Meeting Information

• Date: September 13, 2024
• Title: Budget Committee Meeting
• Present: Chughtai (Chair), Payne, Wonsley, Vetaw, Cashman, Jenkins, Chavez, Chowdhury, Palmisano
• Absent: Rainville, Ellison, Osman, Koski
• Guests: 311 Service Center Director, Paul Cameron (CIO), Budget Director, Megan Birsch (Budget Analyst), Justin Karlsson (Budget Analyst)
• Votes: 0

Highlights

• Presentation of 2025-2026 budget for 311 Service Center
• Presentation of 2025-2026 budget for Information Technology Department
• Introduction of new Technology Improvement Plan (TIP)
• Discussion of new Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system for 311
• Overview of Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system replacement project

Discussion

311 Service Center Budget Presentation

The 311 Service Center Director presented the 2025-2026 budget, highlighting achievements and challenges. Key points included:

• Merger of 311 Call Center and Service Center in 2023
• Implementation of new Interactive Voice Response (IVR) system
• Increased translation costs due to expanded outreach efforts
• Request for two new FTEs to support the South Minneapolis Community Safety Center

Council members expressed interest in staffing metrics, service level agreements with other departments, and the potential for expanded weekend hours. The director emphasized the need for a new CRM system to improve efficiency and service delivery.

“Our current 311 CRM has been in use since 311 was established in 2006 and is outdated. It hardly meets enterprise needs and struggles to keep pace with modern expectations of efficiency and user experience,” stated the 311 Service Center Director.

No vote was taken on this presentation.

Information Technology Budget Presentation

CIO Paul Cameron presented the IT Department’s 2025-2026 budget, focusing on three priority objectives:

1. Maintaining system health
2. Creating a secure computing environment
3. Enterprise platform adoption

The presentation highlighted cybersecurity efforts, automation initiatives, and ongoing work to keep hardware and software current. Cameron also discussed staffing challenges and the department’s efforts to attract and retain talent.

Council members inquired about system integration, data repositories, and the department’s ability to fill vacant positions. Cameron addressed these concerns and explained the department’s strategies for managing workload and resources.

No vote was taken on this presentation.

Technology Improvement Plan (TIP) Introduction

The Budget Director and CIO Paul Cameron introduced the new Technology Improvement Plan, modeled after the Capital Improvement Plan. Key points included:

• TIP will be funded primarily through the Permanent Improvement Levy
• The plan aims to provide a more comprehensive and long-term approach to technology budgeting
• Major projects presented included the 311 CRM replacement, Conference Room Modernization, and Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system replacement

Council President Payne inquired about the scoring rubric used to evaluate projects and requested documentation of the process. The presenters agreed to provide this information as follow-up.

No vote was taken on this presentation.

Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) System Replacement

CIO Paul Cameron provided details on the ERP replacement project, which is a significant component of the Technology Improvement Plan. Key points included:

• Estimated costs of $5 million in 2025, $6 million in 2026, and $3 million in 2027
• The project involves collaboration between Human Resources, Finance and Property Services, and Information Technology departments
• The new system aims to collapse multiple existing systems into one, improving efficiency and adaptability

Council members expressed concern about the high costs and timeline for implementation. Cameron acknowledged the complexity of the project and the difficulty in providing precise timelines at this stage.

“Implementing a new ERP system is probably one of the most difficult things that an enterprise can do. This is not something that we enter into lightly,” stated CIO Paul Cameron.

No vote was taken on this presentation.

Public Comments

There were no public comments during this meeting.