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City outlines $10 million plan to modernize core IT systems; council receives informational update
Summary
City information-technology staff presented an 18-month plan to replace aged administrative systems with an enterprise platform and a new utility-billing and cashiering system; the project is funded from a Technology Capital Investment Fund and will require a one-time $10 million investment.
City information-technology and finance staff briefed the City Council on a proposed information-technology core systems modernization (CSM) project that would replace multiple legacy administrative systems with a single enterprise platform and updated utility-billing and cashiering modules.
Why it matters: Modernizing finance, human resources, budgeting and utility-billing systems is intended to reduce manual processes, lower cybersecurity risk, improve public-facing portals and support more accurate and transparent financial workflows. Staff recommended an 18‑month implementation, supported by professional services and temporary staffing to reduce schedule risk.
IT Enterprise Applications Manager Doug Capel explained that the city currently uses multiple software applications originally implemented between 1997 and 2010. Finance Director Zach Korich described the Technology Capital Investment Fund and the plan to use previously set-aside reserves to pay for the project. Korich said the total one-time investment for CSM is estimated at $10,000,000; $5,400,000 has already been appropriated in prior years and the remaining $4,600,000 is planned to be requested in the next two fiscal years. Staff projected that the fund would still show an ending five-year balance of about $21.8 million.
Senior IT Project Manager Rachel Mueller said the selection committee reviewed 12 proposals, selected four finalists, interviewed references and unanimously concurred on a recommended vendor. The project components would include an enterprise resource planning (ERP)-style platform for finance, human resources, timekeeping and scheduling; a modern budget-management system with a public portal; a replacement utility-billing system with improved customer-facing features; and a modern cashiering/payment system.
Staff recommended the city receive the informational report; the council did not take formal regulatory action on the item (the presentation was advisory). Council members asked whether the project would create staffing efficiencies and were told that potential changes to staffing levels would be evaluated post-implementation; staff said the immediate goal is to reduce manual processes and operational risk.
Ending: Staff said vendor agreements were near finalization and planned to return to council with a project authorization item (anticipated April 29 for formal approval). The recommended 18-month implementation schedule and the finance plan were positioned to avoid bond financing and use existing reserves set aside under Council Policy No. 91.
