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County IT details security, major upgrades and AI governance plans
Summary
Interim IT Director Amanda Earnshaw told supervisors the department is prioritizing cybersecurity, ADA compliance for public websites, CJIS compliance, an operating-system upgrade to Windows 11 and a Kronos payroll migration — and that the county is beginning to draft governance for responsible use of artificial intelligence.
Amanda Earnshaw, interim director of El Dorado County Information Technology, briefed the Board of Supervisors on Feb. 5 about department structure, security work, and several near-term projects that will affect county operations.
Earnshaw said IT maintains roughly 2,000 user devices, 2,300 telephones, 200 servers, and 450 databases and currently runs a help desk, security, project management and application-development teams. She told the board the department blocked roughly 6.8 million emails last year using an upgraded security gateway and is running an asset-device replacement program that refreshed hundreds of county workstations.
Key projects and compliance items: Earnshaw highlighted four priorities with delivery deadlines in 2025: migrating workstations to Windows 11 by October 2025; replacing an end-of-life Kronos payroll/timekeeping system before December 2025; meeting ADA compliance for public-facing web content by April 2026; and implementing Criminal Justice Information Services (CJIS) policy changes required by state/federal partners. She said PMO intake lists roughly 85 active IT projects across the county.
AI, training and governance: Earnshaw said county IT is participating in government AI working groups, intends to adopt a governance framework for AI use, and will proceed cautiously. She described pilots within two departments and emphasized planning for training and user experience to avoid rushed rollouts.
Budget and staffing: Earnshaw said the IT operating budget is approximately $14 million and largely covers enterprise systems maintenance, third-party software and cloud services; the department runs with several vacancies and typical 5–6% vacancy rate. She asked the board to note that 27% of the IT budget is for enterprise systems and recurring maintenance beyond IT’s direct control.
Ending: Earnshaw invited departments to raise user-experience concerns and said IT is building training and ADA-compliance timelines into upcoming projects.
