4. Information Services update - Laserfiche WebLink

October 24, 2002 Page 2 fallback date, should things not procecd as planned. During the switchover, we will be without AS400 services for one, possibly two days. We should be up and nmning on the following Monday without any problems. The main office affected by the downtime will be the Sheriff's Department, specifically at the jail. We will, of course, keep the jail admit~istrator informed as to the date mid times the AS400 will not be available. In 2003, the technology plan calls for the replacement of an additional sixty personal computers, replacement of several servers, and the update of some o£the wiring closets in the Courthouse and Annex. These improvements will hopefully be completed by the end of June 2003. The Network Specialist I's should then be free to do regularly scheduled maintenance work on personal computers, which will reduce the number of problems employees encounter with their computers. Also, starling in June of 2003, the Network Specialist 11 will begin looking at and recommending the replacement and upgrade needs for 2004. At that time, we will be in a much better position to assist departments with planning for their future technology needs for 2004 and beyond. Staffing The authorized staff of the Information Services Dcpartment is as follows: Director 1 FTE Network Specialist ii I FTE Network Specialist I 2 FTE's Programmer Analyst GIS Coordinator 2 FTE's 1 FTE Currently, the director position is vacant and one programmer analyst is filled on a one-half time basis. The department is operating with this staffing level with the assistance of the NDACo staff. We also have a contract for assistance from NDACo for ten hours a week. In lieu of hiring a director for the department, I would like to employ a temporary Network Specialist I for the next eight months (November througb June). At the present time, the Network Specialist II is trying to plan for the replaccmant of equipment, trouble shoot network problems, assign tasks to the Network Specialist I's and also pick up the problems the Network Specialist I's either can't get to, or don't know how to solve. We are simply burning this position out. At the end of the eight-month period, we can evaluate whether we need to replace the director position, or if our current staffing is adequate. We would also evaluate the number of Network Specialist positions needed. Most of our equipment and programs will be current at that time and we should be in a normal replacement cycle with 20-30% of our personal computers being replaced each year - which should reduce a lot of the problems that we have experienced over the year. Sincerely, Mm~ontplaisir, CPA County Auditor SUGGESTED I~IOTION: Move to allow the County Auditor to hire a Network Specialist I for an eight-month period to start on Novcmber 1, 2002 and ending on June 30, 2003. cc Technology Committee