Santan Sun News; 10-3-15: opinion by Times Media Group

Community Commentaries

Government must covet, acquire, adapt to 21st century technology

BY DENNY BARNEY

Remembering birthdays, finding a friend’s house and ordering a pizza are a lot easier with modern technology. The digital era provides us with convenience, time savings and entertainment in our personal and professional lives.

Technology abounds, but government has been a notoriously slow adapter. We have plodded along on outdated systems, ostensibly to save money. The price of frugality has been high, however. By failing to invest in technology, we have absorbed higher costs in personnel, inefficiencies and down-times. Worse, our employees and constituents experience enormous frustration and delays.

stressful and dangerous environment. They need comprehensive information about inmates as quickly as possible. That was not always achievable using a decades-old information system.

This year, we approved a replacement of the antiquated system. This new jail management system, called SHIELD, will replace five systems that were previously being operated in silos.

My colleagues and I are reversing the trend. In the past couple years we have enhanced technology and capacity in county government. Here are two examples.

Submitting construction plans

Building a house is an arduous, intensive process: Applicants must submit multiple copies of plans, wait for red lines, make corrections, schedule inspections and, after all that, obtain a building permit. Not long ago, the process was almost entirely manual and paper-based. What a difference. Today county customers can do all those things electronically. A contractor can design and obtain the approval to build a home without ever leaving his office. Inspectors benefit from automation as well. They are able to access assignments and upload inspection results remotely— from the field. This flexibility allows them to complete more inspections in a day. It also ensures customers get real-time information.

Processing an inmate

Our detention officers work in a

Instead of limited function keys, the new system will bring us into the 21st century with drop-down menus accessible with a mouse. SHIELD has increased reporting functionality. It has the capability, through biometrics, to match a person re-entering the criminal justice system, alerting detention staff of prior medical history or other liability issues. Now pictures of body markings and tattoos can be uploaded into the system whereas previously they could only be described with text. Such detailed information creates a much safer environment for our detention officers and minimizes human error.

The full implementation of SHIELD will cost $32.2 million over 10 years. We estimate total cost savings of $31.23 million over the same 10-year period. And this doesn’t factor in costs recovered through greater efficiency and personnel savings. It’s a win-win.

Of course, there are still many other areas where the county must do more. We must use technology to deliver better services. Ultimately, we hope to deliver county government services with the same convenience and quality that you enjoy in the other areas of your life.

Denny Barney represents District 1 on the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors and lives in Gilbert.

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Please open your door for our Special Census

BY JACKIE A. MECK, MAYOR OF BUCKEYE

JAY

TIBSHRAENY,

MAYOR OF CHANDLER

JOHN LEWIS, MAYOR OF GILBERT

GEORGIA LORD, MAYOR OF GOODYEAR

CHRISTIAN PRICE, MAYOR OF MARICOPA

CATHY CARLAT, MAYOR OF PEORIA

GAIL BARNEY, MAYOR OF QUEEN CREEK

If you live in the Valley’s surrounding cities, you have witnessed the evidence of rapid growth all around you in the past five, 10 or 20 years. A look into any one of these communities will reveal new housing developments, schools, roads, stores and more. Our cities have matured quickly and now hold their own as destination points-of-interest on the map for livability, quality of life, dining and entertainment.

This evidence of growth means the local economy is moving, there are local jobs to support the movement and there are desirable amenities that make people want to live in our cities. In addition, local growth attracts potential businesses and industries to locate headquarters in Arizona, because it is evident our state is a thriving place ripe with talent.

Every city in the state participates in the U.S. Census every 10 years, as determined in the Constitution by our Founding Fathers. The blueprint is simple: government officials use updated population counts to accordingly appropriate funds for things like public safety and roads. In 1974, the Arizona State Constitution outlined how income, retail and gas taxes will be distributed for public benefit—through city governments and based on population. Cities fund and run police and fire departments, emergency response, parks and recreation facilities and road, sidewalk and intersection maintenance, among many other things.

The system is designed so the dollars follow the people, to direct your tax dollars to be used in your community, on public safety and services that directly impact your life. However, explosive

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growth in areas during the years between census counts means public services and public safety will be underfunded, because of the disparity between the actual public service needs and the appropriation of funds based on outdated population counts.

Arizona’s office of Employment and Population Statistics estimates our combined cities and towns will have collectively added almost a quartermillion new people before the next census in 2020. To put that in perspective, each of our populations is growing exponentially—from 20 to 30 percent in some cities to more than 70 percent in population growth in others, just this decade.

