Fairfield council goes paperless, adopts iPads

The paper needed to keep council members in the know can add up quickly.

Figure at least 50 pages per Fairfield City Council packet multiplied by 20 for the council, mayor, department heads and media multiplied by two meetings per month times 12 months and the number quickly reaches 24,000 ? but not anymore.

The Fairfield City Council has replaced its old paper packet system with 11 shiny new iPads and online documents at www.cityoffairfieldiowa.com.

?We?ve certainly eliminated reams of paper,? said city administrator Jeff Clawson.

?I like it a lot because it seemed like such a waste to have all that paper,? said councilman John Revolinski, who has quickly taken to the technology.

Councilwoman Connie Boyer also is pleased with the transition. The elimination of fat paper packets taking up space in her file cabinet, especially those items that aren?t ever referred to again, is a big plus.

?I prefer the electronic records that I can easily refer to,? said Mayor Ed Malloy.

Revolinski agreed archiving agendas and minutes on the city?s website is a move in the right direction. Not only does the council have access, but also anyone can refer to them online.

?It really increases the transparency of city government,? Revolinski said.

?I love it. It?s very convenient,? councilman Michael Halley said.

He likes the ability to take meeting minutes with the iPad or go online for additional information during a meeting.

Revolinski has privately purchased a keyboard/case to make his iPad even more functional. He?s abandoned taking notes with a legal pad and pen in favor of typing them on the spot, eliminating the need to do so later.

Halley and former councilman Ron Adam once used it to reference a map of Fairfield to better visualize a presentation they were being given. ?Technology gives us the opportunity to go deeper into information,? Malloy said. He expects the iPads will work hand-in-hand with the future purchase of a projector, so speakers can give more detailed presentations.

Still, the transition hasn?t been seamless.

?The conversion to the new [system] is still a work in progress,? Clawson said, explaining the kinks of creating Adobe PDF files and making documents Apple and Microsoft compatible are still being ironed out.

Boyer had trouble connecting to the Internet during the last council meeting, and Halley was once unable to access the packet before the meeting.

Councilman Daryn Hamilton has encountered problems attempting to print from his iPad ? he?s tried a couple different apps without luck.

The PDF reader the council uses doesn?t allow any editing or highlighting, Hamilton explained.

?The iPads are OK,? he said. ?Overall, I think the idea of going paperless is a good idea and does save time and effort ? but I think there are more affordable ways to go.?

He also cited the iPads? small memory, but said that?s not a problem as long as council agendas and minutes remain archived online.

?There are other functions it doesn?t have that a PC would be able to run,? he said. The council could have just as easily purchased affordable laptops with more capabilities, Hamilton said.

The city spent just under $3,900 for its iPads.

In the end, Halley thinks the savings in paper will negate the expense.

Electronic access also eliminates the need for city employees to deliver the paper packets to council members before each meeting.

?I think it was a good investment for the city,? Revolinski said.