As hundreds of cyclists poured through the Summit City, there was hope that the event would not only bring some exercise and entertainment to the participants but hopefully a changed view of the community in general.FORT WAYNE – The Fort Wayne City Council will soon go paperless.
Clerk Sandy Kennedy on Wednesday announced her office bought iPad tablet computers for the council in an effort to eliminate the reams of paper she uses to print ordinances, agendas and supporting documents.
The city will spend about $6,500 to equip all nine council members, Kennedy and the council attorney with the devices, along with having a spare.
Kennedy estimated her office will save $10,000 a year on paper costs by moving to electronic documents. In addition, the documents given to council members will be available on the clerk’s website.
“This will make our council meetings more open to the general public,” she said.
The move puts the city ahead of state government. A committee of the state legislature is examining whether to buy iPads for its members, who now receive laptop computers. In addition to computers, every state lawmaker receives a paper copy of every bill and amendment during the session.
The announcement comes during the heat of election season, where Kennedy, a Democrat, faces Republican Zach Bonahoom, who has pushed for technology improvements throughout his campaign. He said he supported the changes announced by Kennedy but called them little more than a political ploy by a long-term incumbent.
Bonahoom said voters need someone always looking for technology improvement, “not just 40 days before the election.”
Council President Mitch Harper, R-4th, said he was concerned the purchase of the iPads might not sit well with residents struggling through a recession, especially when the council had no public discussion to make such a switch.
He said Kennedy appeared to be responding to criticisms from Bonahoon, calling the purchase “hastily done.”
Harper said the city has no policy for how members were allowed to use the devices, including personal use.
Kennedy said the project has been in the works for about a year as part of the city’s SmartGov initiative. In part, the announcement wasn’t made until this week because the basement of Citizens Square was only recently fitted with a wireless Internet connection.
While the iPads have been bought, Kennedy said she will leave it up to the council when to go paperless. She said she wants members to feel comfortable with the technology before using it exclusively.
