by CONNIE TABBERT
Editor
COBDEN — The Township of Whitewater Region spent just under $10,000 to provide IPADs for council and some staff and a projector so council could eventually go paperless.
A few months ago, council members were each provided with the IPADS as well as instruction from the former administrative assistant on how to work them.
Reeve Terry Millar is the only council member not to use the IPAD.
While Councillor Dave Mackay prefers the IPAD, he wants more instruction on how to get the best use out of it.
At last night’s corporate services committee meeting, Chief Administrative Officer Christine FitzSimons said currently two separate packages are prepared for each meeting — a digital one and a paper one.
“The purpose of the IPAD was to wean ourselves off paper,” she said.
She said staff has been familiarizing themselves with the IPAD and have found some shortcuts making the IPAD easier to use.
She was hoping at an upcoming meeting, council could meet about 15 minutes earlier to go over some of the things that will be helpful in making the IPAD more user-friendly.
“I know we all agreed we wouldn’t, until everyone was ready, we wouldn’t stop issuing paper packages,” she said. “I thought November 18 might be enough of a window to get there.
“At the moment, it is creating extra work, staff is putting together two separate packages and we’re not achieving what we hoped to,” she said.
Councillor Charlene Jackson said she advised the CAO there is a free program, IAgenda, which would make it easier for council to manipulate the agenda.
CAO FitzSimons was hopeful of not looking into new software until council was familiar with the IPAD.
Coun. Jackson said a staff member from Laurentian Valley, where she works, would be willing to help staff and council learn how to work IAgenda.
As well, Coun. Jackson, along with Mayor Hal Johnson, both requested no paper council package since they were issued the IPAD.
Coun. Jackson also suggested that any items added to the agenda prior to the meeting, also be scanned and emailed, so there wouldn’t even be that paper issued at meetings.
When questioned if any council member had a problem with going paperless on Nov. 18, Coun. Mackay suggested it be 2016, not 2015, bringing laughter from his colleagues.
“I refuse paper,” said Mayor Johnson, adding, “If Dave wants paper, he gets paper.
“Perhaps Dave can be schooled.”
Reeve Millar added, “Why don’t you school Dave and me together, because I’m still looking for the on-switch. I don’t think it would take much, it’s just to get at it.”
The committee agreed to recommend that council go paperless as of Nov. 18, however, they would continue to receive a paper agenda at the meetings.
Prior to the meeting, Treasurer Marsha Hawthorne said it’s expected there could be a savings of about $4,000 to $5,000 a year. The savings would be in the cost of photocopying, the paper and the delivery charge.
