The Polk County Board of Supervisors used a newly implemented digital agenda management system for the first time at its meeting, board members said, and asked for patience as staff and the public adapt to the new process. A board member said the county began the project in January and that information technology staff worked with departments over seven months to select a vendor and implement the system.

The board described the system as a step toward improved transparency and efficiency. The announcement said the system will allow a searchable, scanned agenda repository and reduce time staff spend assembling physical agenda books. “Thank you, Adam, for your work on leading this project and as project lead manager on this,” the board member said, referring to Adam Dreher, who the speaker identified as project lead manager.

IT staff, board staff and multiple departments participated in the vendor selection and implementation process, the board member said, and thanked Jamie Fitzgerald and Fitzgerald’s staff members Erica and Sandy for their work on agenda material. The board asked the public for “grace and patience” during the first meeting using the system.

The board said the digital agenda will tie into other county transparency initiatives, including a county budget website to host budget materials online. No formal action or vote was taken on the system during the meeting; the remarks occurred as part of the meeting’s communications section.