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REQUEST FOR COUNCIL ACTION <br /> Date: April 23, 2012 <br /> Item No.: 13.b <br />Department Approval City Manager Approval <br />Item Description: Discuss Electronic Meeting Packets <br />B <br />ACKGROUND <br />1 <br />The City prints and posts council meeting materials prior to each council meeting. It is a time <br />2 <br />consuming and costly process. <br />3 <br />Numerous cities, counties and school boards in Minnesota are taking advantage of new <br />4 <br />technologies to get information to elected officials and citizens. They have eliminated printed <br />5 <br />packets and instead rely on electronic devices at council meetings. <br />6 <br />7 <br />Staff has researched several options for tablet type devices. There are many options, each with <br />8 <br />advantages and disadvantages, mainly around compatibility with city-based programs. Most <br />9 <br />tablets or notebooks have programs or applications that can be purchased to ameliorate those <br />10 <br />concerns. Additionally, transitioning to electronic media supports the city’s commitment to reduce <br />11 <br />our environmental impact. <br />12 <br />PO <br />OLICYBJECTIVE <br />13 <br />Provide complete, accurate and timely council packets to city councilmembers and to the public <br />14 <br />in a cost effective manner while practicing good environmental stewardship. <br />15 <br />FI <br />INANCIALMPACTS <br />16 <br />17 <br />The council has approximately 30 meetings per year. It costs approximately $2,300 per year to print <br />18 <br />five packets for each meeting. This includes the cost of paper ( 35 and 40 reams of paper) and the cost <br />19 <br />of printing equipment. In addition to the print cost, the City collectively spends about 180 hours (more <br />20 <br />than $4,500 staff time) annually to print and collate packets and to have a Community Services <br />21 <br />Officer deliver the packets. In total we devote approximately $7,000 per year to produce paper-based <br />22 <br />information packets <br />23 <br />24 <br />Tablets, notebooks and laptops starts at around $500. Peripherals and applications add to the cost. <br />25 <br />26 <br />If the Council decides to use electronic meeting packets, the Council has several options to make <br />27 <br />electronic devices available to Councilmembers <br />28 <br />29 <br />1.City purchases devices. <br />30 <br />2.City compensates councilmembers for the purchase (reimbursement or pay increase). <br />31 <br />3.Councilmembers bear the full cost of purchasing electronic device, applications and <br />32 <br />peripherals. <br />33 <br />34 <br />Page 1 of 2 <br /> <br />