HomeMy WebLinkAboutRecords Management Needs Assessment 01/2009RECORDS MANAGEMENT NEEDS ASSESSMENT:
CONSULTANT'S FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS
Prepared for
The Town of Southold, New York
By
William Saffady
January 23, 2009
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
I Purpose of this Repor~ ................................................................................................... 1
Departmental Recordkeeping Practices ............................. 1
2.1 Board of Assessors ................................................................................................ 2
2.2 Building Department .............................................................................................. 3
2.2,1 Historic Preservation .................................................................................. 4
2.2.2 Code Enforcement ..................................................................................... 5
2.3 Land Preservation ................................................................................................. 5
2.4 Planning Department ............................................................................................ 6
2.5 Board of Town Trustees ........... 6
2.6 Zoning Board of Appoals ...................................................................................... 7
2.7 Other Departments ................................................................................................ 8
2.8 LaserFiche Implementation .................................................................................. 9
Analysis ................................................................................................................. 10
3.1 Exchange of Information Among Town Departments ........................................ 10
3.2 Lack of CoordinntedRecordkeeping ................................................................... 13
3.3 Undemtilization of Computer Technology ......................................................... 14
4
Recommendations for Improvement ............................................................................ 15
4.1 Basic Concept ..................................................................................................... 17
4.2 Anticipated Benefits ................................................................ 18
4.3 Implementation Strategy ..................................................................................... 19
4.4 Implementation Method ...................................................................................... 19
4.5 Project Budget ..................................................................................................... 20
4.5.1 Computer Software ................................................................................. 20
4.5.2 Database Crention ................................................................................... 21
4.5.3 Project Supetx, ision ................................................................................. 23
4.5.4 Computer Hardware ................................................................................ 24
4.6 Implementation Timetable .................................................................................. 24
5
Recont Retention Considerations ................................................................................ 25
5.1 Regulations for Electronic Records .................................................................... 25
5.2 Relationship to Property Record Cards ................................................................ 26
APPENDIXES
A: Companies that Offer Property Information Software ........................................... 27
B: Drat~ Request for Quotations for a Property Information System ......................... 30
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1 PURPOSE OF TH~S REPORT
This report presents findings and reconunsadalions ~garding recontkeeping practices
and requirements in the Town of Sonthold~ The report is the outcome of a needs
assessment funded by the New York State Archives through a grant from the Local
Government Records Management Improvement Fund (LGRMIF). The nceds
assessment, which began in Septcraber 2008, focused on ~e Town's progerty-related
records. Specifically, the assessment surveyed and analyzed practices and requi~ments
for creation, storage, ~tricval, and distribution of prepon'y-related information in the
following departments of Town government (listed alphabetically):
· Board of Assessors
Board of Town Trustees
· Building Department (including historic preservation and code enforcement)
· Land Prezcrvation
· Planning Department
· Zoning Board of Appeals
The opening sections of this report describe business processes and recordkeeping
practices in each of the above governmental tlriits, followed by a review of limitations of
the existing processes and practices. The remainder of the report presents specific
recommendations for improvement of these processes and practices where wsmmled.
When lhe New York State Archives provides grant funding for a needs a.ssessmont, it
anticipales that the recipient may submit a follow-on application for further grant support
to implement the assessment's recommendations. In the context of specific
recommendations, this ~port identifies records mansgemen! initiatives that may qualify
for such support.
2 DEPARTMENTAL RECORDKEEPING PRACTICES
The following descriptions of the Town's recordkeeping practices ate based on
interviews with knowledgeable employees in the departments listed above and in other
Town departmants~including the Town Attorney, Town Engineer, Receiver of Taxes,
and Department of Public Works that utilize property information crested and
maintained by those deparlmcnts. A total of 16 interviews were conducted for this
project. Some interviews involved multiple participants and/or multiple government
operations.
The interviews identified the types of property records maintained by each department,
discussed the government operations that the records support, and examined the manner
snd circumstances in which the records sre stored, ~ahleved, and used. A written
summary was prepared fo~ each interview and submitted to the participants to review for
correct~ess and completeness. Descriptions presented in the following sections sre based
on the written summaries sad comments received from Town employees.
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It is important to note that this report is limited to reconikceping practices associated with
property-related information created and maintained by the Town depa~nents listed
above. It does not provide a complete description of all work fimctions and
responsibilities of the dapamnents studied nor does it address recordkceping
requirements in other units of Town government.
2.1 Board of Assessors
The Board of Assessors is re~onsible for determining the fair value of real property in
thc Town of Southold, which had 18,389 parcels at the time this report was prepared. Of
the~e, approximately 72 percent are developed re~deatial pmpefl/es. Approximately 15
percent are vacant residential lots. The remaining parcels are commercial properties,
public properties, agricultural properties (farms and wineries), and exempt pawels.
Subdivision activity increases the number of parcels by an undetermined amount each
year.
Assessment activity is prompted by new constn~c~ion, the improvement or subdivision of
property, or other events. The Board of Assessors also performs various other business
operations, including:
· Recording property transfers
· Preceding applications for tax exemptions
· Apportioning special assessments
· Apportioning assessments for subdivided properties
· Preparing esse~ment rolls, o~ which the Town's tax rolls are based
· Preparing annual ropom, County reports, and other documents
· Handling information requests from title searchers, appraisers, real estate agents,
attorneys, mortgage lenders, prospective home buyers, and others
· Handling appeals and grievances
· Maintaining end updating the Town's official tax maps
· Maintaining records to support the above activities
The Board of Assessors has a staff of 3.5 employees, including three assessors. All
employees are located in one office in the Town Hall.
The business process for propen'y lransfers is similar to that in other towns. Deeds are
downloaded from Suffolk County. Information about each property mu~fer is entered
into the Real Property System (RPS) from the New York State Office of Real Property
Services (ORPS) and entered manually on property record c, avds. Deeds are scanned into
the Town's LsserFiche system. Tax maps are leased f~om the County, which provides
annual updates, A paper copy of the tax roll is available to the public. ]he Board of
Assessors also provides public access to the RPS databose, which resides on a server
operated by the Town's Data Processing Department.
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The Board of As.~sso~ maintains a property ~cord card for each parcel of land within
~ha Town. These cards measure 8.5 by 11 inches in size. They contain information on
both front and back. The cards, which are filed by tax map number, provide a descriptive
inventory of each property, including a sketch and, for some pwpe~ies, a photograph.
Properly record cards me updated when ownership of a property changes, when a
building permit is issued, when construction is completed, when a complaint about an
assessment is received, when an improvement is discovered, or when o~her circumstances
warrant. Some properties have more than one card.
Property record cards contain the most detailed descriptive and historical information for
parcels and s~ruetures. The Town's implementation of the RPS database provides online
acce~ to deed Inmsactions for the preceding five years, but it contains a limited subset of
information from property record cards. In particular, it lacks the descriptive inventory
of property characteristics. The RPS database includes digital photographs for about
five-percent of Town properties.
Approximately 10,600 Town properties, approximately 78 percent of~he total, qualify for
tax exemptions. In addition to basic and enhanced exemptions associated wi& New
York State's School Tax Relief (STAR) program, the Town provides exemptions for
seniors, veterans, agricultural property, clergy, volunteer firefighters and ambulance
drivers, and disabled persons. Wholly exempt parcels include government buildings,
churches, libraries, and fire district property. Exemptions are noted on property record
cards and in the RPS database. Applications, supporting documentation, and other
records relating to STAR and veterans exemptions are flied with property record cards.
Records relating to other exemptions are filed separately by tax map number.
2.2 Building Department
The Building Department processes applications for various types of permits, including
building permits for residential and commercial propenty, sanitary permits, sign permits,
tent permits, flood plain development penni~, accessory apartment permits, and bed and
breakfast permits. It also provides information to the public about building codes and
zoning regulations. The Building Dep~ ta,ent staff tonsils of I chief building inspector,
2 full-time building inspectors, 2 full-time plans examiners, 2 full-time and 1 part-time
clerical employees, and 1 pm-time fn'e inspector.
The business process for building permits is similar to that in other towns:
The property owner submits application forms and supporting documentation,
including plans, surveys, and conmsctor's insurance information. The application
form must be accompanied by required approvals from the Board of Town
Trustees, the Planning Board, State agencies, and County agencies. In some
cases, the applicant requests a pre-submission meeting to discuss the required
approvals and documentation.
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The application is placed in a work queue awaiting departmental review, which
must be performed within 10 days of submission as required by the Town Code.
Propen'y record cards, deeds, and other reonrds may be consumed to datermine the
property's ownership, permit history, and other information. The Town's
LaserFiche system is used to ,~hieve documents that have been scanned. The
Town Engineer revi~a,s all projects for drainage problems or other issuas.
· Ifa zoning variance is required, the building permit application is denied, and the
applicant is referred to the Zoning Board of Appeals.
· Applications for commercial conslruction are referred to the Architectural Review
Committee.
When an application is approved, a building permit is issued, and the application
is referred to a building inspector. The property owner informs the Building
Department when the site is ready for inspection. Field inspections are performed
for the foundation, framing, plumbing, and o~er property charact~stics.
Inspection reports are prepared by hand in multiple copies. One copy is let at
the inspection site.
· When all inspections arc completed and approvals obtained, a certificate of
occupancy is issued.
A file is opened when a building permit application is received. It includes the
application and supporting documentation, including surveys and drawings. New
documents are added to the file as inspections are performed or other matter~ arise.
Records are scanned ~ the LaserFiche system when a file is closed---i.e., when a
certificate of occupancy is issued or when an application is denied without any likelihood
of being reopened. All closed permit application files from 1957 to the present have
been scanned. The digital images are indexed by tax map number, the property owner's
name, and permit number. Paper files are retained following scanning. They me
sometimes consulted when a property owner wants to see an enti~ file.
The Building Dapa, lu,ent uses a computer program to track permit applications. The
program, which runs on the Town's iSeries processor, is a Cobol application that was
developed about 20 years ago.
2.2.1 Historic Preservation
The Building Department is responsible for historic preservation. The Town has over 230
propen'ies that am designated as local, state, or national historic landmarks. These
properties have protected status that must be considered when applications for building
permits and other types of permits are reviewed. One or two properties am added to the
landmarks list each monih. Files are maintained for ~centiy designated landmarked
properties, but some landmarked properties pre-date the f'fling system. Some landmark
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files have beenscanned.
23.2 Code Enforcement
Until recently, code violations were handled by a separate office, but the Building
Dcparttnent is now responsible for all enforcements of thc Town Code except for matters
that arc handled by the Police Deparlment. If the Police Department encounters a code
enforcement issue when visiting a property, it will refer it to the Building Department for
investigatiun.
