Am I Qualified to Judge.

I had to go out and do some  field work yesterday. So, no post. 

We have had discussion on the blog about whether Councillors should exercise judgement in decision-making or simply holus-bolus  accept  recommendations from staff.

I thought I would share  It's  a short report on purchase of a new telephone system. $181,127.46. 

 The writer is the same who recommended the $440,000 WAMS software program, sixteen months ago , added  several hundred thousand dollars  since and is still  not up and running. . 

Last year, Council  also  approved a  Customer Service package said not to anticipate additional costs.

The Report is No. CFS13-005. should be on the town's web site. 
If not, I 'm not sure  why we have a web site. 

For background, the report notes the current telephone system is ten years old. It had all  up-to-date technology when purchased . Provided every known new efficiencies and improvements to service. 

Eight years later  are now informed it is  "old" technology'

 "Hardware and software are several versions out of date and as such have only limited manufacture/vendor support"

"New and available features that can enhance business processes are simply not available utilizing our current telephony platform."

"Physical  location and footprint of the equipment is not desirable" 

"Current system resides in a back room"

"close to where the physical  lines enter into the building(called the demarcation point) "

"room is locked but lacks climate control and is not under control of the IT division"

"Last year, a capital project was approved by Council through the budget process to upgrade our system. The premise  of this upgrade was to bring the platform up to a more current standard in preparation for when the business would want to move forward on many of the features available particularly for our Customer Service Centre"

"The plan was also to move the entire system into the LAN room for climate control. security and back-up power supplies". 

"This relocation significantly reduces risks of failure and or malicious harm  to our critical telephony system."

"The  project was approved as part of the 2012 budget process and was noted that this project needed to be considered as part of the customer service strategy . The customer service initiative is the
driver  to adopting changes to business processes and incorporating the use of advanced features available with the new phone system"

I have been a member of Council for  nine years and three months of the past ten years of the current telephone system. 

The report indicates, the current system is in the wrong  place....".footprint and location is not desirable."

"The room is locked, lacks climate control  and is not under the control  of the IT division"

If the room is locked presumably there are keys. If the IT division should have control  they should probably have keys.

Lack of climate control is noted but the problem not identified. 

"Relocation will significantly reduce risks of failure and or malicious harm to our critical telephony system" 

I am unaware of  failure of the system in the past nine years and four months or "malicious harm done to the "critical" system 
because of its location"  Nor does the report provide me with  incidences of that problem.

 I am aware last year  Council was sold an idea previously  adopted by Newmarket and Whitchurch- Stouffville, with no price attached and confident assurances of  no extra cost involved,  to improve customer service . 

As a Councillor ,I was unaware of  problems in the customer service being delivered at the time.

 I expect  to hear from people having problems with service provided by the town. 

I have been made aware  of problems since and been unable to obtain satisfactory or conclusive  response from senior levels of management.

But that's another  story.