http://www.toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070605/NEWS16/70...
All of you techno-savvy people out there please explain this to me... some are claiming that the city website can't support (whether financially or technically) the budget documents. Wouldn't it cost next to nothing to upload it to the city's website as a PDF file, and how much space would it actually take? Sure, it wouldn't be an electronic file per se but it would still be up there to view.
Kudos to McNamara and Cichy.
Brian Schwartz, a spokesman for Mayor Carty Finkbeiner, said the city budget is more than the city's Web site can handle at present.
"It'd be neat to have the ability to do that, and we will eventually," he said.
Is Brian Schwartz this incompetent with technology, or is he just trying to come up with an excuse as to why the city doesn't have this information already online? Either way it's an embarassment to him, the Mayor, and the City of Toledo. It's a PDF file that is a whopping 1.41MB! Curiously there are already PDF files on the city's website. The first one I found was that dopey pledge card saying I'll recycle once a month. The city had the capability ten years ago to put this online, and they have the same capability today.
Brian Schwartz is just looking for another way to keep this information from the public. I have a feeling when people actually look at how much money the city is spending they will let their voices be heard.
I made a mistake. I misunderstood what I was told. The PDF will be up there soon.
My apologies to everyone.
Now that a simple PDF can and will be put on the site, can we get more information from the city?
Ms. Frederick of the Neighborhoods Department told me;
"What you do not see are the citations, fines, tickets, criminal charges, evictions and housing charges that are filed in this area as well as throughout the City for non-compliance. In the last week, the police community service officers and neighborhood staff caught several house strippers in the act in the North end that were charged and sent to jail. We are working with some residents in the North end to eliminate the rampant drug activity. In the North end in the last year we've removed approximately 300 nuisance autos. One inspector alone issued 300 Notice of Liability tickets with associated fines, 900 Nuisance orders, 170 Housing/zoning/unfit orders in the North end. Those that do not comply with the orders receive criminal charges from the Toledo Municipal Court. We removed tall grass and weeds of approximately 300 properties in that area assessing the costs of the removal to the owners. We've initiated the demolition of approximately 40 nuisance properties in that area and assessed the costs to the owners."
And why would I not see this?
Because it is not published for the public to see.
Put it on the web site.
http://toledoohioneighborhoodconcerns.com/blog
Thanks Brian - in all honesty though, there's no need for apologies. It's not really your job to have the technical knowledge and/or understanding of web design. How much are we paying the City's web designer again? Anybody who's taken an entry-level computer or web design class should know that PDF files are easy and small to upload to a website.
in my book Brian. Thanks for the update - I'm looking forward to seeing the document.
Her job is too sell ads for the web site.
The update of the site was put for bids.
http://toledoohioneighborhoodconcerns.com/blog
The network is half the problem, the other half being the people that administer it and the users.
Many of the users do not read e-mail, or do not set out of office alerts and mail bounces.
Some are steadfast at replying, telephone is the only method for some.
The IT department fails to answer questions from the Help Desk to the IT Director.
http://toledoohioneighborhoodconcerns.com/blog
We are paying Katerina $34,000 a year.
She has a Masters in Communications.
She is not the website designer. She is the webmaster assigned to update it. We've contracted with a local advertising agency to install new support software and redesign the site for a modern appearance and easy use. Katerina has worked all day, every day, this week, meeting with the individual departments to ascertain what needs to be on the web.
Our website is not good. We know that. The software is antiquated. Making this website look good is like trying to run Windows on a Univac.
It helps me better understand you and the city.
Not that I'm anything other than a computer geek...
What was the discussion during Fords' administration about Carty and the old technology? I had understood we'd approved an upgrade of the technology in those offices. I'll find out.
Thanks for stopping by Brian. Communication is always good.
I have a suggestion to make when it comes to the website. Is it possible to utilize the University of Toledo in this endeavor? Maybe approach one of the computer science faculty and see if there is interest in offering an upper-level specialized class that would take a handful of students and let them design the city's website. I think going this route might have several benefits: The first is that the website will be updated and modern looking. There are probably dozens, if not hundreds, of students at UT that can design a website that will knock the socks off anyone looking at it. The second benefit is that it will probably be less expensive which is always good as long as the quality is maintained. A third benefit is that it strengthens the ties between the city and the university. This could be a great avenue for a group of UT students to strengthen their portfolio of web design. Having designed the website for a city of 300,000 would most likely carry weight in their future careers.
Off topic, but this same scenario could be used for city beautification. I was recently in Chicago and found they have student artwork displayed throughout downtown. Again, the cost to the city would be minimal, yet a significant beautification project could be completed. Also, those art students that have been craving a public display of their work would be engaged. It would help the city, the students, and the university.
Just some ideas.
The budget is now on the city website. It is on the main page and on the Finance Department page. This puts an exclamation point on my earlier error.
To update the website, we have to update the software. Communica -- the ad agency designing our website -- is also providing the new software to run it.
And you are wrong, HeyHey, I CAN be that tech illiterate.
Huh?
What does this mean.
"To update the website, we have to update the software."
Do you mean to say that Cold Fusion will now not be used?
Or do you mean the web site design company is redesigning the site with a portal type package, or????
And when the web site is updated, can we expect, the public that is to see more information from the various departments?
http://toledoohioneighborhoodconcerns.com/blog
I don't mean "update" as in posting current information. I mean update as in making the site look much better.
There will be much more information on the new site.
One of the Mayors' points on his campaign platform was to build a technology corridor. We have alot to technological capabilities in the schools that he mentioned (UT,University of Michigan, BG) - why isn't the web site of the city handed over to one of these learning institutions?
We save money and we get the freshest designers working on this.
There is no reason what so ever that the city cannot use the web site correctly other than the administration does not want too.
There is vast amounts of information that is lacking and it the same song and dance.
Sarantou also claims that to modernize the IT infrastructure it would take millions.
The city and county are both irresponsible to not update technology.
http://toledoohioneighborhoodconcerns.com/blog
In Katrina's defense, she was not consulted. I should have consulted her prior to talking to Tom Troy because she could have corrected what I did not understand. However, I relied on what I thought I heard instead of what was true.
It's a mistake a spokesman should not make, but I did. It happens to all of us occasionally, but that doesn't excuse it.
Absolutely, I've met the designer and she's not REALLY a web designer. I believe she has a degree in Business or something. I actually applied to work for the city in there IT department, but obviously that didn't work out. Had it been, I'd guarantee you would be seeing a much improved web site, or internal network, than what is in place now.
That may be her salary but there are benefits that we are paying too, correct.
"Mr. Schwartz said the mayor's office hired Web master Katerina Bekyarska in November to update and redesign the city's Web site, which he said looks out of date and does not show off the city well.
He said Ms. Bekyarska is expected to sell enough advertising to cover her salary and benefits, at $54,000 a year."
http://www.toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070210/NEWS16/70...
And when you say that the software is outdated, are you referring to Cold Fusion?
http://toledoohioneighborhoodconcerns.com/blog
"Sarantou also claims that to modernize the IT infrastructure it would take millions."
Depending on what is to be modernized, it sure as hell can cost quite a bit. You think its' cheap for an IT company to move the city's paper documents to digital documents? The sheer size of the information is what would cost.