Communication, Technology & Information Systems Committee - Regular Meeting

Alright, everybody. Welcome to the communication technology information system committee for, oh, 10/01/2025 at 08:30 here in the Executive Conference Room. We have first of all, we have roll call. Cesar Cardenas? Here. Juan Moreno?

Here.

Sherry Reardon? Here. Approval of the minutes. Do we have a motion to approve the minutes?

I move. Motion to approve. Second.

All in favor? Aye. Aye. Citizens to be heard on agenda items. Is anybody gonna talk beyond okay? Nobody to talk. The first agenda item, 8955, award contract to a ball bold software for project docs s a a s renewal in the amount of $41,400.

Okay. So this is just an annual renewal of software we are currently using. Project Docs is an e plan review solution. It allows residents, contractors to upload their plans developments and such to city of Joliet. This is used by the building department, engineering, planning departments.

So this facilitates, like, parallel plan review, allows for interdepartmental interdepartmental collaborations. Mhmm. It also allows for resident the whomever submits to log in and review review notes that staff has entered, make revisions, things like that. And so, like I said, just an annual renewal. I don't know if anybody has any specific questions. Do you have anything that you would like to add?

I think I had a question on just because it happened recently with someone. On the they get, like, the PDF where you can submit the initial to create the account, and then there's, the submit button on the PDF, but then it was, like, wasn't working. Is that something that we like, that is there an option to fix that, or how's that Yeah. That I I know what project you're talking about. That doesn't have anything to do with project docs, unfortunately. It's separate. Yeah. It's a

but we

have Can project docs create some type of a document so we're not using the PDF and just go or is that It does have a solution, but we're already moving forward with a more comprehensive, better solution for applicants Okay. Yeah. Yeah. That connects into Projectact so that it's a simpler

it's it's

Just to create that initial account. Right? And then after that, it's an easier process.

Okay. Yes. Cool. Do you have anything?

Thank you. No. Appreciate it for

This is this is the system that I mean, I think I've been on

it since we got this system where we we we can take the plans from the the people who are bringing them to us, and

we no longer have these plans everywhere. They're they're being transferred to the different departments and reviewed, and that's eliminating all that paper stuff that we used to have and rules everywhere.

Yes. That's correct.

Alrighty. Alright. Any other questions? Nope. Okay. Item number 8956, award a contract to Heartland Business Systems for the implementation.

Do we need

a Motion to approve. I'm sorry. Motion.

Yeah. I'm

sorry. Got a motion to approve on item number eight nine five five, award a contract to the mobile software for project X. So move. All in favor? Aye. Alright.

8956, award of contract to Heartland Business Systems for the implementation of Cisco Identity Services Engine and three years of ISE subscription and support.

Wait. So this is we in the city in general, all of our network equipment here in all of our facilities is Cisco branded equipment. We've been a Cisco shop for over twenty years. They're they're kind of the they're they're the Cadillac of the networking world right there, the big dog like a Microsoft. Cisco ISE is their kind of their next generation security platform that rides on all of that equipment.

It allows us to move into what's called a zero trust architecture. So zero trust is kind of what it implies. Right? It is every time a device connects to our network, it it continuously checks that device to ensure a large number of things. Is that device have all of its all of its security patches on it? If it doesn't, it will reject the connection and kick that device off. It also ensures that it's actually a device that should be connected to our network. If it's you know, we run into an endless problem of, you know, here, this is a conference room. We have a vendor in. They could technically just plug right into the wall, and we don't want that kind of thing happening.

Right? Because that could allow them to attack our network even unintentionally. Right? That some of these things are very much not an intentional thing. But if their device has already been compromised, we need systems in place that protect us from even just negligent attacks, I guess you could call them. It also allows us to do what's called micro segmentation. You tend to break your network into chunks. Like, you know, we have a a city hall network for this building. The PD has a network hit their building. But you wanna go even smaller if if possible.

So we do things like we'd like to be able to do things like go to our customer service group and create a very tiny network. The only cashiering stations are on it. So that if they were to become compromised, they would not compromise the rest of the network. It it creates a the inability to move vertically through vertically or laterally throughout our network. It it's a very powerful tool.

You know, the the biggest cost right now in this is kind of getting that initial setup. It it is very extensive. We definitely need contract assistance to do that, but then also to train Jeff and Peter, our network engineers, on the how to use it in-depth. But this is a it's kind of the next level. We we need to do these things.