A case file is opened when a complaint about a possible code violation is received. The
Building Department investigates the matter and, if warranted, a notice of violaton is
issued. The property owner is instructed to inform the Building Department when the
problem is resolved. Perhaps 30 or 40 cases are under investigation at any given time.
A spreadsheet and work log are also maintained for tracking the status of complaints.
2.3 Land Preservation
The Land Preservation Department is responsible for preservation of farmland and open
space within the Town. A property owner who is interested in land preservation submits
an application, which is reviewed by the Land Preservation DepaJtment end referred to
the Land Preservation Committee. The property is appraised and an offer is made,
subject to approval by the Town Board. If the purchase is approved, a contract is
prepared, signed, and executed, following a public hearing. A title search is performed
and, ultimately, a real estate closing is held.
The Land Preservation Department has a staffof two employees involved in land
acquisition. Thc Department completes 10 to 15 transactions per year. It usually has a
couple of dozen projects open at one time, but some of these may not result in a land
acquisition. Members of the Land Preservation Committee are volunteers. A land
stewardship committee meets occasionally. One employee in the Planning Department
spends approximately 20 percent of his time planning for purchased property.
A folder is opened for each project. It contains sub~fries for various aspects of a project.
Projects are identified by tax map number and name. Some documents are also stored
elecixonically. The Land Preservation Department docs not have any databases that
were developed specifically for tracking land preservation projects.
When a land acquisition transaction is completed, the Land Preservation Department
assembles a separate file that contains copies of the most important documents, known as
"baseline documents." These documents are scanned and made available to the public.
The complete folders, which contain some confidential records, arc not available to the
public.
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2.4 Planning Department
The Planning Deparlment is re~po~ible for s~and~rd and conservation subdivisions, re-
subdivisions (lot-line adjustments), site plans, and other planning inifiativas and activities
for all residential and commercial developman~ within the Town ]imit~ The Planning
Department staff includes a director, four full-time planners, and two full-time
adminisirati~ support employee~
The business process for review of subdivisions and site plans is similar to that in other
to~:
Application foiius for approval of subdivisions or site plans are submitted by
pmpatty owners, develol:~rs, or other parties. Typically, a subdivision or site plan
is discussed with the property owner prior to submission of the application.
Site plans and subdivisions require coordination between Town departraents and
external agencies at the state and county level. During the subdivision and site
plan evaluation process, thc Planning Depamnent does extensive reso~ch,
including consultation of records in multiple Town departments.
Upon initial contact with a prospective applicant, a file is created for each
subdivision or site plan. These files are arranged by tax map number. New
documents av~ added to the file as the application review proceeds, The Plann/ng
Depa~ haent uses a custom-devaloped Access database to m~ck subdivision and
site plan applications. It also uses Excel spreadsheets for tracking purposes.
Files are scanned into the LaserFiche system when the file is closed---i.e., when
the application is approved. The Planning Department would like to scan
documents at an earlier stage in the review process, but that has proven to be too
complicated. The Department does not have its own scanner.
Subdivision applica~/ons can tske three years to process, principally because of delays in
obtaining approvals and l~mi~ from external agencies. Approval ofalte plans requ/res
about six months, bnt it c~n take several yeats to build out the plan, during which time it
is tracked by the Planning Depafhaent. Approved site plans expire in three years.
2.5 Board of Town Trustees
The Board of Town Trustees, known simply as "the Trustees," regulates activities along
the Town's shoreline and inland wetlands as defined in Chapter 275 of the Town Code.
These activities include conslruction of new buildings, slructural improvement to
property, excavation and removal of vngetation, dredging, and construction of bulkhcads,
moorings, ramps, floats, duck blinds, and other structures. The Board of Town Trustees
has five elected members who meet twice monthly in addition to other working sessions.
The Trustees staff consists of two full-time employees.
The Board of Town Trustees receives applications and issues permits for various
activities &at come within its r~gulato~y jurisdiction:
A wetlands permit is required for any activity, such as construction or plantings,
within 100 feet of any wetland or surface waters in the Town, The wetlands
permit is the most important type of permit issued by the Board of Town Trustees.
It requires a field inspection and public hearing with published notices and
notification to adjacent property owners. An emergency permit is an expedited
wetlands permit.
A Trustees Lands permit is required for moorings, docks, duck blinds, or nther in-
water s~ructores. Certain Trustees Lands permits are subject to annual rcuewals~
The Town does no! issue new mooring permits. It only issues replacernents for
mooring permits that are not renewed.
· A coastal erosion p~mfit is required for any activity within the Town's Coastal
HaT. nj Area, which covers the shoreline and designated nest-shore areas.
A property owner who applies for a permit from thc Board of Town Trustees may also
require permits issued by other agencies, such as the New York State Department of
Environmental Conservation or the U.S. Array Co~s of Engineers.
A file is opened when a permit application is received, Files are arranged by tax map
number. Files are kep~ in the Trustees office for five years at, er a pe~nit is issued or
denied. The Board of Town Trustees is not an appellate board. Denied applications for
coastal erosion permiis can be appealed to the Town Board. There is no Town appeal
process for denied applications for wetlands pennits end Trustees Lands permits.
Property owners can file an Article 78 proceeding through the New York State Supreme
Court.
Closed permit application files are scanned into the LaserFiche system. These images are
indexed by the applicant's surname and the tax map number. Because a permit is valid
for four years, new documems may be added to a closed file. These documents are
scanned upon reeeipt. An index card file, which pt~-dates the l_aserFiche
implementation, links applicants' surnames to tax map numbers. The Board of Town
Trust~ does not maintain a database to track the progress of permit applications.
2.6 ZonlngBoard of Appeals
The Zoning Board of Appeals (ZBA) receives, reviews and issues wriRen decisions, afi~r
public hearings for area variances, sign and flood law variances, sad special exceptions
for comm~ce uses as well as for accessory apamnents, bed and breniffasts, and ~
events. The ZBA also interprets the Town's zoning code on an appeal of a building
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inspector permit or decision. Appeals may also be filed an agg~ved landowner
(neighbor) of any official's decision rela~ed to building, use, or occupancy of a slructure.
The ZBA office has one full-time employee and two part-time clerical employees.
Meat zoning variance applications begin with written disapprovals of a building pannit
application by the Building Department. In the case ofTrns~e~ p~mits, zoning variance
applications can begin in the Trustees Office. Trustees permits are then reviewed by the
buildin~ inspector if not already done so, for a written disapproval before applying at the
ZBA. Only requests for special exceptions can be submitted directly to the ZBA. The
business process for variance applications is similar to that in other towns:
A property owner submits a variance application and supporting documentation
when a building permit application is denied. The ZBA office performs a
technical review to confirm that thc building inspector has a~ed all code
arms. The applicant will be contacted for additional information as needed.
Applications for some projects may require additional variances--for lot
coverage, for example.
The application is calendared for a public hearing, surrounding property owners
are notified, and a notice of the hearing is published. If the application is
approved, a building permit can be issued.
A file is opened when an applicetion is received and a ZBA case number is
assigned. A new file is created for each case. Multiple cases for a given
property are not consolidate& An index card file permits retrieval ofcesa files by
tax map number. Since 2000, the index is also maintained by a custom-developed
Access database, but the ZBA office continues to update its index card file.
Active case files are kept in the ZBA office. When a case is closed, the file is scauned
into LaserFiche. Index cards are also updated and scanned into LaserFiche.
2.7 Other Departments
To obtain a complet~ picture of the Town's business practice and requirements for
property-related records, additional interviews were conduced with other departments of
Town government:
The Town Engineer is responsible for storm water management and drainage
issues. The Engineer also develops bid packages for public works projects, works
with consultants and contractors, and perfom~s reviews for and provides
engineering-related advice to all Town departments and boards,
The Depaxtm~t of Public Works is responsible for maintenance and repair of all
buildings and property owned by the Town, including parks and recreational land.
It develops maintenance and repair plans for Town facilities and generates work
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orders accordingly. It also generates work c~lers for repairs or maintenance
operations---such as replacement of light bulbs---that are requested by Town
departments.
The Receiver of Taxes, an elected official, is responsible for collection of real
property taxes. Bills for Town, School, and County taxes are sent to property
owners in December of each year. They are payable in two installments. The
Receiver of Taxes uses tax collection sofl~vare f~om Business Automation
Services (BAS), which also supplies software for the Town Clerk's applications.
The Town At~mey's Office represents the Town in all legal matters and provides
legal advice about government business, including property-related issues, to
Town departments and officials.
The Town's GIS implementation is based on Maplnfo's product line. The GIS
database includes tax maps, zoning, and other information. For example,
protected lands are coded within lax maps, As a planning and land-use tool, the
GIS database also includes build-out information, which helps determine the
number and locations of additional units that can be built within the Town. The
(ilS database's principal users are the Planning Dep~ulment and Land
Preservation Department. The Building Department is an occasional user.
2.8 LaserFiche Implementation
LaserFicbe is the Town's digital imaging platform. Acquired from General Code, it runs
on a Windows server that is operated by the Town's Data Processing Department. While
evaluation of the LaserFiche installation is outside the scope of this needs assessment,
any proposed changes to the Town's business processes and recordkecping practices
must ultimately interact with LaserFiche, which is the Town's online repository for
property-related documents, The Town is currently using LaserFiche v. 7.2, which is the
latest version that General Code recommends to its customers. The Town may upgrade
to LaserFiche v. 8 when General Code recommends it. The Town has acquired but not
yet implemented the LaserFiche Weblink component, which can make documents
available through the lntemet.
The LaserFiche operation has scanned all Building Department permit files, Planning
Department subdivision and site plan fi]es, ZBA case ~es, Land P~cservation files, and
Trustees permit files, New files are being scanned on an ongoing basis as they arc
closed. The Town is in tho process of scanning deeds maintained by the Assessor as well
as Justice Court case files. The Town may expand ill scanning operation to include the
Police Department, assuming that security concerns can be addres.sed.
The Town's LaserFicbe inslallation is equipped with four scanning stations, including a
book scanner and a large format scarmer that is used fi~r surveys, plans, and other largc
documents. The Town also owns a Kodak ArehiveWriter. Office documents are
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scanned at 200 dots per inch. Drawings are scanned at 150 dots per inch to achieve a
reasonable image size. Most images are siored in the TIF format. Images of drawings
are sometimes stored in the ~PG format if the drawing is in color or if it poses problems
that render the TIF format unsuitable. The LaserFiche Snapshot module is used to
convert word processing files to TIF images, thereby eliminating thc need ~o scan them.
