Explanation
It is important for historical purposes that official records of City Council meetings be preserved in a manner that best maintains their quality and integrity into the future. And as Council continues to focus on new ways to improve citizen access to the City decision-making process and to enhance its ability to communicate with the public, it is necessary to purchase and install updated equipment within the office. To accomplish this, Council intends to use existing appropriation authority and funds to upgrade office computers, purchase needed audio and video equipment and software. The project involves the conversion of record-keeping processes from analog to digital technology.
The conversion process will be done in-house. Informal quotes taken to have the work performed by an outside agency ranged from a low of $275,000 to a high of $5,000,000. The in-house alternative then, saves Columbus taxpayers significant costs.
The City will purchase computers through existing citywide universal term contracts and audio and video equipment through an informal bid process.
Title
To authorize the City Auditor to transfer $50,000 within the General Fund within the Office of City Council for the purchase of equipment necessary to better archive City records for the future and to enhance communications capabilities, and to declare an emergency. ($50,000.00)
Body
WHEREAS, in order to better preserve official City Council records for the future it is necessary to convert from an analog system, wherein taped records experience degradation in audio quality within twenty-five years even under the best storage conditions, to a digital system, which maintains integrity and quality for a significantly longer period; and
WHEREAS, to convert twenty-five years of existing audio records through a service contract would cost hundreds of thousands of dollars based on informal phone quotes, as compared to an internal conversion scenario with the purchase of new computers and software; and
WHEREAS, such informal quotes ranged from a low of $275,000 to a high of $5,000,000; and
WHEREAS, a digital system also has greater flexibility than an analog system, enabling the Council to archive both audio and video records; and
WHEREAS, this effort is consistent with City Council's on-going focus on new ways to improve citizen access to the City decision-making processes and to enhance its ability to communicate with the public; and
WHEREAS, existing budget capacity exists within current appropriation to support the purchase; and
WHEREAS, the City will purchase computers from existing citywide universal term contracts and audio and video equipment through an informal bid process; and
WHEREAS, an emergency exists in the usual daily operation of City Council, in that it is immediately necessary to transfer said funds and to authorize the expenditure of a monies to upgrade equipment and technology in the office to preserve the public health, peace, property, safety and welfare; now, therefore
BE IT ORDAINED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF COLUMBUS:
SECTION 1. That the City Auditor is hereby authorized to transfer $50,000 within the general fund within the Office of City Council, Department 20-01, from OL1 03, OCA 200105 to OL1 02 , OCA 200105 for the purchase of computer equipment upgrades and communication equipment.
SECTION 2. That for the reasons stated in the preamble hereto, which is hereby made a part hereof, this ordinance is hereby declared to be an emergency measure and shall take effect and be in force from and after its passage and approval by the Mayor, or ten days after passage if the Mayor neither approves nor vetoes the same.