I mean, I'm it's no you know, I don't I don't have to do the scare things. You guys have heard a million speeches from me and other cities getting compromised and things like that. This is really keeps the perimeter of our environment protected and, you know, making sure that these random devices can't connect. It also speeds up the process, though, of when we are onboard new devices, the in the way that they can connect automatically. Because all of those things policies, they get built into the system, it knows exactly how to check those devices to ensure that they should be here. So at a high level, I I do have Jeff here in

case you guys have a little

bit more in-depth questions, but these are it's just basically bottom line, the next generation of network

security for our devices.

Just a a new layer of security guidelines.

So we don't have this now. We're gonna implement it. We want to implement it. Correct? Exactly. Don't have my tablet, because you can tell.

Oh, yeah. This is I can't play

on it.

So Yep. No. That that's a great question. It it is something we do not have now. Mhmm. A lot of the things that this offers, they fall into two buckets, really. There are some of these things we are doing now, but we're doing them in a very manual process, which is not good because we have over we have, what, maybe a 150 different network edge devices that have to be checked. So the manual process is obviously not very efficient. And there is simply some of these things, like, such as the zero trust architecture. We just don't have that capability right now. We would need

the software to do those things.

And then a three year subscription to support that?

Yes. And a three year subscription.

So with the I see the the 96,000 included in your PM and trainings. Is that gonna help build out those, like you said, like, the cashier's network different? Exactly. That'll help build out that. See what and then once you do all the essentially do all that, then you'll just kinda be able to add more or whatever. Right?

Yes. And and oftentimes what we do, especially with the network team, the guys are great about this, is they'll go through all that training. So once we have that initial uplift of getting the environment set up and the train as we add new devices and we bring new switches and routing equipment onboard, they will handle that configuration going forward. We don't tend to contract that work out. We we do that in house. We just we need that initial training so they know how to set a price properly on the devices.

Yeah. So then, essentially, it would be after the three year contract, it'll just be 13,000 or give or take whatever the new rate's gonna be. Exactly. Another three year subscription.

Alright. Any more questions? Alright. Do we have a motion to bring that to the council?

Motion to approve. Second. Okay.

All in favor? Aye. Next is 8957, award contract to Heartland Business Systems for the twenty twenty five, twenty twenty six document scanning services in the amount of $100,000.

Okay. So this is kind of a continuation of a project that we began in 2023. This runs with our Laserfiche document management repository implementation that is still ongoing. We're onboarding new departments continually. Since 2023, you know, we started with human resources and the city clerk this year.

We did a lot of work with city developments. And so that was things like when when we bring in new subdivisions from plan to execution of of the development, solar farms, things like that. So these are bigger developments. And so we implemented the repository with them. They had a lot of documents on paper that needed to be scanned in to be held in within Laserfiche.

There are typically, when we do these implementations, there are thousands and thousands and thousands of documents that need to be scanned. And so we've been working with Heartland since the very beginning. We vetted them out for security. Their prices are largely unchanged since the very beginning. And so this is just kind of a blanket request for these funds.

And then as we implement with more departments and divisions we'll just pull from these funds to be able to do the scanning. Upcoming I've got a couple of different divisions within public work and public utilities that we're gonna start working with in the upcoming months. We'll start before the end of the year. And then the first part of next year, we're gonna start working with the legal department to implement them and we'll do all of their back scanning. So this is just funds for the back scan.

Questions? Do you do you do we ever get to the point where we're going to have this department completely scanned and going forward everything will just be scanned and never Yes. Because I feel like we've been doing it for a long time.

That is that is what once this is just for a back scan. Everything once once we're implemented, everything going forward, the departments are doing It's doing. Yes. Yes.

So the back scanning is still what are we doing with that once we're done with it? Are we getting rid of it now so that we don't have

all that everywhere? Yes. So there are some documents, especially in the clerk's office, that were required that we keep. Uh-huh. So we do have the hard copies. Those were returned to us. There were a lot of files within HR and in the building department and public works that we didn't need to keep hard copies of so they disposed of them for us.

Do we motion to move it to the full council?

So move. Second.

All in favor? Aye. Aye. Alright. Alright. Well, let's see. Alright. Number 8958, award contract to RTA for the purchase of Fleet three sixty Fleet Management Software and implementation services in the amount of $75,776.72. Take it you're on.

You know, at at a high level, this is exactly what the name implies. Right? It's fleet management software. You know, we've over the last few years, we you know, IT has worked heavily with fleet to try to make some in house products work. Mhmm.

It it has never gone well. It it just you know, it took best efforts on both of our sides. It you know, we have a a somewhat cobbled together solution that end users have never really been happy with. So we we decided we needed to go out and look for an actual product to help us manage the fleet. We did a number a large number of demos, reviewed this with a a large number of companies.