The Land Preservation depa,*ment, for example, submits its meeting minutes as word
processing files for inclusion in the LaserFiche repository.
Within the LaserFiche repository, each Town department has its own folder, which is
subdivided, in most cases, by year. Each depar~nent has its own indexing template. All
departmental files are indexed by tax map number, but other indexing parameters vary
from depam~ent to department. The Building Department's permit files, for example,
are indexed by tax map number, permit number, street address, and hamlet. The
LaserFicbe r¢lt'ieval client is loaded on every pemonal computer. Each set of depa,il,ient
files has a retrieval template.
3 ANALYSIS
The Town departments covered by this needs assessment are effectively administered.
Managerial and support personnel in each department are highly capable and work very
hard to provide excellent service to the public. As the preceding discussion indicates, the
missions and business operations of Town departments covered by this needs assessment
are closely related. All of the depadments deal with property-related mat~ers: the
ownership and valuation of property, subdivision ofpamels, construction of new
buildings or the modification ofexisiing structures, compliance with zoning and other
restrictions on the use of property, and so on.
The Town's propo~-related business processes are well developed, reasonably
streamlined within limitations imposed by labor-intensive file handling and retrieval
operations, and well understood by Town employees. They accomplish the tasks for
which they were originally developed, but they have several significant limitations that
adversely impact the Town's mission and daily operations. Specifically, the existing
business processes operate in isolation, without coordinated recordkeeping or integration
of property-related infonnafion resources. Certain business operations that are now
performed manually should be computerized, and some older or limited-propose
computer programs should be replaced by commercially available soft~vare designed
specifically to manage property information. These points are explained in the following
sections.
3.1 Exchange of Information Among Town Departments
The property-related business operations covered by this needs assessment are
informatiun-depondent. To provide effective public service, Town employees require
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convenient access to reliable infommtion about current and historical mai-estate transfers,
re, assessment actions, permit applications, field inspections, zoning complaints, planning
determinations, and other prope~-relatexi activities. The departments covered by this
needs assessment create, receive, mahrtsin, and consult various documents and other
records for that purpose.
The departments covered by this study are also information-interdependent. While each
deperlment relies principally on the records it creates and maintains, successful
completion of property-related business operations requites access to certain information
held by other dopamnents. For example:
The Board of Assessors' property record cards, which contain the most complete
descriptions of thc Town's real properly, are an essential resource for many
business processes. The Building Department consults the cards for every t~mtit
application. The Planning Department consults the cards to verify ownership and
determine previous subdivision activity or other planning involvement for every
subdivision or site plan application. The Board of Assessor's records are also
consulted to identify owners of adjacent properties in order to notify them of
public hearings.
· To perform its work, the Board of Assossoss needs information about building
permits and certificates of occupancy issued by the Building Department.
The Building Department and Board of Town Trustees consult each other's
records on a daily basis. The Building Department needs ~ know what permits
and violations the Trustees have issued. For certain projects, a wetlands permit is
a precondition for issuance of a building permit.
The Building Department interacts with the Planning Deperlment on a daily basis.
Planning Board approval is a precondition for submission ora building permit
application. A property owner starts out with the Building Department, which
refers the applicant to the Planning Board as required. Applications for use
determinations are referred to the Planning Depariment for review and comment.
The site plan process and some lot line changes begin with the Building
Department, which detennines whether a site plan is required as a precondition
for a building permit. When reviewing a subdivision or site plan application, the
Planning Department needs to know the building permit histmy for a given
propen'y. It also needs to know whether any applications for building permits are
currently under review.
The Building Department and Planning Department consult with the Zoning
Board of Appenls regarding variance applications, the zoning his'too, for a given
property, questions about denials of variance applications, and other matters.
The Planning Department and Board of Town Trustees interact on a regular basis.
The Planning Department needs to know what permits and violations the Trustees
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have issued for a given propon'y. The Plmming Department also consults with the
Trustees staff for verification of wetland lines on subdivision and sita plan m~ps.
The coordinator for the Local Watezfront Revitulization Program (LWRP) is
based in th~ Planning Dep~ent. LWRP applications are received by the Board
of Town Trust,s and sant to the coordinator for review. The Trustees
initiates inspections at the Planning Booxd's request.
Thc Planning Department and Land Preservation unit regularly exchange
information and consult each other's files related to specific projects. The
Planning Department, for example, needs to know whether parcels adjacent to a
proposed subdivision or development site are protected. The Land Preservation
Dopar~ent consults the Planning Depamnent's files for information about
covenants and restrictions that apply to specific properties. Conservation
subdivisions, in parllcular, require significant coordination of the two
departments' activities.
All Town departments need to be aware of a property's protected status when
processing applications for building permits, wetlands permits, variances, or other
matmrs that involve modification of iandmarked properties.
All Town departments need to be aware ora property's code enforcement history.
If a property owner has a long histmy of code enforcement violations, the
Building Department and Board of Town Trustees can withhold permit approvals
until outslandlng issues am resolved. If the Zoning Board of Appeals has access
to a property's code enforcement h/story, it can rn_ake more informed decisions
about variance applications.
The Planning D~u~nent interacts with the Code Enforcement Officer to identify
violations related to site plans. In some cases, a violation issued by the Code
Enforcement Officer leads to a variance application.
The Board of Town Trustees interacts with the Code Enforcement Officer, who
performs some inspections for the Trustee~, and with the Bay Constables, who
handle violations and complaints. Bay Constables, who are based in the Police
Department, may need to consult a property's permit history before issuing a
violation. The Code Enforcement Officer can issue violations on an amergancy
basis if a Bay Constable is not available.
The Zoning Board of Appeals mus~ confirm that an applicant for a variance
submitted the same map and supporting documentation to the Building
Department and the ZBA. It must also dete,-.ine whether a property is within
specified distances from water, agricultural property, or a town/vilhge border.
The Trustees staff consults ~ the Zoning Board of Appeals to determine
whether a property owner has stmultaneomly applied for variances with both
departments. A construction project on the top of the bluff, for ~xample, requires
a wetlands permit and a zoning variance. It is helpful for the Trustees to know
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whether a variance application is pending for a given projcot. If it is, the
applicant will be advised to wait until the variance is approved before applying
for a Trustees permit.
The Town Engineer interaots with the Building Dep~u~u,eot, planning
Dep~huont, and other governmental units r~ganiing drainage issues, commercial
projects, specifications for Town projects, and other matters. Applications for
building l~its, wetlands permits, or zoning variances may pose engineering
issues related to access, drainage, and the cons~ruetability or feasibility of plans.
The Engin~ has extensive involvement with the Planning Dep~u~uent from the
eerliest stnges of subdivision and site plan applications. These projacts ofion
involve significant engineering issues related to access, drainage, and feasibility,
as well as attemion to open space, easements, covenants and restrictions. The
Engineer must consult records maintained by those dapamncots.
The Town Attorney is frequently asked to advise about or assist with property-
related maters, such as code enforcement cases. Ifa violation is issued, the Town
Attorney needs to have information about the property involved, previous code
violations involving the ~ owner, and other aspects of the case. This
information is obtained by consulting property record cards and other files. The
Town Attorney's office also needs information about a propen'y's permit and
zoning variance history as well as pending permit end variance applications.
3.2 Lack ofConrdinated Reeordkeeplng
Despite the demonsU'able need for frequent exchange of information about property-
related mai~is, thc Town has limited provisions for coordinated rccordkeeping among
departments. In particular:
Thc Town's LaserFiche implememation, as previously described, provides online
access to documents crested by selected Town deportments. In this respect, the
Town is more advanced in its information-sharing capabililies than some other
local governments, but the LaserFiche implemantation's scope is limited to closed
file~ Pending permit and variance applicetiens are not included. These r~cords
are maintained in paper form in depsrlraentsl office areas.
The Building Department us~s an aging Cobol program to track permit
applications. That program was originally intended for use by other Town
dapertmonts, including Planning and the Board of Town Trustees, but those
departments have not done so.
Access databases have been developed for the Boerd of Town Trustees, Town
Attorney, Planning Depertmant, Code Enforcement Officer, Receiver of Taxes,
and Zoning Board of Appeals, but these datsbeses support specific business
processes in a single depertment~ They sre not accessible by other departments or
O000G4
14
integrated with one another.
As discussed above, property record cards maintained by the Board of Assessors
are aa essential resource for property-related business processes in all Town
departments, but information from property record cards is not available online.
Ali Town departments have online access to the Town's RP$ implementation, but
the R.PS database does not replicate the complete contents of propony record
cards. The cards could be scanned, but that is not the best approach to online
access, Property record cards are subject to regular and frequeat changes--for
example, when a building permit is issued or when aa improvement to a given
property is discovered.*
3.3 Underutillzaflon of Computer Technology
While the Town's Data Processing Department is effectively administered, appropriately
equipped, and well positioned to support the efficient management of property-related
information, the business processes covered by this needs assessment rely heavily on
manual procedures and paper-based recerdkeeping methods that predate the widespread
computerization of governmont operations. The principal concerns include but am not
necessarily limit~i to the following:
The Town does not have a unified database that supports property-rolated
business processes by providing convenient desktop access to current and
historical information about property ownership and valuations, pending permit
applications, zoning complaini~, subdivision ofpareels, or other matters. Instead,
property-related electronic records are created and maintained by different,
incompatible sui~vare products that are limited in scope and operate in isolation.
The Town does not utilize commercially available software packages that are
designed to simplify and expedite the evaluation of p~t mit applications,
inspection of propen'y, resolution of zoning complaints, and other operations. The
Building Depai'tl~lent's aging p~mit hacking application is overdue for
replacement.
· With their reliaace on manual recordkeeping and isolated computer applications,
the Town's existing business processes and manual recordkeeping practices
* Even so, scanning the property record cards does offer some benefits. It can be done
quickly and at relatively low cost using equipment and software that the Town already
owns. Ia any given year, changes are made to a small percentage of property record
cards, and these could be rescaaned on a regular basis. Because property record cards
are updated by erasing and replacing information, historical information about parcels is
lost Scanning of property record cards would preserve this information and provide an
audit trail of changes.
000065
15
provide no foundation for future implementation of advanced property-related
information management technologies, such as th~ integration of non-spatial land
records with the Town's developing gengmphical information system. The
existing bnsiness processes also inhibit the implementation of compatar-based
information services for the public, such as Intemet ~cess to information about
pending ponnit applications, building inspections, or zoning variance
applicefions.
