A move to paperless agendas could save the township money and time.
Independence Township Clerk Shelagh Vanderveen has been working with Matt Shelly from Tech Resources, discussing the possibility of moving to ‘paperless agendas.? This idea was presented at the Sept. 4 board meeting.
The recommended motion was to buy seven computers with hardware and installation, for a total of $10,185.85, from Tech Resources.
‘Moving forward with a paperless agenda first and foremost will save the constituents money,? said Shelly. ‘You’re going to save money on paper, but also the toner, the residuals of the electricity, the equipment cost to maintain copiers and so forth.?
Shelly said by limiting the time employees spend putting together information packets, they can help deliver other services for the community.
Tech Resources has implemented this same program in other municipalities in Oakland County as well.
Agendas will be viewed in Pdf file format using Adobe Reader. The agendas can be e-mailed, or saved to hard drives or cd’s.
The seven notebook computers would be stored at the Independence Township Library. Each would be wired into the township’s computer system, which board members can access from the library.
Dunn said he wanted someone to contact other communities to see how they liked the system and how the cost fit into the budget.
Vanderveen said she had not talked to other communities, but only looked at the information on paper. The cost will be fronted by $20,000 in the clerk’s budget for document management.
Trustee Charles Dunn supported moving ahead once Vanderveen talked with other communities that have used the system. The vote was unanimous.
Supervisor Dave Wagner, who did not attend the meeting Tuesday, said the township had been talking about switching to a paperless agenda for at least the past four years.
‘We’ll see, I keep an open mind on it,? said Wagner. ‘My biggest worry is if the computers breaks down, you’re kind of up the creek.?