The fleet three sixty product, from RTA was just the the best product by far. We were really excited after meeting with them multiple times. At a high level, this will cover everything from, you know, the service schedules, repair schedules. We'll be able to do warranty claims through this. We can even use this if we start doing service work for outside entities.

You know, we'll be able to track that, allow them to schedule with us and to bring their vehicles in. And that's that's in the fleet area. One of the things that when we were going through this that we were also really interested in was how does this help, you know, the actual operators of the vehicles. They'll actually be able to do things like have an app on their phone Mhmm. That if they have a vehicle assigned to them, that vehicle that information will be right there in their phone. It'll let them it'll give send them notifications and say, like, hey. You're due for an oil change. Or they can put service requests in, their brakes start squeaking. They can just get on the app on their phone and say, hey. I need a scheduled time to get in to fleet and, you know, get my brakes serviced.

It also allows them when the vehicle is in,

and this is really big here right now. We have, I believe, a little over 930 pieces of equipment in the city that Fleet maintains. When something goes in for service, it allows the not only the end user, but their supervisor, and there'll be key people in different departments, so we will see all their departmental equipment. It allows them to see, like, where that is in the the service process. So you'll have the the actual mechanic that is working on the vehicle updating regular notes. So if they go to change one thing, they realize, okay. I gotta do these two other things while I'm working on this. They'll be able to add that that information in there, and the end user will see that right away. And they'll understand, okay. Yeah.

My vehicle's gonna be down for an extra day. They'll have to, you know, take pool vehicle, things of that nature. Or when it's completed and has been returned, they'll know that. Right? They won't they don't have to call over the fleet and ask, hey. Where's my vehicle at? It'll simply it'll tell them, hey. Their vehicle's been returned. It's you know, typically, Fleet brings them back and puts them, you

know, on the

mountain or puts them in certain parking lots where they can pick them up. It is a very robust system. You know, it didn't it was not overly complicated. That was one of the things we were really trying to hone in on is how hard it would be for the end users to pick it up really quickly. Honestly, anybody that can use an app on a phone will will be able to fire this up without really any real training. So we're really excited about this all around.

What about our inspection reports? Can they throw them in there

as well? Yes. So that's a great question. So if they so, for example, police and fire, they both have they do their, you know, typical vehicle walk arounds. Right? And they will do this on a regular basis. If they are filling those checklists out, they can actually attach them

to the vehicle so we

can keep a comprehensive record of everything that's going on with that vehicle in one location. And then you know? So all of those records are there for the for the mechanic also, and that will keep a continuing log. So let's say we find the vehicle's continuously going for the same reason, there'll be a record of that. It's clear and it will be indicated to the mechanic. I

have a question. The resistance. I remember when we first started doing trying to do this many, many times, There was just resistance to wanting to do it and wanting to be a part of it and inventorying and all that things.

So So that's it.

Has it gotten better?

That's an

excellent question. I would say, hands down, it is better. That is one of the that is probably the silver lining out of the last couple years of us kind of struggling through trying to make this fit in current systems. To the you know, at this point, the the mechanics all use an iPad today. It's just kind of clunky, but they are actively using those things.

We already have a full inventory now because that was part of the project we had to do. All of that inventory, all of that those records are actually gonna be migrated over into the system. So we're not losing the last couple years worth of effort that is gonna be brought over into a just a better system for what we're doing. But that has kinda gone away. Actually, like, every so, you know, when I meet with the different departments, this has been a project I bring up, and most of them are very excited. They they want better ways to communicate with fleet. Mhmm. And this allows that for them to have really good insight into what they're doing, but it also lets fleet get better information from the operators of the the equipment, and hear from them what needs to be repaired.

So

Yeah. Even the six years I've been on council, it started out paper, you know, and it was driving everybody crazy. You know? It was, like, paper everywhere. So once I I assumed once we got into the more, you know, everybody wants to be on their phone or their iPad or whatever and it's, you know so resistance has

Yes. It's very much

that. Yes. Good. Glad to hear. Okay. Do we have motion to move that to the full council?

So move. Second.

All in favor?

Aye.

Aye. You got an aye?

Aye. Okay.

Number 8959, award contract to Vertagist. What is how do you say that? Vertagist?

Think Vertagist.

Okay. North American Vertigis Studio Enterprise Edition for a three year ELA agreement in the amount of 109,440.

So Vertigis is a product that kind of rides on our current GIS infrastructure. It's a supplementary product. It allows us to create better workflows. You know, a good example of this would be the zoning board and planning commission, for example. Right now, the GIS team has to they create every map for every one of those cases.