4 RECOMMENDATIONS FOR IMPROVEMENT
The departments covered by this study are involved in highly visible activities that are
critical to the mission of Town government. Their business processes require significant
contact with property owners, residents, developers, and others. While thc limitations
discussed in the preceding sections are not fatal to the Town's daily operations, they do
have significant implications for public service and the public's perception of the
efficiency and effectiveness of Town government. In particular:
Time is wasted seeking information that should be quickly and conveniently
available to Town employees. In order to obtain information to support specific
business processes, Town employees must visit other departments. This
requirement is inconvenient and time-consuming. Employees who need to consult
proper~ ~cord card, for example, must go to the Board of Assessurs office,
remove the desired cards fi.om the file, make copies, and re~urn the cards to the
file. The Board of Assessors is locat~xi in Town Hall. The Building Department,
Planning Depa, haent, Land Pre~'vatiun Deparlmenk Board of Town Trustees,
and Zoning Board of Appenls are located in the Town Hall Annex. Similarly,
several Town depsr~ments need to know about pending building pe,'mit
applications and newly approved permits. A visit to the Building Department is
~ired to consult these records.
Employee productivity end job performance are correspondingly impaired, as
Town employees must work harder and require more time to obtain the
information needed for specific business purposes. Dcpar~nental workloads are
heavy and increasing. The Board of Town Trustees, for example, receives over
285 applications por year for wetlands permita. Tbe Zoning Board of Appeals
processes 150 applications of all types per year. The Planning Depariment
receives eight to 15 subdivision applications and 20 site plans per y~ar. These
activities require time-consuming technical reviews, published notices,
notification to adjacent proper~ owners, and public hearings, but Town
departments have small s~affs in relation to ~heir demanding workloads. As
previously noted, the Board of Town Trustees has two full-time employees. The
Zoning Board of Appeals has just one full-time employee and two part-time
clerical employees; in 2003, it had three fuil-firae employees. Thc Planning
Department, which conducts lengthy and detailed reviews of subdivision
000066
16
applications and site plans, has a director and four full-time planners; it formerly
had five full-time planners. Compared to other towns, the Building Department
has a smaller number of inspectors in relation to lhe area covered. Some viHngas
have more building inspectors. The Department's staffing is acceptable during an
economic slowdown, when construction aodvity is reduced, but it is too small to
accommodate an increased werMoad. The Town's commercial development has
been steady and is expected to remain so, and a resurgence of building permit and
subdivision applications is likely when the real estate market rebounds.
The completion time for business processes, such as issuing building permits or
resolving zoning complaints, is lengthened. Tn the absence of centralized
repositories and conveniently accessible online databases, Town employees must
consult multiple files to obtain needed information. Tnfotmation about protected
properties, for example, is scattered in several places.
Tn the absence of information sharing, work can be duplicated. If it is known, for
example, that the Planning Depmimcnt conducted a right-of-way inspection, the
ZBA would not need to order another inspection by the Town Engineer.
Similarly, duplication of effort by building inspecters and the Code Enforcement
Officer can be avoided.
There is a risk of poor decision-making due to incomplete or inaccessible
information. The Town Board of Trustees relies on the Building Department to
identify projects that must be mfer~d to the Trustees bet'om a building permit
application can be submitted, but some property owners have received building
permils without indicating that a project involves wetlands. Building permits
have been issued in error for properties that require a zoning variance or approval
by the Board of Town Truateas. If the Zoning Board of Appeals h_ad access to a
property's code enforcement history, it could make more informed decisions
about variance applications. Without convenient access to appmpriete records,
protected status may be overlookad when property owners submit applications for
building permits, Trustees permits, or variances.
The quality of public service rendered by Town dep~,tments is currently high and must
be malmalnod at that level. Productivity-orinnted improvements in business processes
are required if the deperlments are to handle incmasod workloads and recordkeeping
requi~menls without additional personnel. While procedural improvements may be
possible, technological change is the most reliable method of improving labor
productivity in both government and the private sector. To reduce effort and
accommodate an increased worklood within existing staflTng levels, the Town
departments covered by this study most incorporate additional computer technology into
their business processes.
In pm~icular, the departments should decrease their reliance on paper recordkeeping and
increase their use of computer-based information resources to support specific business
processes, but more automation is not sufficient; computer technology must be
0000 7,
17
implemented in a systematic manner that will coordinate the informa~n-oriented
activities of Town departmen~ end promote in formation sharing araong them. The
Town's LaserFiche implementation---clearly a step in the right direction~supports that
objective but, as discussed above, it is not suitable for all propen'y-related infon~ation.
The business processes covered by this needs assessment depend on timely access to
accurate, up-m-date information about property within the Town~ To meet that need, the
Town should implement an integrated property information system comprised of a
centralized database of land/pareel information and computer programs that support
specific governmental operations.
4.1 Basic Concept
As previously discussed, the Board of Assessors and Building Department ate cunently
using computer programs to support certain business processes. Those programs, the
Real Property System and the Building Department's permit tracking application, wee
implemented for tactical advantages in specific situations rather than as components of a
strategic plan for systematic organization and management of the Town property-related
information resources. The programs were implemented independently and operate in
isolalion. Each program has its own database of property-related information.
An integrated property information system, by contrast, will create and manage a single,
cenualized database of land/parcel information to support multiple business processes.
The proposed database will contain one record for each parcel in the Town. The records
will combine information generated by various business processes. The content of
database records will include, but will not necessarily be limited to:
· Parcel identifieffs), such as a lax map number or street address
· Current and historical ownership information
· Prope~y descriptions
· Assessment history
· Building and other permit history
· Zoning designations, including applications for zoning variances
· Code enforcement history
· Subdivision and site plan hi~,ory
· Protected status, including ens~ments and res~ctive covenants
· Comments and notes
The proposed property database will resida on a network server to be operated by the
Town's Data Processing Department. It will be accessed by applications that
computm'ize specific departmental business operations, such as processing of building
pm-mit applications or investigation and resolution o£zoning complaiuts. In additio~ any
authorized Town employee, including employees in depar~raents other than those covered
by this study, will be able to access the database to retrieve current or historical
information about property ownership, assessments, parcel characteristics, construction
O000$B
18
activity, zoning designations, code violations, or other matters. As discussed in the
following sect/on, the proposed property information system will deliver sign/ficant
benefits.
4.2 Anticipated Benefits
Property-related records am among the most important information resources maintained
by local government in New York State. Among its benefits, implementation of an
integrated property information system will:
Create and maintain a computer database as a comprehensive, authoritative
repository for up-to-date property-related information required by specific
business processes.
· Enhance employee productivity through rapid online retrieval of information
about specific properties.
Improve public s~rvice by expediting building permit applications, subdivision
and site plan applications, wetlands permit applications, zoning variance
applications, rnsolution of zoning ¢omplaims, and other informafion-dependont
business operations initiated by property owners, Town rasidants, developers, and
others.
Facilitate decisien-making and other business activities that require access to
property descriptions and historical information about real*estate Iransfers,
assessments, cons~uction activity, zoning, code enforcement, land preservation,
subdivisions, and other property-related matters.
· Promote uniform, consistent reenrdkeeping among departmental applications
while minimizing redundant rccordkcoping and data entry.
Promote sharing of propen~-rela~ed information among Town departments,
possibly including gnvemmental units, such as the Police Depa~ment, that are
outside the scope of th/s needs assessment
· Provide a reliable mechanism for identification of historical landmarks and other
protected properties.
· Complement the Town's LaserFiche installation by permitting the integrated
retrieval of data and documents related to specific properties.
· Facilitete the future integration of non-spatial property information with the
Town's digitized tax maps.
00006.9
19
Permit a phase-out of some manual reoordkecping practices, such as the creation
and maintenance of proport~ record cards, which are time-consuming and require
considerable floor space. (It is expec~i &at this phase-out will occur ~radually
es Town employees become more familiar and comfortable with elech'oni¢
infommtion resource.)
* Provide a convenient mechanism for protection of mission-critical property
records through romine database backup operations.
4,~ lmplement~tinn Strategy
Because the proposed propen'y information system will be a new tecimological resource,
the Town cannot expect to assimilate it quickly or bring multiple business operations
online immediately. To minimize complications and increase the likelthood of
successful deployment, a phased/mplementetion at a measored pace is recommended:
In the first phase, the proposed property information system will maintain and
provide online access to comprehensive information about each parcel of land in
the Town~ This information will be obtained from property record cards
maintained by the Board of Assessors. In the initial phase, the proposed proper~
information system will also support the issuing and mucking of building permits.
As such, it will provide a highly functional replacement fur the Cobol application
currently used by the Building Deparlment.
When the property database and building permit components are fully
operational, the propo~ properly information system will be expanded to
include issuing and ~'acking of other types of property-rela~i permits, mlcking of
zoning varinncc applicatiom, m~cking of code enforcement actions, and planning
initiatives.
Ultimately, the proposed property information system will be integrated with
external applications, including the Town's LsserFiche implementetion and its
geographical information system.
This phased approach will give the Town's technical support personnel and other
employees time to become familiar with the product, evaluate the suitability of specific
software components, develop procedures for subsequent expansion, snd adjust the
procedures as necessary to realize the anticipated benefits discussed above.
4.4 Implementation Method
The r~ommended method of implementing the proposed property information system is
to purchase prewfittan software from a qualified vendor that specializes in local
000070
20
government applications. Appendix A provides a list of companies that offer such
Reliable comparisons of software offered by these companies requites a detailed analysis
of product information, including functional specifications and pricing solieired in the
eon'text of a competitive procorement. For that propose, Appendix B provides a draft
Request For Quotations (RFQ) with detailed requirements for the proposed software..
The Town can edit, augment, or otherwise modify the draft to suit its procurement
procedures. In particular, the Town should insert information about local purchasing
pmntices and contracting requirements that are pertinent for procurements of this type.
With slight modifications, the draft RFQ can be issued as a Request For Proposals (RFP).
The draft RFQ is designed to give vendors maximum flexibility in submitting price
quotations for software to meet the Town's requirements, while ruling out components
and capabilities that are clearly uuaeeeptable. The requirements are delineated in such a
way that multiple suppliers will be able to satisfy them. This will increase the likelihood
that several acceptable proposals will be received. In addition to software specifications
based en the Town's requirements, the RFQ contains instructions to increase the
likelihood that quotations will be submitted in a format suitable for evaluation and
comparison.
It is likely that two or more software vendors can satisfy the Town's functional
requirements foran integrated property information system. Evaluation of specific
product characteristics will require demonstrations and discussion with vendors at or near
the time that the Town intends to initiate procurement.
