Shared IT Services Plan Passed

When Chris Payne managed information technology for the school district, officials hatched a shared services plan with the city. Now Payne is the city’s IT manager and on Monday, the governing body approved a new shared services plan with the school district.

Both plans had an initial tab of $100,000. Payne said Monday the December 2007 plan was halted abruptly partway through its six-month tenure and the city was only billed a pro-rated amount. He said the initial amount for the new plan has been reduced to $60,000.

The measure passed 4-1, over strong objections from Councilman Adrian Mapp. Council President Annie McWilliams, Councilmen Cory Storch and Rashid Burney and Councilwoman Bridget Rivers voted “yes.” Councilwoman Linda Carter and Councilman William Reid were not present for the vote.

The proposal is expected to be approved by the Board of Education at its December business meeting.

Since being hired by the city, Payne has had no staff to work with. The shared services agreement is expected to provide staff support.

While McWilliams endorsed the short-term agreement, Mapp found fault with the past one, saying he sought details on it but received nothing. He also said the agreement should have been filed with the state Division of Local Government Services.

Mapp said the new agreement should not have been entered into before a study of its expected benefits and also questioned its costs, saying they had not been “clearly articulated.” Though generally in favor of shared services, he said, he was voting “no” on the agreement due to lack of a study on costs and benefits.

Payne said he had provided five goals and a cost analysis as well as the pros and cons of having the agreement. He said it offered “very clear deliverables.” But Mapp said of the prior agreement, “How do we know we got what we paid for?”

Payne said he was just pulled off the past assignment one day for unknown reasons, but the city paid only to that point. After the meeting, he declined to say who in the district decided to terminate the agreement.

McWilliams likened the short-term new agreement to jumping out of a plane with “lots of parachute and a little trampoline” and said she was satisfied with it.

Payne’s duties in his city role include upgrading the city web site and local television channel as well as maintaining and improving all city technology functions. But Mapp said, “We’ve got a manager doing technician-level work.”

The budget proposed for the 2011 fiscal year included some temporary staff for Payne, but it has not yet been passed.

Since he was hired in early spring, Mayor Sharon Robinson-Briggs has insisted on Payne reporting directly to her for technology and media responsibilities. But because the city’s special charter requires all divisions to be under one of three mandated departments, the council recently passed an ordinance creating a Division of Information Technology and Media under the Department of Administration, Finance, Health & Social Services.

McWilliams said Monday the new agreement with the school district will be “in full launch” by January.

“We’re going to do it,” Payne vowed as the meeting adjourned.

--Bernice Paglia