Innovation & Technology

Mission Statement

To provide superior service to city staff, enabling them to meet or exceed citizen expectations and reduce costs through the effective integration of technology and efficient business processes.


Principles

There are certain operational principles which govern the daily actions and decision of the staff in the Innovation & Technology (IT) Department. These provide the framework that allows the Department to achieve its Mission and Goals:

  1. CUSTOMER FOCUS
    IT Customers include other City staff as well as the citizens and businesses of our community. It is for their benefit that the IT Department exists.
  2. USER EMPOWERMENT
    It is the purpose of the IT Department to empower the users of the technologies we support to enable and empower them to get the most out of those technologies so they can be self reliant and do their jobs with maximum efficiency.
  3. STABILITY AND RELIABILITY
    The technologies supported by the IT Department shall be stable and reliable so that they can be depended on to be available whenever needed.
  4. SECURITY
    Security in the context of technology has several meanings. First, security means that the information and computer systems that provide access to it is safe from destruction or loss. Secondly, it means that it is timely and accurate. Finally, it means that the entire city environment is protected against unauthorized access or use.
  5. ENVIRONMENTALLY CONSCIOUS
    Conservation and sustainability will be a conscious effort in every project to ensure that we preserve and conserve our precious natural resources on this planet.
  6. EFFICIENCY THROUGH TECHNOLOGY AND BUSINESS PROCESS MANAGEMENT
    Every investment in technology is done with the purpose to improve effectiveness and efficiency in the delivery of service to our customers and will, therefore, includes an economic justification for the commitment of precious resources to acquire, implement, and support the technologies and the business processes related to them.

Services

The City's IT Department provides strategic planning and support for a wide variety of computer, information, and communication technologies used throughout the City.

IT oversees more than 140 networked (virtual) file servers in two data centers, supports over 600 desktop and laptop workstations, and maintains over 50 computer applications that manage the network's 6 terabytes (6,000,000,000,000 characters) of data.

The City’s telephone system and network of printers and copiers are also supported by IT, as well as this public-facing website. IT also provides support for more than 700 telephones in over 30 facilities.

Responsibilities

 IT is primarily an internal support organization that works with all departments in the City to help them use technology to provide the most efficient and effective services possible to their customers and constituents. The IT staff is comprised of more than 20 highly trained and motivated individuals with a broad spectrum of technical skills, including network, database, geographic information systems (GIS), software development, and technical support.

All technology purchases are processed through the City's Purchasing Division; IT provides technical information regarding the purchase.

Management & Operational Strategies

Technology is viewed as a tool to make people more effective and is not an objective itself. While the City strives to remain current with the best technologies available, we stay away from risky leading-edge technologies until they have been thoroughly vetted by others. The Department has adopted proven management and operational strategies such as Information Technology Infrastructure Library (ITIL) and Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK) to ensure efficiency and accountability in everything it does.