4.5 Project Budget
The cost to implement an integrated property information system is a composite of
computer software costs, computer hardware costs, data entry labor costs to conv~t
property information to computer-proceasible form, and supervision costs for the
conversion effort. These costa are explained in the following sections. Projects of this
type may qualify for grant support, in whole or in part, from the Local Government
Records Management Improvement Fund in the Active Records category, Record
Systems sobcategory. The Tows should consider the possibility of submitting a
cooperative grant application with the Village of Gmenlx~, which has a similar need for
a systematic approach to the management of prop,my information, albeit on a much
smaller scale.
4.5.1 Computer Software
While the exact cost of software for the proposed property information system cannot be
determined until proposals with firm quotations are received from qualified suppliers, a
likely estimate is $95,000 to $135,000 for the product configuration specified in the
00007&
21
accompanying draft RFQ. This estimate includes an enterprise license for unlimited
users, technical assistance for installation and database setup, user training, and the cost
of integration with the Town's LaserFiche implementation, which will allow the display
of permit applications, variance applications, and other documents when the database
record for a given property is ~rieved. The estimate does not include the cost of
computer equipment required lo implement and operate the software or wages paid to
Town employees who are involved in soitware implementation and operation.
This cost estimate is based on pricing presented in vendor proposals for installations of
similar scope. It includes the cost of maintenance for the first year of software ope, ration.
Thereafter, the likely annual cost of software maintenance is $12,000 to $16,000, which
is approximately 20 percent of the software's purchase price.
Wilh some products, a lower initial cost is possible if the iusiallation is limited to specific
application modules, such as building permit processing and code enforcement. Other
application modules can be added when needed.
4-~.2 Database Creation
Two options arc available for database creation:
The Town can adopt a "day 1 forward" approach in which database records for
specific parcels will be created when applications for permits or variances are
received or when code enforcement actions are initiated. At that lime, historical
information about building permits, zoning variances, environmental permits,
subdivision activity, and site plans for a specific propen*y can be ent~ed inlo the
· Database records can be created for all Town parcels in advance of sys~m
operation or at a later time.
If the latter option is selected, the estimated cost of data eniry labor to convert descriptive
and historical information from the Board of Assessors' property record cards to
computor-proce.ssible form is $93.525. This estimate is based on the following
· The information to be converted is entirely contained within property record cards
currcntly maintained by the Board of Assessors.
Data cnW/pe~onnel can be trained to locate property descriptions and historical
infonnafion about assessments and construction activity within property ~cord
cards.
· The Assessor has approximately 18,400 parcels for which information will be
entered. Some parcels have multiple property record cards.
0000?.2.
22
Some information from property record cards was previously entered into the
Town's RPS database. To minimize labor requirements, the remaining
information fiom propoiy record cards should be entered into the RPS database.
RPS records will then be imported into the property information system's
database. As an impo~nt advantage, this approach will enrich the RPS database,
which the Town will continue to utilize for the foreseeable future.
The average estimated time to create dntabas~ records is 20 minutes per parcel or
3 parcels per hour, including the time required to locate relevant information
within each property record card, enter the information into the appropriate RPS
database record, proofread the entry, and correct any errors.
At that rate, the estimated time required to key-enter property descriptions and
historical information for 18,400 parcels is 6,135 hours. To complete the project
within the timetable outlined below, data entry should be performed by five
temporary employees working simultaneously on a single shift. An additional 20
hours per employee should be allocated for lraining prior to beginning the data
entry project. The estimated labor requhement, including training, is 6,235 hours.
At a wage rote of $15 per hour, the estimated labor cczt to convert property
descriptions and historical information for 18,400 pzrcels is $93,525, or
approximately $5.08 per card. It is s.saumed that the conversion effor~ will be
performed in-house by tempora~ labor rather than outsourced to a dam-entry
service bureau. Conversion of property information by a data-entry service
bureau at their facilities is impmetical for several reasons:
A service bureau will require access to the Real Propen'y System, which it
must acquire and install at ~ own expense. If a service bureau uses a
different program to key-enter properly information, customized programming
will be required to import the resulting data into ~he RPS database and the
proposed property information system. This will increase the conversion cost.
Assuming that the property record cards must be continuously available in the
Board of Assessors office for inforroation retr/eval while the conversion effort
is ongoing, photocopies would have to be produced for file data entry service
bureau. This will add time and cost to the conversion effort. At 15 cents per
page including photocopying equipment, supplies, and labor, the minimum
cost to photocopy 18,400 two-sided properOy record cards is $2,760. The
actual cost will be higher because some parcels have multiple property record
cards, as previously noted.
* During data entry, questions about the contents ofproperty records may arise
that can only be answered by a knowledgeable Town employee.
00007.3
23
The two data entry options presentod above are not mutually cxc)usivc, The Town could
initially adol~t a "day I forward" approach for properties involved in permit processing or
code enforcement actions, while entering database records for other properties as time
and funds permit. Alternatively, the cost of incorporating historical information into the
property database may qualify for grant support from thc Local Government Records
Managnmant Improvement Fund as part of a continuing augmentation of the Town's
electronic information resources.
4.~.3 Pro]ect Supervision
To be successful, the proposed conversion project for property dcsctiptions and historical
information must be properly organized and supervised. The Town must designate a
project supervisor to guide the conversion effort. The project supervisor's duties will
include, but will not necessarily be limited to, the following:
Work with thc soflwsrc supplier and thc Town's Data Processing Department to
ensure proper technical support and training for software components to be used
in thc conversion effort.
Work with thc Town's Data Processing Department to ensure timely delivery,
installation, and technical support for any computer equipment to be used for data
Hire and supervise qualified temporary data entry employees to perform thc
conversion.
* Develop a realistic timetable for thc conversion effort.
* Prepare work schedules for individual employees.
· Train employees to identify and extract property descriptions and historical
information from within propmy record cards.
· Monitor and make periodic reports about the progress of the conversion effort.
· Serve as a referral point for questions relating to the conversion effort.
The estimated cost for supeo~isory labor is $14,030, which is approximately 15 percent of
thc estimated labor cost of the data-entry activit~ to be supervised, as calculated above.
The project supervisor may be an existing Town employee with other duties.
Alternatively, one of the data entry employees might be given supervisory
responsibilities. In that case, the supervising employee should be lmid at a higher rate.
000074
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4.~.4 Computer Hardware
Tho Town must purchase certain computer components to support the data entry initiative
described above. It is assumed that the proposed prop~ty information system will
operate on a Windows serwr (Dell PowerEdge 2900 or equivalent), which can be
purchased on New York State conlsac~ for $5,500 to $7,000 depending on the
configuration. It is assumed that data entry will be performed with desktop compute~.
Five desktop workstations (Dell Optiplex 160 or equivalent configured with 2 GB of
rendum-acce~ memory, 160 GB hard drive, and a 17-inch fiat-panel display), priced at
$1,200 each, will be required for a total workstation cost of $6,000.
4.6 Implementation Timetable
The following table (next page) presents a realistic schedule for specific project
milestones relating te the selection, procurement, and implementation oftbe fu~st phase
of the proposed property information system, which will support online access ~o
descriptive information from property record cardz and processing of building psrmits.
It is assumed that information from property record cards will be entered into the RPS
database and subsequently imported into the proposed property information system.
Elapsed time is measured in calendar days f~om the date that an RFP, invitation to bid,
or other solicitation is available to prospective biddem. The total estimated completion
time is 210 calendar days (approximately 7 months) from the start of the project.
Elapsed Time from
Task Project Start
· Send RFP to qualified suppliers 3 days
* Receive proposals 30 days
· Evaluate proposals 60 days
· Contract with successful bidder 90 days
· Sol, ware delivery 120 days
· Infom,ation from property record
cards ent~-d into RPS database 210 days
· Software operational for building
permits 210 days
00007.5
25
RECORD RETENTION CONSIDERATIONS
None of the recommendations presented in this report should be implemented at the
expense of state-mandated record retention initiatives as specified in Part 188.20, Title 8
of the New York Code of Rules and Regulations (SNYCRR) and in Records Retention
and Disposition Schedule MU-l, which is Appendix H to Section 185.11 of 8NYCRR.
5.1 Regulations for Electronic Records
Part 188.20 of 8NYCRR mandates the incorporation of record retention requirements into
computer systems, such as the proposed property information system, that maintain or
store electronic records. New York State regulations specify requh~nents and procedures
for retention and long-term usability of electronic records maintained by local
government agencies. In particular, the regulations state that local government agencies
must "ensure that electronic records are not rendered unusable because of changing
technology before their retention and preservation requirements are met."
To satisfy this requirement for the proposed property information system, the Town must
develop a data migration plan to ensure that electronic property records "will remain
usable and accessible through conversion of the records to new system hardware and
software." The regulations state that the data migration plan must be developed in
consultation with the New York State Archives, although no mechanism is specified for
this. If the proposed property information system is implemented, the Town should
discuss this matter with a New York State Archives representative to develop an effective
and acceptable data migration plan.
Schedule MU'-/recommends, but does not mandate, permanent retention for real property
records maintained by computer systems and for history data files where such files exist.
It is assumed that the proposed property information system, including any historical
information to be entered into it, will be actively referenced for a very long time and must
be maintained online for that purpose. Over time, replacement of computer hardware and
sofi~vare components is inevitable and will have an impact on the usability of computer
databases that contain property-related records.
As a reconunended data migration smttegy, the Town should maintain the online
availability of computer-processible information about real property through periodic
conversion of database records to new formats or media as computer hardware and
software changes warrant. This can be accomplished by retaining the proposed property
information system's database, the RPS database, or both. Whenever hardware or
sofiware components are replaced, the Town will pe~orm any data conversions necessary
to maintain the usability and online accessibility of property-related information. This
will be done until the retention periods for specific property-related records have elapsed
or the proposed property information system is supplant~l by a different technology. The
impact on usability of property-related information and the practicality and cost of data
conversion will be considered at the time replacemem of hardware or software
00007
26
components is considered.
5.2 Relationship to Property Record Cards
As previously described, the Board of Assessors' prol~rty r~cord cards are the most
complete source of information about parcels within the Town. Schedule MU-I specifies
pr, manent retention for property record cards where they exist, but it docs not require the
creatian of such cards. In many situations, entry of prope~'y d~scriptions and his~rical
information from property record cards into a computer database will reduce or eliminate
the need to reference the cards themselves.
