Like many other municipalities, Wellington County council is about to join the thousands of residents who perform much of their work on computers.
Apart from quibbling over the expense and options to be installed on the new laptops, the concept is good and worthy of support. It is a major step forward for a number of reasons, not the least of which is better access to materials at home and in the council chambers.
The concept of a paperless society has been floated for decades, ever since the first computers hit the office setting. Granted there is the ability to pick and choose what the operator would like to print, but there is little evidence that there are great savings through saving paper. What is readily apparent is that less paper can be stored, instead relying on back up electronic files that are retrievable at a later date. That goes for old emails, historic reports, and correspondence from residents.
The benefit to ratepayers is that at all times councillors will have access to correspondence files and material gathered at meetings. Being able to discuss a letter sent on Jan. 3, as an example, could be handled efficiently with a quick search function. No longer will residents have to wait for a call back while councillors follow up with staff or review their own files. Answers should not be expected on the spot, but this new method of dispersing and storing information should streamline the workflow.
This is where training is required to ensure councillors can easily navigate their files and make the most of the computer’s organizing functions. Admittedly, some individuals will require more training than others, but it is important that council moves ahead and operates as it intends to in the future, rather than being held hostage to old-fashioned practices.
The notion that secret emails and the like will take over county council meetings is a leap of logic with little merit. Where we do see a problem, is people fiddling on computers or searching for those infamous lost files that a councillor might want to refer to for background in a debate. Those types of abuses of technology will need to be monitored to ensure undivided attention is given to matters under discussion. As is the case today, councillors will still need to be fully prepared when they go to a meeting.
It is our hope that this system change for council ushers in a new mentality when it comes to the provision of reliable high speed internet service at an affordable price to all residents. Currently, there is a real disparity between rural and urban dwellers when it comes to the quality and price for internet access at home. In fact, many people we know save their work at home to do at work, thereby alleviating that annoying lapse of time caused when using slow dial-up services.
If everyone involved embraces this new way of doing business, residents will be better served than the other, old way – making the investment in laptops the right idea for today and the future.
