Computer Geeks, anyone?

In his campaign for Town Manager, Selectman Bond seems to be making a great case for why the Recall should have been supported.

He also seems to be making a great case for supporting the Finance Committee.

Haven't they raised the issue of outsourcing IT in the past?

How many IT Departments do we have or need? Anyone notice? You might want to look.
How much $$$ could be saved?

Why were the Annual Town Meeting Warrant Articles posted on the Library web site to make them available to the public? Could it be that the IT Director doesn't know how?

Just wondering!

I'll just bet if we follow Selectman Bond's suggestions, we could close that deficit without an override and without exhausting our CASH RESERVES, but then the Selectmen would also have to adopt the recommendation in the DOR Report about 'fiscal restraint.' Doesn't that mean they'd have to stop hiring new employees and creating new positions and promoting 'friends'?


O come on now...The town web site is good for one thing...humor. All you have to do is mention the web site and you get a smile..or..snicker..or a LOL.


One of the fastest ways to gain access to a companies (or towns) sensitive information is to hack a web site hosted at there office. To prevent this most companies host the web site a web hosting company. This isolates the public facing system from private information. A hacker could accessing sensitive information if a web server was attached to the internal network. The brave IT department at the Town of Middleboro has thumbed it nose to this common security practice and hosts it web site at Town Hall.



All of this raises other questions. Such as:

When was the last AUDIT of IT practices and procedures?

Does the town have a disaster recovery plan?

Why are some department backing up files locally?

Why do some departments not know how to post information to the town web site?



Thank you,

Bob Dunphy

Question Authority. But always raise your hand first!


Subject: Informaation Technology Department



Adam



Registered: 10/04/07
Posts: 16
Yesterday at 11:16 PM
#1



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From what I can see, to date, the Town Manager has completely abdicated any authority over the IT Department. In fact, it is the Selectmen who have butchered the operation of that department (e.g., denying any public or private organizations the ability to advertise on the Town site because it is too difficult for the IT Director to manage), with some selectmen actually working to protect the department head. However, it seems that this little fiefdom is more properly administered and run by the Town Manager--not the Selectmen. The Town Charter states that the Town Manager "...shall be the administrative head of all departments of the town government, the conduct of which is by the General Laws and by this act placed upon the Selectmen of the town..." So why is it that the only people in the Town Hall that seem to "direct" the IT Department are the Selectmen.

While I admittedly do not have the blinders or handicap of an MPA or 15-30 years of experience as a career bureaucrat, I do not understand how those people with so much more education and experience in the field do not (or choose not) to see these things, including the Law Department issues, the illegal trash fee issue, or oh so many others that simply stare us unwashed, uneducated, inexperienced masses in the face.

Guess there is no substitute for experience. Or maybe tradition and the desire to perpetuate error simply breeds complacency. Any thoughts?

__________________
Adam Bond






http://www.websitetoolbox.com/tool/post/middleborocasino/vpost?id=2211383