Assuming reliable operation of a computer-based alternative, the Board of Assessors may
ultimately decide to discominue updating the property record cards, but this cannot be
done umil property sketches and photographs are added to the proposed property
information system and/or RPS database. Currently, property record cards are the only
source for such sketches and photographs.
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27
APPENDIX A
COMPANIES THAT OFFER PROPERTY INFORMATION SOFTWARE
The following list provides company names, mailing addresses, telephone numbers, and
web sites for software companies that offer producls compatible with the requirements
specified in Appendix B. While thc vendor infomntion presented below w~s checked for
accuracy at the time this list was prepared, addresses, area codes, URLs, and even
company names are subject to change.
Aecela
2633 Camino Ramon, Suite 120
Bishop Ranch 3
San Ramon, CA 94583
888 722 2352
www.acccla.com
procurement~,accela.conl
Business Automation Services
636 Plank Road, Suite 207
Clifton Park, NY 12065
518 371 6869
www.basny.com
sales¢i~basny.com
CRW Systems
16980 Via Tazon, Suite 320
San Diego, CA 92127
858 451 3030
www. crw.com
in fo(c~,crw.com
Des Lanriers Municipal Solutions
101 Constitution Blvd, Suite D
Franklin, MA 02038
508 520 0502
www.gcotms.com
Jnfo~geotms.com
Energov Solutions
1203 Cumberland Trail
Monroe, GA 30656
888 355 1093
www.energov.com
sales(~.encrgov.com
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28
General Cod~
72 Hinchey Road
Rochester, NY 14624
585 328 1810
www. Reneralcode.com
mail~T~eneralcode.com
Global Information
1600, Rene-Levesque Blvd West
Suite 620
Mon~eal, Quebec H3H IP(
www. D~ovcrn.com
in fo~,pggovem.com
Hansen Information Technologies
13560 Morris Road, Suite 4100
Alphar~a, GA 30004
866 244 5479
www.hansen.com
publicscctorRFP(~in for. corn
InfoTrax
Box 253
Bradfo~ Woods, PA 15015
724 473 1044
www.geopermitgls.com
in fo(~-~l~copcm~itl~is.c om
Interlocking Software
19362 Powder Hill Place NE
Poulsbo, WA 98370
www.intcrlockin ~oflware.com
salcs(~interlockinesoftwarc.com
MainSlreet Software Corporation
1501 S. Sallsbm'y Bird
Salisbury, MD 21801
800 533 0591
www.malnsrrectasp.com
salesii~mainstrc etast~.com
MS Govern
424 South Woods Mill Road, Suit~ 310
St. Louis, MO 63017
800 383 6029
www.msgovern.com
0000 9
29
mmyers(~msgovern.com
SunOard Public Sector
Corporate/Local Oovernment
1000 Business Center Drive
Lake Mary, FL 32746
800 727 8088
www.htcinc.com
Email contact through web site
Tyler Technologies
370 US Route 1
Falmoutl~ ME 04105
800 772 2260
www.munis.com
Email contact through web site
000080
3O
APPENDIX B
DRAFT REQUEST FOR QUOTATIONS FOR A PROPERTY
INFORMATION SYSTEM
INTRODUCTION
This RFQ solicits quotations from qualified software vendors to provide,
install, and support a computer-based property information system and
certain related pruducts and services, including Iralning and maintenance
support, for nse by the Town of Southold, hereafter known as '~he Town."
This RFQ specifies the requigd characteristics of a computer-based
property information system to support business processes and
recordkeoping practices in the following units of Town government:
· Board of Assessors
· Building Department
· Zoning Board of Appeals
· Planning Department
· Land Preservation
· Board of Town Trustees
The proposed property information system will maintain and provide online
access to comprehensive information about each parcel of land in the Town,
including commercial, residential, and other properties. In its initial
implementation, the proposed property information system will also support
the issuing and ~racidng of building permits.
In the future, the Town expects to expand the proposed property information
system to include the issuing and Iracking of other types of property-related
permits, tracking of zoning variance applications, ~racking of code
enforcement actions, and integration with exm~al applications, including
the Town's digital imaging system and geographical information system.
· The Town has not established an implementation timetable for such
future expansion.
The Town wants to avoid the implementation of different, potentially
incompatible software fo~ its future propen'y-related initiatives. It
consequently seeks a property information system with capabilities that
transcend the initial uses described in this RFQ.
oooo ,
31
Any proposed property information system must be ~ly and
conveniently scalable to allow the future addition of dep~iental
applications and/or user licenses. Vendors must specify limitafiens on
the number or types of depsriraental applications or user licenses
supported by their products.
The Towu understands that future expansion of the pwposed properly
information system may require functionality, software components, or
customized programming not included in the produc~ configuration
covered by this RFQ. Specific software requiremenis for fulure
applications have not been defined.
This RFQ contains information and instructions that will enable quaiified
software developers, resellers, systems integrators, and other vendors to
pr~0are and submit quotations for the proposed property information
PREPARATION AND SUBMISSION OF QUOTATIONS
The preferred method for submission of quotations is via e-mail to Elizabeth
Neville, Town Clerk at elizabeth.neville(~town.southold.ny.us. For
submissions in person or by mail or package delivery services, the address is
Elizabeth Neville, Town Clerk, Town of Sou~old, 53095 Route 25, PO Box
1179, Southold, NY 11971. Please respond by [insert date].
To be considered responsive, a vendor must submit a complete price
quotation that satisfies all requirements and addresses all system
components specified in this RFQ.
A vendor may submit more than one quotation, but each must satisfy the
mandatory requirements of this RFQ. Alternate quotations m~y be used to
present ciifferent product configurations or system enhancements not
presented in a vendor's initial quotation. All alternative quotations must be
emailed soparately and clearly identified,
All responses to this RFQ become thc property of the Town. Quotations
will no~ be returned. Respondents are cautioned that certain information
received by govermnent agencies may be subject to provisions for public
access to information.
GENERAL REQUIREMENTS
· Vendors must be prepared to deliver and fully insudl all system components
000082
32
proposed under this RFQ. All software components must be complete,
pretested, fully operational, and commercially available in general-release
versions for a minimum of 30 days at the gme that the product is acquired
by the Town. Experimental, developmental, and near-release products are
unacceptable.
Any proposed sofb,vare must be fully compatible with the Town's existing
computing and networking inflastructure. The Town's Data Processing
Department currently owns and operates an iSeries Model '~20 processor
running OS/400, v. 5.4 and various Windows servers running Windows
Server 2003. Bidders may propo~ software that operates on either of these
computer platforms. Software for other server platforms is not acceptable.
Most of the Town's dosk~p computers utilize Windows xp. Some utilize
Windows 2000.
All software operations for the proposed property information system must
be easily learned, convenient to use, and suitable for use by non-technical
personnel.
Knowledge of programming concepts or other data processing
expertise, apart from broad familiarity with computer operations in an
office context, must not be required for effective use of the proposed
property information system by Town employees. (The Town
recognizes that its data processing staffmay require technical
knowledge in order to implement and operate the system or to perform
customizations.)
As pan of the initial installation, the vendor must perform any
programming required for database setup, data importing, system
integration, or other purposes. All other things being equal, the Town
prefers a system that will allow its data processing staff, with
appropriate training, to develop post-installation c~izations
without vendor involvement.
Written documentation must be provided for all software to be
included in the system.
It is expected that the property information system will be made
available on public-access workstations in.smiled in certain Town
departments, such as the Assessor and Building Dopar~meut. The
system's user interface and operational characteristics must be
appropriate for that purixme.
The property information system must provide convenient, reliable, and
flexible database capabilities appropriate to business processes and
recordkeoping prsctices in participating Town depamneuts.
000083
33
For the initial implementation, the Town will require licenses for 20
concurrent users.
All other things being equal, the Town prefers a modular software produc~
that can be implemented in sta~s. Depending on budgetary considerations,
the Town may eleot to defer the procurement or implementation of some
modules,
All other things bein~ equal, the Town prefers products that utilize a single
database to support business processes in participating deparm~ents.
The properl7 information system must provide convenient, reliable, and
flexible report generation capabilities appropriate to business processes and
requirements in participating Town departments.
The property information system must provide a conveniem, reliable, and
flexible method of defining or limiting access privileges for data entry, data
editing, information retrieval, repori production, and other funetions, based
on user identification and/or workstation identification,
All other things being equal, the Town prefers a property information
system that supports web browser com~stibili~y as a s~mdard feature or add-
on capabilily.
All other things being equal, the Town prefers a property information
system that permits the incorporation of photographs, sketches, or other
graphic information about specific properties into database records.
FUNCTIONALITY
The proper~y information system's database must maintain records for each
parcel of land in Town. The Town h~s approxir~ely 18,500 parcels.
Subdivision activity increases that number by an undetermined amount esch
year.
The property information system's database must support fields that
correspond to descriptive and historical information contained on property
record cards maintained by the Town's Board of Assessors. As part of the
implementation effort, the successful bidder will be expected to set up the
property information system's database, or insm~ct the Town's information
technology unit how to set up the database, to accommodate this
requirement.
oooo$.4
34
The propew~ information system must provide a convenient and reliable
method of eutering, editing, and updating da~oase records.
The Board of Assessors currently uses the Real Property System (RPS) v. 4
from the New York State Office of Real Property Services.
The RPS database contains one record for each parcel of land in Town,
but thc database records are limited to a subset of information fi.om
property record cards. The Town plans to upgrade the RPS database by
entering fidt information from propon'y record cards.
This may be done by entering information fi.om property record cards
into the proposed property information system's database and exporting
it into the RPS database or by entering information from properly record
cards into the RPS a-~base and exporting it into the property
information system's database. The proposed property information
system must support either or both of these capabilities. RPS can import
and export database r~cords in the tab-delimited or Comma-delimited
format. Alternatively, the proposed property information system can
support an interface to RPS that eliminates the need for importing and
exporting of information.
The property information system's database must provide a convenient and
reliable method of recording tax exemptions that apply to specific
properties. Tax exemptions must be noted in database records.
The property information's database must provide fields for information
about building permits, wetlands permits, and other p~rmits issued by Town
departrnents for specific properties. The databas~ must contain information
about pel'iiiits issued in the past as well as permit applications that have bcen
submitted to and ar~ under review by specific Town departments.
The property information's dalabas~ must provide fields for information
about zoning variances approved by the Town's Zoning Board of Appeals
for specific properties. The database must Contain information about
variances approved in the past as well as variance applications that are
panding,
The property information's database must provide fields for information
about code violations issued for specific proporties.
