– “That’s the way we have always done it”
– “If it ain’t broke – don’t fix it”
• Resist needed change
Do you…?
• Take advantage of available technology that
– Contributes to essential administrative goals of
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•
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Responsibility
Efficiency
Responsiveness
Effectiveness
Accountability
Working smarter – not harder
Do you …?
• Electronically record, video or broadcast
– Council meetings
• Public hearings
– Committee meetings
– Other open meetings
• Provide documentation
– Reliable
– Believable
– Credible
Do you …?
• Practice comprehensive secure permanent
records retention
– Personnel records
– Other reports and documents
– Written and email communication
– On site
• Readily available and organized for easy finding
– Off-site storage for “back up”
• Disasters and losses happen
Do you …?
• Electronically communicate in-house and offsite with city staff
– Mayors
– Council members
– Administrators
– Department heads
– Attorneys
– Other employees
– Citizen committees
BE AWARE: OPEN
MEETINGS LAW – TWO
WAY-MAYOR/COUNCIL
COMMUNICATIONS
Do you …?
• Electronically communicate and provide
information to
– Citizens
• Encourages understanding and input
– Media
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Meeting agendas
Significant results
Minutes
Changes in policy
• Have a website
• Have offsite records storage
Computers
Do you …?
• Use computers effectively
– In the office and/or at home
– Have sufficient computer skills
– Microsoft Office
» Word processing
» Excel
» Adobe Acrobat
» PDF
» Powerpoint
» Publisher
– Scanning and copying capability
SET RULES: for
OFFICE and HOME
USE
WHY use electronic delivery?
• To deliver information to
– Mayor
– Council
• Committees
– Boards and commissions
– Constituents
– Media
Same format - Same time
Personal devices
Ipad
Smartphones
Minimize printing by…
• Investing in needed and usable technology
– Smart choices
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Tablets
Laptops
Ipads
Smartphones
– limited capacity for extensive documents
• Issue contracts and/or specific user guidelines
– Monitoring
– Content
• Personal information and non-city business
– Security and access to others
Utilization examples
• Distributing information by email
– Agendas
– Minutes
– Scheduling
– Reports
– Opportunities
– Problems
Scan and convert to a PDF file before sending
PDF files and documents
• Retained
– Permanently
• Limited access
• Alteration protection
– Prevented unless
• Specific software available
– Password protection
• Limited issue
Authorization for council meetings
• Mayor’s approval
– Agendas
• Attachments
• Attorney’s approval
– If necessary
• Legal opinion
• Possible legal impact
Other Agenda approvals
• City clerk
– Department heads
– Board chairperson
– Committee chairs
Electronic reporting is required by
• 28E Agreements
• Iowa Department of Management
– Annual Financial Reporting (AFR)
– Budget amendments
– Budget filing
• Iowa Department of Transportation (IDOT)
– Street Finance Report
• Iowa Department of Revenue
– Department of Accounting Services(DAS)
• Validation of revenue from the state
• Alcohol and Beverage Division (ABD)
– Liquor license approvals
• Clerk Net
Remember
• Do not send out any information from closed
sessions
• Posting non-confidential electronic
information exclusively
– Does not replace posting at
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City Hall
Library
Other authorized public locations
Print media
Always keep in mind that –
• Using technology
–should not change, circumvent or
violate rules, laws regulations
–is more efficient, responsive,
effective and accountable
Recommended resources
• Chapter 16 of Iowa Code Section 621
– “Electronic Document Management System”
• Iowa League of Cities
• International City Management Association
(ICMA)
• Governing.com
• International Institute of Municipal Clerks
• Iowa Public Employment Relations Board (PERB)
Any questions?
Colleen Damon
319-988-3600
319-296-1584
cdamon@cityofhudsonia.com
Colleen.Damon@dybb.com
Thank you so much!