Technology Task Force - Minutes of Special Meeting - February 11, 2015

Meeting date: 
Wednesday, February 11, 2015

Simsbury Technology Task Force

Special Meeting

February 11, 2015

Engineering Conference Room – Simsbury Town Hall
5:30pm-6:30pm

Minutes of Meeting

 

Call to Order

The meeting was called to order at 5:30 pm by Mike Doyle, Acting Chair.  Bill Rucci, Harald Bender, Ray Rosati, Mark Orenstein, Larry DiSciacca and Jeremy Wallman were present for the Task Force.  IT Manager Rick Bazzano and Director of Administrative Services Tom Cooke were also present.

Pledge of Allegiance

Public Audience

No member of the public spoke at public audience.

Review of December 1, 2014 Meeting Minutes

Mr. Bender made a motion to approve the minutes of December 1, 2014.  Mr. Orenstein seconded the motion and it passed unanimously.

Updates, Discussion and Possible Action

  • CCAT Report

    Mr. Bazzano and Mr. Cooke reviewed the “IT Assessment Report – Town of Simsbury – 1/23/2015” prepared by the Connecticut Center for Advanced Technology, Inc. (“CCAT”).  With respect to CCAT’s recommendation to increase staffing, Mr. Bazzano explained that further discussion was held with CCAT to explore whether the Town should hire a full-time employee or contract out to obtain specific skill sets for upcoming projects.  He reported that based on the discussion with CCAT, it will be more cost effective in the short term to contract out for services related to the Town’s virtualization effort.  After discussion, the Task Force expressed support for this approach.

    A discussion ensued concerning the need for immediate action on Item 5 (Storage, Backup/DR/BC enhancement) and the relative merits of the providers under consideration.  Mr. Bazzano asked the Task Force to review the proposals received from two providers under consideration and to provide him with feedback and recommendations so that a final decision can be made.

    With respect to remote access options for employees, the Task Force discussed the appropriate level of security and some options for ensuring security for remote users.

    The Task Force also expressed support for regular “penetration testing” to ensure that the security protocols in place are sufficient.  The Task Force stated that it would support a request for additional funding in this regard if necessary.

    There was discussion of potential economies to be gained by joint Town and Board of Education technology initiatives.

     

  • 2015 IT Budget Planning

    Mr. Bazzano provided an update on the Town of Simsbury budget process.  Capital funding is still available for projects initiated last year and no additional major projects are under consideration.

     

  • Next Steps/Agenda for Next Meeting

    The Task Force requested an update on storage, fiber and budget matters at the next meeting.

     

  • Adjourn

    Mr. Rosati made a motion to adjourn the meeting.  Mr. Orenstein seconded the motion and it passed unanimously.  The meeting adjourned at 6:41 pm.