The property information system's database must provide fields appropriate
to planning activities, including information about zoning determiuations,
subdivisions, Covenants, preservation easements, development rights, or
restrictions associated with specific properties.
00008,5
35
Thc property information system's database must provide a convenient and
reliable method of identifying "protected" ~es~t is, properties that
arc designated as historical landmarks or that have other chara~i~dsties that
limit or prohibit construction, demolition, or other activity. Protected status
is noted on the assessor's property record cards and in thc Town's (lIS
database.
The property information system must provide a convenient and reliable
method of retrieving database records by parcel identifier (tax map number),
owner's name, street address, assessed value, or other parameters.
The property information system must provide a convenient and reliable
method of issuing and Iracking building p,;,mits, from submission of an
application through completion of a building project, and issuance of a
certificate of occupancy.
The property information system must provide a convenient and reliable
method of scheduling, monitoring, and recording inspection activity
related to building permits.
Thc property information system must provide a convenient and reliable
method of calculating fees related to building permits,
The property information system must provide a convenient and reliable
method of entaring, editing, and updating database information relating
to building permit applications and inspections as well as due dates for
p~mit rcilcwals,
The property information system must provide a convenient and reliable
method of printing building permits, certificates of occupancy, notices to
applicants, notices to property owners, reports, and other documents
relating to building projects.
All other things being equal, the Town prefers a property information
system that can issue and track other types of property-related permits,
such as wetlands permits issued by the Town Board of Trustees.
All other things being equal, the Town prefers a property information
system that can block the issuance ora building permit for which
another pemmit or zoning variance is a precondition and wh~re such
permit or variance has not been approved,
All other things being equal, thc Town prefers a property information
system that can block the issuance of a building permit until other
interested parties, such as the Town's Land Preservation dapa~iment,
have approved it.
00008 8
All other things being equal, the Town prefer~ a propen'y information
system that can note conditions, such as compliance with an easement,
that apply to an approved building permit.
The property information system must provide a convenient and reliable
method of Uacking applications for zoning variances from submission
through approval, disapproval, or other resolution.
The property information system must provide a convenient and reliable
method oflracking code violations and code enforcement actions from
receipt of a complaint through resolution. The properly information
system's database must mainiain a record of code violations and code
enforcement actions associated with specific properties.
The property information system must provide a convenient and reliable
method of tracking subdivision reviews, site plan reviews, and other
planning projects from submission of an application through approval or
rejection of a project.
All other things being equal, the Town prefers a property information
system that allows the creation of inspection code enforcement reports in the
riel&
The property information system must be able to generate and print
preformatted or ad hoc repom, including property record cards, from
database records. The Town must be able to specify the content and format
for such reports. All other things being equal, the Town prefers a property
information system that is compatible with a general-purpose ml~ling tool
such as Crystal Reports or Active Reporls. This will allow Town
dep~ents to develop, generate, and save appropriately formatted custom
reports as needed to ~vess specific requirements,
.INTEGRATION WITH OTHER
The proposed property information system muat be able to integrate with the
LaserFiche software application, which the Town uses for digital imaging.
In this context, imegrstion means that authorized users of the proposed
property information system will have the option of identifying and viewing
images of building permit spplications, weflends permit applications,
drawings, deeds, or other documenis that aro stored by the Town's
LnsorFiche application.
· When the database record for a given property is relrieved, authorized
users will be able lo view a list of document images rolated to that
property. Any image on the list can then be selected for display. All
LaserFiche images am indexed by tax map number, which is a unique
identifier for Town properties.
The Town recognizes that development and implementalion of this
capability may require customized programming that is not pm~ of this
RFQ. The Town has not established a timetable for LaserFichc
integration, but it will not occur before the proposed property
information system is fully operational for its initial purposes. At the
time it is acquired by the Town, however, the proposed property
information system must support an application programming interface
or other tools to permit LaserFiche integration.
The proposed properoy information system must be able to integrate with
GIS set. are from ESR/, In this context, integration means that authorized
users of the proposed property information system will have the option of
viewing maps or othe~ information maintained by the GIS for specific
prop~
The Town recognizes that development and implementation of this
capability may require customized programming that is not part of this
RFQ.
The Town is cun~ntly using GIS software from MapInfo, but it plans to
switch to ESR/products at an undetermined future time. The Town has
not established a timetable for Maplnfo replacement, but integration of
the proposed prope~ information system with GIS sof~varo will not
occur before the property information system is fully opara~onal for its
initial proposes. At the time it is acqui~d by the Town, however, the
proposed property information system must support an application
programming interface or other tools to l~smit the anticipated
integration.
TRAINING AND DOCUblENTATION
The vender must provide appropriate customer training for all aspects of
system operation and use.
The Town prefers on-site training involving the system components that it
will actually utilize.
The Town prefers live classroom training with inslructors as opposed to
audio-visuai or computer-aided inslruction.
38
Training costs must be separately enumerated in the cost section of the
vendor's proposal.
Written inslrucfional and reference documentation must be provided for all
soft~vere components and functions.
SOFTWARE MAINTENANCE
· The vendor must specify thc warranty period and provisions for ali proposed
sotb~tore, application modules, subsystems, or other system components.
· The vendor must specify post-warrenty maintenance provisions, terms, and
costs for all proposed software, application modules, subsystems, or other
system components.
· The vendor must specify provisions, terms, end conditions for repair or
replacement of defective software.
The vendor must Sl~Cify provisions, t~,,us, end conditions for technical
support in response to customer questions.
· The vendor must sl~cify provisions, terms, and conditions for new releases
and other software upgrades.
· The proposed properly information system will be implemented in an
application that is critical to the Town's mission and daily operations.
Prolonged downtime is consequently intolerable. For software malfunctions
that result in system failure, the vendor must be able to restore system
operability wil~in 24 hours from the time the problem is reported.
00008.
TOWN OF SOUTHOLD, NY
REQUEST FOR QUOTATIONS--PROPERTY INFORMATION SYSTEM
DECEMBER 18, 2008
** IMPORTANT NOTICE
This is a Request for Quotations (RFQ) not a Request for Proposals (RFP). Lengthy
responses to this RFQ and elaborate, time-consuming presentations of vendor capabilities
are neither required nor desired. Through background research, thc Town of Southold is
aware of yonr company's capabilities.
The purpose of this RFQ is to establish the budget for acquisition and implementation of
a property information system as described herein. Responses must indicate the total cost
to provide software with characteristics specified in this RFQ. Responses must also
indicate the cost of delivery, installation, database set up, training, and related services
plus the cost of an annual maintenance contract for 1 year from the date of installation or
the date that the software's warranty expires, whichever ia later.
Pending approval of the budget for the proposed property information system, the Town
of Southold expects to initiate procurement on or before August 1, 2009. At that time,
selected vendors will also be asked to meet with Town officials to review the Town's
requirements, discuss their quotations, demonstrate their products, explain their
qualifications and competitive advantages, and revalidate their pricing. At its option, the
Town may issue a Request for Proposals prior to procurement. In that case, the RFP will
be limited to companies that have responded to this RFQ.
INTRODUCTION
This RFQ solicits quotations from qualified software vendors to provide, install,
and support a compoter-based property information system and eerudn related
products and services, including training and maintenance suppor~, for use by the
Town of Sonthold, hereafter known as "the Town."
This RFQ specifies the required characteristics ofa computer-bnsed property
information system to support business processes and recordkeeping practices in the
following units of Town government:
· Board of Assessors
· Building Dg~cmrcment
· Zoning Board of Appeals
· Planning Depar~nent
· Land Preservation
ooooo, o
· Town Board of Trnstees
The proposed property information system will maintain and provide online access
to comprehensive information about ~ach parcel of land in the Town, including
commercial, residential, and other properties. In its initial implementation, the
proposed property information system will also support the issuing and tracking of
building permits.
In the future, the Town expects to expand the proposed property information system
to include the issuing and tracking of other types of property-related permits,
Wacking of zoning variance applications, tracking of code enforcement actions, and
integration with external applications, including the Town's digital imaging system
and geographical information system.
· The Town has not established an implementation timetable for such future
expansion.
The Town wants to avoid the implementation of different, potentially
incompatible software for its future pwperty-related initiatives. It consequently
seeks a property information system with capabilities that transcend the initial
uses described in this RFQ.
Any proposed pwperty information system must be fully and conveniently
scalable to allow the future addition of departmental applications and/or user
licenses. Vendors must specify limitations on the number or types of
departmental applications or user licenses supported by their products.
The Town understands that future expansion of the proposed property
information system may require functionality, software components, or
customized programming not included in the product configuration covered by
this RFQ. Specific software requirements for future applications have not been
def'med.
This RFQ contains information and instructions that will enable qualified suflw~re
developers, resellers, systems integrators, and other vendors to prepare and submit
quotations for the proposed property information system.
Questions about this RFQ should be addressed to William Saffady, who is serving
as a consultant tu the Town for this project. He can be reached at 718 246 4696 or
by emnil at wsaffady(~mac.com.
PREPARATION AND SUBMISSION OF QUOTATIONS
The prefen~ed method for submission of quotations is via e-mail to Elizabeth
Neville, Town Clerk at elizabeth.neville~town, southold.ny.us. A copy ofthe
emnil submission should also be sent to wsaffady~,mac.com. For submissions in
person or by mail or package dalive~ services, the address is Elizabeth Neville,
Town Clerk, Town of Southold, 53095 Route 25, PO Box 1179, Southold, NY
11971. piense respond by Tuesday, January 13,2009.
To be considered responsive, a vendor must submit a complete price quotation that
satisfies all requirements and addresses all system components specified in this
RFQ.
A vendor may submit more than one quotation, but each must satisfy the mandatory
requirements of this RFQ. Alternate quotations may be used to present different
product configurations or system enhancements not presented in a vendor's initial
quotation. All alternative quotations must be emailed separately and clearly
identified.
All responses to this RFQ become the property of the Town. Quotations will not be
returned. Respondents are cautioned that certain information received by
government agencies may be subject to provisions for public access to information.
The Town intends to share price quotations with the New York State Archives,
which is a prospective funding source for the proposed procurement.
GENERAL REQUIREMENTS
Vendors must be p~l~ared to deliver and fully install all system components
pmpozed under this RFQ. All software components must be complete, pretested,
fully operational, and commercially available in general-release versions for a
minimum of 30 days at the time that the product is acquired by the Town.
Experimental, developmental, and near-release products are unacceptable.
