By paNOW Staff

Council to use iPads for future meetings

Nov 12, 2010 | 10:32 AM

Andrew de Souza

paNOW Staff

City council and department heads will jump on the digital bandwagon by getting iPads for council meetings — but the decision wasn’t made without opposition.

Council voted on Monday to purchase 22 of the handheld touch-sensitive computers from Apple. The intention is to use them for council meetings to reduce paper use and also improve productivity of staff and councillors.

The decision isn’t an inexpensive one. Council plans to spend almost $13,000 on the devices.
Coun. Lee Atkinson took exception to both the high, unbudgeted cost, as well as the plan to use councillor’s personal office expense budget to fund the purchase, meaning the councillors essentially purchased the devices and were allowed to keep them, at the cost of their personal office budget.

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“Yes there is cost savings, that’s a great and wonderful thing. But you are using up dollars in something that has been allocated,” said Atkinson.

“I can’t agree with it. If the city wants to purchase these, let them budget for it, let them buy it and they can retain them. After I’m gone, after everyone’s gone you can keep them. I don’t want one.”

At previous council meetings, councillors had heard presentations about the device and its uses and had generally agreed with adopting the device. At the time Counc. Atkinson was on vacation.

His protestations at council on Monday prompted an amendment to the adoption. Mayor Jim Scarrow said he didn’t want to force anyone purchase the device.

He proposed that councillors could opt out of using their budget, have the city purchase the device and keep it after the councillor’s term.

Council voted in favour of the motion.

Agendas for future council meetings, once the computers are purchased, will be provided to councillors in digital format, though certain portions will still be printed.

adesouza@rawlco.com