On Oct. 1, our cities and towns of Buckeye, Chandler, Gilbert, Goodyear, Maricopa, Peoria and Queen Creek began a mid-decennial census to update our population counts, a practice long utilized by Arizona cities experiencing rapid growth. A special census provides a more accurate count allowing cities to receive a more accurate distribution of public safety and public service funding. When you hear the knock at your front door, we ask you to exercise your civic duty to open the door and give the enumerator a few minutes of your time. Starting in October, you can expect a front door visit between the hours of 8 a.m. and 8 p.m., including weekends. Also be assured every census-taker has gone through a background check and will possess federal identification to verify they are with the census. They will ask six questions about the number of people living in your home, and the data you provide will be held in confidence. We believe every single one of our residents should count, and that you should get your fair share of your own state tax dollars. Six questions are all it will take to make sure your tax dollars are used to serve you!

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Letter to the Editor

Heumann recall effort unwarranted

BY ELSKA WATTS

There is currently a recall effort for Councilman Rick Heumann by a group named Project ACU. I want to share why this recall effort is unwarranted and should not be supported.

Project ACU’s recall petition states that Councilman Heumann “worked with and supported SRP in its divide and conquer tactics” and failed to represent each community “equally” in regard to SRP’s South Chandler high voltage power lines project. I take issue with this statement as I have worked with the mayor and council for over two and half years on this project and have found the City to be fair with all groups involved. Specifically, I have seen firsthand how much time, effort and fairness that Councilman Heumann has given to all of the groups. To take such a severe step against a well-known and hardworking councilman should require a solid reason with supporting evidence that he hasn’t been working for the benefit of the entire city. Project ACU has provided no evidence backing their claims and completely contradict my personal experience with Councilman Heumann.

SRP has worked on the PRC South Chandler project for over two and a half years, and has made the Union Pacific Railroad its preferred route for 230kV power lines. ACU is a group

formed by the homes that are located along the railroad. They have taken a position of support for the route, but have asked SRP to bury the proposed 230kV lines as well as their existing 69kV lines. ACU has asked for help from the City and its liaison for this project, Councilman Rick Heumann, regarding burial of the power lines. Councilman Huemann worked equally with all of the communities of South Chandler who were potential power line routes. He put in countless numbers of hours for this project and has gone above and beyond for all communities involved, even ACU.

I witnessed the City of Chandler, specifically Councilman Heumann, do a number of things that ACU asked of them. In fact, to support ACU, Councilman Heumann and the mayor wrote a letter of preference for the burial of the power lines along the railroad tracks to the Arizona Corporation Commission (ACC).

Given the history of this project and Councilman Heumann’s involvement, what is the true intent of this recall? Although the recall filing inaccurately states Councilman Heumann did not represent all potential routes equally, they have also publicly given another reason for the recall. At a recent ACU group meeting their leadership stated that the recall effort is to flex their political muscle toward the ACC.

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If ACU can recall a sitting council member, they believe they will be able to influence the decision of the ACC to bury the existing and proposed power lines. Project ACU has filed one statement as to the reason for the recall and then publicly given another. This power grab shows that there is no foundation for the recall and Councilman Heumann should not be subject to ACU’s political play for power.

One of ACU’s final interactions with the City was to request an ordinance requiring burial of power lines in the City of Chandler. Although this type of ordinance may sound like a good idea, there are many factors such as costs and legal issues that make it a poor option for the city. Other groups asked the City to review a similar ordinance over two years ago. The mayor and council did extensive research at that time and again just recently with ACU’s request. Both times the City attorney found that such an ordinance would not be legal and would subject the city to expensive lawsuits.

The mayor and council (including Councilman Heumann) had to consider

the best interest of the entire city, not just one small portion of it, when they declined to pursue an ordinance. The mayor and city council recommended that ACU take this request to the state level. The state is the only entity able to modify SRP’s current status and enable the change ACU wants. ACU was not happy with this decision and the recall efforts of the mayor and Councilman Heumann came shortly after (they have subsequently conceded the recall of the mayor). I urge members of our community to look further into the issue and get all of the information available before signing this recall. Councilman Heumann has served the City of Chandler for almost seven years and will leave office January 2017. His several re-elections by the citizens of Chandler reflect the success he has had in making the city a great place to live. He has worked hard for Chandler throughout these years and does not deserve to have this recall effort made against him.