Any proposed software must be fully compatible with the Town's existing
computing and networking infrastructure, The Town's Data Processing Depariment
currently owns and operates an iSeries Model 520 processor numing OS/400, v. 5.4
and various Windows servers rurmin8 Windows Server 2003. Bidders may propose
software that operates on either of these computer platforms. Sofiware for other
server platforms is not acceptable. Most of the Town's desktop computers utilize
Windows xp. Some utilize Windows 2000.
All software operations for the proposed property information system must be
easily learned, convenient to use, and suitable for use by non-technical personnel.
Knowledge of programming concepts or other data processing expertise, apart
from broad familiarity with computer operations in an office context, must not
be required for effective use of the proposed property information system by
Town employees. (The Town recognizes that its data processing staffmay
require technical knowledge in order to implement and operate the system or
to perform customizatinns.)
· As pa~ of the initial installation, the vendor must perform any programming
0000 2
required for database setup, data importing, system integration, or other
Imrposes. All other things being equal, the Town prefers a system that will
allow its data processing staff, with appropriate training, to develop post-
installation customizations without vendor involvement.
Written documentation must be provided for all sefi~vare to be included in the
system.
It is expected that the property information system will be made available on
public-access workstations installed in certain Town departments, such as the
Assessor and Building Department. The system's user interface and
operational characteristics must be appropriate for that purpose.
The property information system must provide convenient, reliable, and flexible
database capabilities appropriate to business processes and recordkeeping practices
in pa~icipating Town depar~ents.
For the initial implementation, the Town will require licenses for 20 concurrent
risers.
All other things being equal, the Town prefers a modular software product thnt can
be implemented in stages. Depending on budgetary considerations, the Town may
elect to defer the procurement or implementation of some modules.
All other things being equal, the Town prefers products that utilize a single database
to support business processes in participating depa~ments.
The property information system must pwvide convenient, reliable, and flexible
report generation capabilities appropriate to business processes and requirements in
participating Town departments.
The property information system must provide a convenient, reliable, and flexible
method of defining or limiting access privileges for data entry, data editing,
information relrieval, report production, and other functions, based on user
identification and/or workstation identification.
All other things being equal, the Town prefers a property information system that
supports web browser compatibility as a standard feature or add-on capability.
All other things being equal, the Town prefers a pwpeny information system that
permits the incorporation of photographs, sketches, or other graphic information
about specific properties into database records.
FUNCTIONALITY
· The property information system's database must maintain records for each parcel
000093
of land in Town. The Town has approximately 18,500 parcels. Subdivision
activity increases that number by an undetermined amount each year.
The property information system's database must support fields that correspond to
descriptive and historical information contained on propel~y record cards
maintained by the Town's Board of Assessors. As part of the implementation
effort, the successful bidder will be expected to se~ up the property information
system's database, or instruct the Town's information technology unit how to set up
the database, to accommodate this requirement.
The property information system must provide a convenient and reliable method of
entering, editing, and updating database records.
The Board of Assassors currently uses the Real Properly System (RPS) v. 4 from
the New York State Office of Real Property Services.
The RPS database contains one record for each parcel of land in Town, but the
database records are limited to a subset of information from property record
cards. The Town plans to upgrade the RPS database by entering full
information from property record cards.
This may be done by entering information from property record cards into the
proposed properly information system's database and e~xporfing it into the RPS
database or by entering information from properOf record cards into the RPS
database and exporting it into the property information system's database. The
proposed property information system must support either or both of these
capabilities. RPS can import and export database records in the tab-delimited or
comma-delimited format. Alternatively, the proposed property information
system can support an interface to RPS that eliminates the need for importing
and exporting of information.
The proper~y information system's database must provide a convenient and reliable
method of recording tax exemptions that apply to specific properties. Tax
exemptions must be noted in database records.
The property information's database must provide riel& for information about
building permits, wetlands permits, and caber permits issued by Town departments
for specific properties. The database must contain information about permits issued
in the past as well as permit applications that have been submitted to and are under
review by specific Town deparUnents.
The property information's database must provide fields for information about
zoning variances approved by the Town's Zonio~ Board of Appeals for specific
properties. The database must contain information about variances approved in the
pest as well es variance applications that are pending.
The property information's database must provide fields for information about code
violations issued for specific properties.
00009.4
6
The property information system's database must provide fields appropriate to
planning activities, including infonna~on about zoning determinations,
subdivisions, covenants, preservation easements, development rights, or restrictions
associated with specific properties.
The pwperty information system's database must pwvide a convenient and reliable
method ofidantifying "protected" properties--that is, properties that are designated
as historical landmarks or that have other characteristics that lim/t or prohibit
construction, demolition, or other activity. Protected status is noted on the
assessor's property record cards and in the Town's GIS database.
The property information system must provide a convenient and reliable method of
retrieving database records by parcel identifier (tax map number), owner's name,
street address, assessed value, or other parameters.
The property information system must provide a convenient and reliable method of
issuing and tracking building permits, from submission of an application through
completion of a building project, and issuance of a certificate of occupancy.
The property information system must provide a convenient and reliable method
of scheduling, monitoring, and recording inspection activity related to building
· The property information system must provide a convenient and reliable method
of calculating fees related to building permits.
The propen'y information system must provide a convenient and reliable method
of entering, editing, and updating database information relating to building
permit applications and inspections as well as due dates for permit renewals.
The property information system must provide a convenient and reliable method
of printing building permits, certificates of occupancy, notices to applicants,
notices to pwperty owners, reports, and other documents relating to building
projects.
All other things being equal, the Town prefers a property information system
that can issue end track other types of property-related permits, such as wetlands
permits issued by the Town Board of Trustees.
All other things being equal, the Town prefers a property information system
that can block the issuance ora building pen'nit for which another permit or
zoning variance is a precondition and where such permit or variance has not
bcen approved.
All other thinb~ being equal, the Town prefers a property information system
that can block the issuance of a building permit until other interested parties,
such as the Town's Land Preservation department, have approved it.
000095
All other things being equal, the Town prefers a property information system
that can note conditions, such as compliance with an easement, that apply to an
approved building permit.
The property information system must provide a convenient and reliable method of
trecking applications for zoning variances from submission through approval,
disapproval, or other resolution.
The property information system must provide a convenient and reliable method of
Iracking code violations and code enforcement actions from receipt of a complaint
through resolution. The propen'y information system's database must maintain a
record of code violations and code enforcement actions associated with specific
properties.
The properly information system must provide a convenient and reliable method of
tracking subdivision reviews, site plan reviews, and other planning projects from
submission of an application through approval or rejection of a project.
All other things being equal, the Town prefers a property information system that
allows the creation of inspection code enforcement reports in the field.
The property information system must be able to generate and print preformatted or
ad hoc reports, including property record cards, from database records. The Town
must be able to specify the content and format for such reports. All other things
being equal, the Town prefers a property information system that is compatible with
a general-purpose r~porting tool such as Crystal Reports or Active Reports. This
will allow Town departments to develop, generate, and save appropriately
formatted custom reports as needed to address specific requirements.
INTEGRATION WITH OTHER SOFTWARE
The proposed properly information system must be able to integrate with the
LaserFiche software application, which the Town uses for digital imaging. In this
context, integration means that authorized users of the proposed properVj
information system will have the option of identifying and viewing images of
building permit applications, wetlands permit applications, drawings, deeds, or
other documents that are stored by the Town's LaserFiche application.
When the database record for a given property is retrieved, authorized users will
be able to view a list of document images related to that properly. Any image
on the list can then be selected for display. All LaserFiche images are indexed
by tax map number, which is a unique identifier for Town properties.
· The Town recognizes that development and implementation of this capabilily
may require customized programming that is not part of this RFQ. The Town
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has not established a timetable for LaserFiche integration, but it will not occur
before the proposed property information system is fully opamtional for its
initial purposes. At the time it is acquired by the Town, however, the proposed
property information system mus~ support an application programming interface
or other tools to permit LaserFiche integration.
The proposed property information system must be able to integrate with (;IS
software from ESR.I. In this context, integration means that authorized users oftbe
proposed property information system will have the option of viewing maps or
other information maintained by the GIS for specific properties.
· The Town recognizes that development and implementation of this capability
may require customized programming that is not part of this RFQ.
The Town is currently using GIS software from Maplnfo, but it plans to switch
to ESR/products at an undetormined future time. The Town has not established
a timetable for MapInfo replacamen~, but integration of the proposed pwperty
information system with GIS software will not occur before the property
information system is fully operational for its initial purposes. At the time it is
acquirod by the Town, however, the proposed property information system must
support an application pwgramming interface or other tools to pelmit the
anticipated GIS integration.
TRAINING AND DOCUMENTATION
The vendor must provide appropriate customer training for all aspects of system
operation and use.
The Town prefers on-site training involving the system components that it will
actoally utilize.
The Town prefers live classroom training with instructors as opposed to audio-
visual or computer-aided instruction.
Training costs must be separately enumerated in the cost section of the vendors
proposal.
Written instructional and reference documentation must be provided for all software
components and functions.
SOFi'WARE MAINTENANCE
· The vendor must specify the warranty period and provisions for all proposed
software, application modules, subsystems, or other system components,
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The vendor must specify post-warranly maintenance pmvisious, terms, and costs
for all proposed software, application modules, subsystems, or other system
components.
The vendor must specify provisions, terms, and conditions for repair or replacement
of defective software.
The vendor must specify provisions, terms, and conditions for technical support in
response to customer questions.
The vendor must specify provisions, terms, and conditions for new releases and
other software upgrades.
The proposed properly information system will be implemented in an application
that is critical to the Town's mission and daily operations. Prolonged downtime is
consequently intolerable. For software malfunctions that result in system failure,
the vendor must be able to restore system operability within 24 hours from the time
the problem is reported.
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Local Government Rec~orcls Management Improvement Fund
Vendor Quote Form (LG-VQ)
Please complete this form to provide evidence that you have contacted three vendors for price quotes.
One or more of the quotes may be derived from State Contract Listing
(www, ogs.state.ny.uslpurchase). Photocopy the form if you must submit more then one Vendor
Quote Form. Instructions for completing the form are on the reverse side,
Vendor's Name and Address Description of Item 8tare Contract Quoted
or Service* Number PHc-,
Property information NA $207,070.00
l.Tyler Technologies, 370 US system soRware and
Route 1, Falmouth, ME 04105 related services
2. General Code, 72 Hinchey Property information NA $117,614.00
Rd, Rochester, NY 14620 system software and
related ser~ces
3. Business Automation Properb/information NA $138,360.00
Services, 636 Plank Rd, Suite system software and
related services
207, Cliiton Park, NY 12065
N~w Y~k ~ Aghiv~
Fo~m L~-VQ 9/2008
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