Commissioners to consider going paperless

Published 12:00 am Saturday, September 29, 2012

SALISBURY – County commissioners are looking at software that could save the county $50,000 a year by switching from paper to online meeting agendas.
The Rowan County Board of Commissioners will consider buying the software at 3 p.m. Monday on the second floor of the J. Newton Cohen Sr. Rowan County Administration Building.
Commissioners approved $32,000 in the 2012-13 budget for a paperless agenda management system. At the time, they said they wanted not only to save some money but also to improve transparency for the public.
David Boling, information systems director, said he recommends buying software from NovuSolutions for $23,700.
“After the purchase of this software and some additional equipment that was needed for the project, we should be approximately $300 under budget,” Boling said.
That additional equipment would include several iPads or other tablet computer devices, which commissioners would use instead of printed agenda packets.
Boling said the county also considered software provided by Laserfiche but chose NovuSolutions based on price, features and expandability.
“Also, I have negotiated that once the contract is signed the project be installed, set up, tested, users trained and a couple meetings conducted before payment is made,” he wrote.
NovuSolutions estimates that Rowan County could save about $50,000 a year in staff time and materials by going paperless.
The board’s regular meetings take place twice a month, and the current agenda process costs roughly $3,080 per meeting, or about $80,080 per year. According to the software provider, its own system would cost the county $29,000 annually.
In other news, commissioners said it’s not likely they will talk about a case involving the Mount Ulla radio tower on Monday. A district court judge ruled that the board should not have allowed the tower permit for Davidson County Broadcasting, because it already decided in 2005 to reject it.
Anthony Fox, the attorney representing the county in this case, has said he wants to talk to the board about their options to follow or appeal that decision at a future meeting.
Also at Monday’s meeting, commissioners plan to:
• Consider awarding bids for new dental equipment and renovations to existing Project Smile offices. The low bid for equipment was about $149,000 from Henry Schein, and the low bid for renovations was $113,000 from KMD Construction.
The total cost of the project is $270,000. It would be funded with a Robertson Foundation grant of $50,000, a Cannon Foundation grant of $75,000, and an appropriation of $145,000 from the Rowan County Health Department Medicaid escrow fund.
• Consider board appointments and budget amendments, including one to allocate about $26,000 from a private donor for the purchase of in-car cameras for the Rowan County Sheriff’s Office. Another budget amendment allocates $16,000 in gift funds to purchase books for the county’s three library locations.
• Purchase four vehicles for the sheriff’s office for about $101,000.
• Approve a language access plan to ensure that people who cannot speak or read English have access to all Community Development Block Grant programs or activities, as required by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.
• Proclaim Oct. 7-13 as fire prevention week.
Contact reporter Karissa Minn at 704-797-4222.
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