Freeport town offices would get a long-needed technology overhaul as part of a $2 million capital budget proposal that’s before the Town Council.

A $125,000 investment from reserve funds would build on recent improvements to a computer system that breaks down regularly and makes it difficult for town employees to do their jobs, said Finance Director Abbe Yacoben.

With additional system upgrades — replacing old desktop computers, increasing wireless capacity and fixing server and processor problems — residents can expect better communication and expanded services from town government, Yacoben said.

“We have really smart people here at Town Hall who are motivated to do new things and improve town services,” Yacoben said. “To have to tell them they can’t do something because our technology is inadequate is really frustrating. Having the technology to help people do good work is an exciting prospect for all of us.”

Town Manager Dale Olmstead delivered the $2 million capital budget proposal for 2012 to the council Tuesday night. The council will hold a public hearing and workshop on the proposal March 20 and vote April 3.

The capital budget, which is separate from the operating budget that runs from July 1 to June 30, calls for a variety of major equipment purchases, building maintenance and road work. Most of the projects would be funded from the town’s reserve accounts.

One of the largest capital projects proposed this year is the reconstruction of South Street between Cove and Porter’s Landing roads. The Maine Department of Transportation would pay for half of the $600,000 project with federal transportation money, Olmstead said.

It’s the computer-system overhaul that could make life easier for many residents, Yacoben said.

The town’s system should have been upgraded 10 years ago, she said, but its maintenance was shared with the school department until recently.

Last summer, Yacoben hired Winxnet of Portland to provide information technology services for the town, using $45,000 in her operating budget.

Also last year, the council appropriated a total of $125,000 in the capital budget to begin technology improvements. About $50,000 remains to improve wireless access for town offices.

If more money is appropriated, Yacoben said, the town will consolidate multiple servers and expand the system’s processing and storage capacity, including the public library and the public safety department.

Individual desktop computers, which cost $600 to $800 and last about four years, would be replaced with smaller, server-linked computers that would cost $350 to $400 and last seven years.

Overall, the planned improvements would create a more stable computer system with better remote access and more secure storage capacity, Yacoben said, so municipal employees, town councilors and residents would be able to share town documents more readily.

If the system is upgraded, one of the first services that town officials would like to improve is access to property tax records, so residents could check and pay their bills online, something that’s not possible today.

“We get about 25 calls a day from people asking questions about their tax bills,” Yacoben said. “This would definitely help with that.”

The future of the computer project depends on the council’s vote. Council Chairman Jim Cassida said he and his colleagues will have to weigh the benefits of a high-functioning computer system against a wide variety of other needs.

“We recognize that we’re not upgrading our technology as fast as we need to,” Cassida said. “Whether we can afford to do all of it remains to be seen.” 

Staff Writer Kelley Bouchard can be contacted at 791-6328 or at kbouchard@pressherald.com

 

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