Title
TERMINATION OF INTERLOCAL AGREEMENTS WITH COWLITZ COUNTY FOR INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY SERVICES
COUNCIL STRATEGIC INITIATIVE ADDRESSED:
Continue effective financial management
CITY ATTORNEY REVIEW: N/A
SUMMARY STATEMENT:
The recommendation to the City Manager from the Information Technology Director is to dissolve the interlocal agreements between the City of Longview and Cowlitz County for Information Technology services. Over the two years I have managed the agreements I have been unable to see where the City enjoys any benefit or added value in providing the County with IT services. The County has a fully qualified IT department capable of providing services to their own departments.
The cost to the City to provide IT services is not well understood or fully accountable for all activities related to the servicing of the agreements. There are too many undefined costs and or uncaptured true costs that accurately reflect the General Fund obligation the City bears. The upfront General Fund obligation is borne by the City, and is reimbursed on a quarterly basis, based solely on the reporting of staff hours in the course of providing IT services to the beneficiaries of the agreements.
The risk and liability to the City for servicing County agencies that involves Criminal Justice Information is not adequately recognized and considered as an ancillary result of agreeing to provide IT services to the County. The City is required to perform Technology Security audits administered by the Washington State Patrol as defined by the FBI Criminal Justice Information Systems policies. Compliance with the FBI CJIS policy is an additional burden and overhead cost that is not accounted for in the agreements. A breach or loss of Criminal History data is an undefined risk and or reporting obligation the City should have considered when entering into the agreements.
The timing for terminating the agreements is at the most opportune moment. The primary City IT support sta...
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