Submitted By
Communications Director David Powers
Reviewed By
AMZ
Agenda Item Title
Title
A Resolution Authorizing Annual Expenditures for Digital Communications Services in an Amount Not to Exceed $36,408.09 for Fiscal Year 2022 Pursuant to a Master Subscription Agreement with Granicus, LLC Dated January 18, 2020
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Overview
Overview
The Village of Oak Park has relied on components of the Granicus government transparency suite that has served the Village in increasingly broader ways since 2011. The contract approved last year included pricing for 2022 and 2023, but this is the first year the cost has exceeded the Village Manager’s spending authority. In addition, the Village Clerk has worked with Granicus representatives to integrate an additional electronic module that will provide for more robust management of the Village’s boards, commissions, and committees.
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Recommendation
Recommendation
Approve the resolution.
Fiscal Impact
The $26,058.09 costs to continue the Granicus services were included in the Fiscal Year 2022 Communications Budget (General Contractuals 1001-41110-101-530660). In addition, $8,100 to add a ‘boards and commission’ module to the contract was included in the Village Clerk’s FY2022 Budget (External Support 1001-41110.101.53067). An additional one-time payment of $2,250 is required to implement the new module. The implementation fee was anticipated and planned for in the Communications General Contractuals line item (1001-41110-101-530660. The total not to exceeed amount $36,408.09.
Background
The Village of Oak Park has partnered with Granicus since 2011 to improve citizen access to the materials and processes related to public policymaking. Granicus services were initially contracted to stream and archive online meetings of the Village Board. A Granicus module was added in 2015 to allow for the electronic compilation of all agenda materials and their integration into the online streaming/archiving process. During the pandemic, staff worked with Granicus to add - at no cost - the capability to archive meetings of the volunteer boards, commissions, and committees for online viewing. Seeking a tool to ease the current manual management of the terms of commission volunteers, the Village Clerk, with input from the Communications Department and Village Manager’s Office, identified a Granicus module that would allow for electronic management of commission membership and workflow. Adding the module should provide the Village Clerk with a powerful management tool, while also easing implementation due to the integration advantages of staying within the same overall platform.
Alternatives
Given the long relationship and extensive online archive of Oak Park public policy-making videos and materials, seeking another vendor likely would prove to be a Herculean task at this time.
Previous Board Action
N/A
Citizen Advisory Commission Action
N/A
Anticipated Future Actions/Commitments
The Village Board may be asked to review and consider adding other Granicus modules for citizen engagement and website management. A negotiated master agreement that would help translate the transparency goals of policymaking, citizen engagement, and website design within an integrated platform from a single vendor could provide Village staff with the backend administration tools to more effectively manage a dynamic, overarching public information program. Technology will always advance. However, the backend technology of website design and dedicated citizen engagement platforms varies little between top-rated vendors. What sets programs apart is the creation and packaging of content, which is more about communication training, expertise, and experience than technology. Approaches that ease the labor-intensive, needle-point aspects of information dissemination could speed up and enhance goal-oriented outcomes.
Intergovernmental Cooperation Opportunities
N/A