2006-11-20 Cost of Government Commission Minutes

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departments to share maps and information, they needed to be using the same system. C. Are there any services, activities, and functions not necessary to efficient conduct of government that could be eliminated? Mr. Yugawa said that if an employee does not have any business on the internet, that employee should not have access. It appears now that every employee who has a computer has access to the Internet. If fewer employees had access, it would lower the County's need for virus protection and spyware. d. Can privatization help you? If so, in what ways? What would you privatize? Mr. Yugawa said he had no recommendations for privatization and that he would rather not privatize. He would rather have everything come under Data Systems so they would have better control. e. Can you suggest any modernization projects that might streamline your operations in lieu of privatizing functions? Mr. Yugawa said that he would like to become more responsive to the users, as Data Systems is a service organization. When the County's old Wang computers were being decommissioned, a group was formed to take all the calls from County employees to help with installation, repair, and troubleshooting. He said you can measure the progress that has been made and see how quickly his employees respond and how many issues to which they respond. f. Do you have any other ideas on how you can make your operations more efficient? Mr. Yugawa said that when he was employed with GTE, there were merit raises for employees who went beyond the call of duty. The raises were not permanent. They were around $100 per quarter and were to show that what an employee put in was recognized. He said this issue was also brought up with the last Cost of Government Commission, which said it was a union issue and they couldn't do it. However, he would still like to see this happen. It would be a way of motivating employees and showing them you recognize the work they do. With the unions, everyone gets a pay raise regardless of how they perform their job. He has also observed that employees who work well end up getting more work, and he would like to provide them with equities. Mr. Yugawa said that concluded his recommendations. Mr. Sakaguchi asked what was preventing the County from getting into voice orientation and why it couldn't be done next year. Mr. Yugawa said the County is moving towards this now, but it is an expensive proposition. With the current system, every phone in the County is charged $21 per month for the line, whether it is used or not. The Voice IP system is like PBX, where lines are pulled together and shared. So if a line is not being used, someone else can use it. It works over the computer network, with the phone and computer being plugged into the same jack. He is working with the Prosecutor's Office to do this. The system is being made 12