CLEARLAKE, Calif. – The city of Clearlake's financial system is moving to the cloud, according to a report given to the Clearlake City Council on Thursday night.
The cloud is an Internet-based computing system in which several remote servers are networked to allow centralized data storage and online access to computer services and resources.
Finance Director Chris Becnel provided the city council with an update Thursday of the process to bring the city's financial system up-to-date.
The current system is 9 years old, equivalent in computer life, he said, to being “brought over by Columbus.”
“Thank you for all your hard work and bringing us into the 21st century,” Vice Mayor Gina Fortino Dickson said.
The city currently uses Affiliated Computer Services Inc. New Vision Financial Software. Becnel said the software is five update versions behind.
The system server was purchased in 2005; the operating system is out-of-date, which Becnel said limits integration with other systems.
Additionally, Becnel said the payroll system has significant limitations and limited access to the Public Employee Retirement System (PERS) module.
“PERS is a significant portion of our payroll costs,” he said.
Becnel said purchase and replacement of the server and software for the current system would cost about $55,000.
Alternatively, he said moving to a cloud-based system, which would provide off-site backup services and support, would not require purchase of either.
“(Affiliated Computer Services) incurs the cost of the entire system, including software updates,” Becnel said.
Becnel said conversion to the cloud-based system will result in an additional cost of $3,724 annually for the next six years.
However, he said estimated labor savings in backup and formatting tasks should more than offset the additional costs.
The benefit to having a remote server, Becnel said, is in the event of a disaster the city won't be completely inoperable.
“Within an hour, with a modem, we will be up-and-running in an hour,” he said.
Additionally, he said, the city always will be operating on the most-current software version. There also will be greater flexibility and ease of use in management reports and data entry will be simplified, he said.
The conversion project is scheduled Nov. 13 through 16, while city offices are closed. Becnel said he will be available to technicians throughout the process.
The system is expected to go online Nov. 17, he said.
In other business, the council directed staff to proceed with a rental agreement with Konocti Unified School District for use of the city-owned building located at 4700 Golf Ave., adjacent to the center operated by Lake County Youth Services.
The location is to be used as classroom space for students of Blue Heron, an alternative education program serving students in ninth through 12th grade.
According to Konocti Unified Superintendent Donna Becnel, there are 24 students enrolled in Blue Heron, which currently is housed at the Konocti Education Center, formerly Oak Hill Middle School.
Beginning in January, the Health Occupations Magnet High School will hold classes at Konocti Education Center, creating a need for additional classroom space, the superintendent explained.
The rental fee is to be $1 per year in exchange for repairs and maintenance of the building, which is currently in need of rehabilitation.
The term of the lease is to be for five years with an option to renew upon review.
Also on Thursday, Clearlake Police Chief Craig Clausen told the council that the department is on the verge of purchasing body cameras for personnel.
Funds to purchase the cameras were garnered through several fundraising efforts led by local business owner Sam Polo.
“We have the funds. We are on the eve of purchasing that equipment,” Clausen said.
Clausen said the department is working with information technicians at Taser International for the purchase.
He said all videos produced by the department are required, by law, to be retained for no less than a year.
The city's conversion to the cloud-based computing system will assist in maintaining those records, he said.
Clausen expects the equipment to be operating in about 30 days.
However, he said a meet and confer between the city and employee bargaining units must take place prior to the cameras being put into use.
The council also attended to actions in line with the dissolution of the Redevelopment Agency concerning the transfer of bond proceeds issued in 2006.
Transfer of the bonds requires additional steps involving the oversight committee and state Department of Finance.
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Clearlake City Council gets update on cloud computing conversion, approves KUSD rental agreement
- Denise Rockenstein
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