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East Palo Alto adopts five‑year IT strategic plan to modernize infrastructure and cybersecurity
Summary
Council adopted a five‑year information‑technology strategic plan after hearing consultants’ findings that the city needs cybersecurity improvements, ERP/business process review, GIS upgrades and digitization; adoption does not appropriate funds — specific projects will be budgeted during annual budget hearings.
The East Palo Alto City Council voted to adopt a five‑year information‑technology strategic plan that outlines priorities for cybersecurity, systems modernization, enterprise resource planning (ERP) assessment, GIS enhancements, and document digitization.
External consultants presented a plan that found the city has strong executive support and experienced IT staff but also faces aging infrastructure, siloed data systems, and limited staffing capacity. The recommended roadmap includes an initial year of security hardening, a business‑process review and ERP evaluation in year two, and phased investments in GIS, enterprise asset management and a public CRM/311 system in later years. Consultants estimated a conservative implementation budget of roughly $2 million per year for prioritized projects if the city chooses to accelerate the program.
Councilmembers probed whether the plan obligates the city to spend immediately; staff clarified that adoption of the plan does not itself appropriate funds. Instead, the city manager will bring specific project requests to future budget hearings and each item will be subject to annual appropriation.
After questions from council and public comment that urged prioritizing tangible services (streets, potholes, parks), the council moved and adopted the plan by roll call. Staff will return budgetable, prioritized items for the upcoming fiscal‑year adoption process.