Using a tool like Vertiges, you would actually just kinda create a workflow that the city planner would actually just be able to type in the address that they need a map on, and it would just build that map for them. It would be a presentation worthy map. A lot of our tools now can create maps, can create online assets, but they're not the most visually appealing all the time. They're kinda, you know, like Rosemarie is a lot a lot of times puts our maps in, and they're they're okay. They're adequate, but probably Virgil's actually enhances that.

Makes it much more publicly consumable. It also allows us to create, a lot of maps. Like, we have certain maps on our website right now for I hate to bring it up, but, you know, construction, downtime, road closures, things of that nature. This allows the GIS team to very rapidly update those maps and also make them more user friendly. Right now

I could understand what I'm looking at. Yeah. I I get it.

Yeah. Right right now, they're not the most user friendly. Right? They're they're great if you are somebody who is used to using these kind of tools. But if you're just trying to, like, find something out really quickly, they're not that great for that. Vertigis, this is what their specialty is, is allowing you to create these end user products that are easy to consume, you know, like like a like a Google Map. Right? Anybody can use a Google Map. We're trying to get to a point where we can put things out that have that look and feel.

And it just allows it also

the so that's kind of like the the front facing piece, but then there's also a really nice back end piece that they do for us, which is allow integrations with a lot of other systems. Actually, a few of the systems we've talked about here today, like Project Docs, this would allow us to integrate the Project Docs thing so that you could go to an address and then see, oh, we actually have a we have a project going on there right now. They're going to be this is where the development is, and we can pull up those out of Laserfiche or Project Docs. And this allows those integration points that we don't really have the capability of doing right now. It also allows us to connect into the Tyler system, that's our overall ERP, and pull up information out of there.

So that we're kind of excited on both sides of this. We get a really nice front end, but then we also get a lot of ability to connect, numerous systems. And as you know, in government, everything is pretty much related back to a parcel of land in some way. Right? So this allows us to have that overall view of all the different parcels of land and then throughout all of our systems, what is associated with that property and really take advantage of we we already have a very big robust investment in our GIS. It's how do we now get that out to people so they can they can take advantage of it.

So does it work with GIS, or is it a separate

It works it fully integrates with the GIS. Yes.

Yes. But then it becomes more user friendly?

It it makes it more user friendly.

Visually friendly sounds like

Visually friendly is a big deal. Yes.

And we were trying to do the map for the parade. Just a perfect example. So we we have something like this, but this is basically something better.

Yeah. It enhances what we already have. So what we have right now is is industry standard for GIS professionals and city planners, people that are like they live and breathe that world. Not so great if you are somebody who is just a casual user and that's a great example. I just wanna look at I wanna I wanna see a parade map.

Yes.

I don't really need the you know, I just wanna see a nice nice looking map of what the route is. You know?

And I wanna see look that. Disney World. Like, come

on. Well, yeah. Exactly. That's a great point is, you know, those are the kind of maps that they're eye catching. They're interesting to look at, and we don't really have the ability to make that right now, and Verge just offers that ability to kinda fluff up the map, you know, make it look interesting.

Does it have any options to, like, I guess, more or less enhance it, like, to add I think, like, when we made the map for the parade, you kinda add little blocks and stuff. Are you or is that just are you just getting a map of what it's showing you?

No. That that would be a lot

of stuff. Like, kinda like a a studio to add stuff on there

and Yep.

It'll be easier to read. Yeah. Yeah.

K. Any questions? No. Alright. So that's 8959. We'll move that to the full council.

Motion to approve. So second.

All in favor? Aye. Okay. All their new business, not for final action or recommendation.

Do we I got a question just in general with do we have like, what is our monthly subscription that we're paying for right now? Do you know what that is? I mean, not offhand, but maybe you can find out in

I I could definitely find that out.

Just curious that we have so many different

We do. And just to

kinda see maybe in the future, I'm sure there's gotta be a company or someone that can say, okay. How do we start to bundle some of this stuff up versus

Yep.

Cherry picking it off? You know, just an idea. Yeah. Because I can imagine how many we because everything seems to be Yes.

We're very much in the being in the cloud, it has really pushed us to most things nowadays have an annual subscription. Yeah.

And that's where it's gonna continue to go.

Oh, yeah. Absolutely. Because they they pay for all the infrastructure, and that that's really what we're paying for with that is we don't have to maintain servers here in house and things like that for a

lot of these products. I think that's the best way for us to be able to then explain it to the public if they ever have questions. Right? Because that's like the where you're saying we before you had to have your own servers, people managing the servers, staff, and everything else versus Yes. Yeah. Alright.

Well, if We just did a bundle with Granicus, though. We did. Yeah. We did. Anything? Anybody else?

Old or

new business? Okay. Public comment. We don't really have any public here, so we need a motion to adjourn.

So moved. Second.

All in favor? Aye. You.