A.G. Gancarski
The final budget review for Lenny Curry‘s transition team involves Information Technology. Usha Mohan is the primary representative of IT.
3:18: A discussion of vacancies. 16 total, with a lot of attrition, and they don’t “pay enough to attract people.” Vacant positions were “not funded at the right levels.”
3:20: Vacancies have ranged, in recent years, from 10 to 22. Not paying at “industry rates.” They get young people in, who get experience, and get gone.
3:25: Council gave them $463,000 last year, asking them to prioritize equipment replacement. They had money for Microsoft Office 365 that council let them use for equipment refresh.
3:27: “Has this money been spent? Yes or no?” We are hitting Peak Mousa. He is not thrilled with IT’s tentative answers.
3:28: This budget is up $800,000. The bulk: salaries, benefits, software licensing and hardware maintenance.
3:29: Mike Weinstein wonders whether there should be fewer people at higher rates, or maintaining the status quo, which is “devastating” in its untimely attrition during implementations, et al. Mousa counters that more use of contractors should come into play. Contractors can be up to double the price of employees.
3:31: “What do you know about a Parks project? $250,000, two years ago, about the cost of events?”
3:34: They are waiting for Parks to move forward.
3:35: The current work allocation: 20 percent contractors, 80 percent inside. Mousa thinks there needs to be more money for contractors.
3:39: On to software applications. There are about 300, and many of them are homegrown.
3:49: A long discussion of Computer Aided Dispatch systems for the Jacksonville Fire and Rescue Department ends with Mousa telling IT that they will get grief from Council regarding asking for more money, while not spending money they have on current projects. “If I was a Council person, I wouldn’t give you another nickel.” Every “RFP has a problem” and “it seems to be a constant issue with IT.” There “needs to be a sense of urgency” and, to sum up, there clearly need to be process refinements.
4:02: On to enhancements. Lots of talk about radio tower repairs and maintenance. Lightning is the nemesis of radio towers. As well, IT is on the hook for providing equipment for those in seven JSO training classes through 2016. As well, the mobile radio issue the Sheriff’s Office has been facing is an impact; they can repair them, at a cost of up to $400 per unit, or provide new ones.
4:13: “When you look at the cost of putting a cop on the beat, you never look at this,” says Ashton Hudson.
4:15: The radio system is considered high priority by IT.
4:18: “She said radios are a priority; that means she gets nothing else.”
4:19: Now to uninterruptible power supplies. Two are in disrepair, and in existential danger of being interruptible. Discussion of reducing the mobile radio refresh to make the necessary repairs.
4:23: Weinstein wonders if these costs should be attributed to the agencies benefiting, to get a better sense of “true costs.”
4:36: A discussion of billing. “Sometimes I think you try to do such a good job that you don’t get anything done.”
4:39: The PC Refresh fund, it turns out, covers a lot more than just refreshing PCs; it is technology, period, including servers.
4:45: “They’re going to have to prioritize $2.6 million down to $600,000.”
4:49: “I’m worried about a $16 million dollar list and it isn’t the right list.”
4:51: Starting to wonder if the attrition isn’t due to other factors besides low pay.
4:51: Fun Fact: Some COJ systems are on Windows 2000.
4:53: “Shouldn’t this column here equal that column at the end?”
4:54: This has gotten interesting.
5:03: IT has projects that have been in the queue for maintenance, repair, and maintenance for years. This obviously requires prioritization. The committee is looking for a percentage of completion on projects to help prioritize.
5:13: Looks like a Capital Improvement Package is being put together by Mousa and Weinstein.
5:17: That’s a wrap. “This was a good exercise,” says Weinstein. Mousa: “Usha, you’ve got to push these projects out.”
