The corporate services and economic development committee has voted in favour of eventually eliminating paper agendas for council and committee meetings and using electronic agendas instead.
The motion, introduced by Mayor Larry O'Brien, came after the mayor's task force on e-government released its findings and recommendations on how the city can better use technology.
The city spends about $150,000 annually on printing almost 2.8 million pages for agendas.
O'Brien said eliminating paper agendas will take time but will eventually save money and trees.
"It will probably take 2-4 years before we see any savings," said O'Brien.
CHIEF OF TECHNOLOGY
The committee has also recommended that council hire a chief of technology to oversee the implementation of the task force recommendations.
Rob Collins, head of the task force, said the city uses available technology well, but can always improve.
Of the more than 250,000 property taxpayers in the city, 60,000 pay their bills online directly to the city and another 60,000 have made arrangements with their banks to pay their property taxes directly to the city.
"This (technology) will take on a life of its own," said O'Brien.
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Autor(en)/Author(s): Derek Puddicombe
Quelle/Source: Ottaea Sun,
