The city will pay for the new system with some budget gymnastics, the first step of which came on Monday when the City Council approved a fund transfer of $520,000 from salaries and benefits in the Police and Fire departments to the Planning and Zoning Department to pay for the new software program. An identical sum will be allocated from the $2.2 million the city received in Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act money to pay for the salaries and benefits, said Finance Director Jodee Dickinson.
The program eTrakit is used by the Planning and Zoning Department but maintained by another company. It has been offline for much of the last several weeks since a cyberattack hit the company's 12-year-old system in early September, said Director of Planning and Zoning Sally Nash. As a result, it has been difficult for residents to access much-needed documents, licenses and permits. Two more cyberattacks occurred in the ensuing weeks, shutting down the entire system. The department has since developed a temporary website with permit information as a stopgap.
The budget maneuver is permitted under the federal aid package guidelines because paying public safety salaries is an acceptable use of the federal money, said City Manager David Jarrell. The new online software will be implemented over the next six to eight months and allow for more online functionality like online payments. The city has identified a Texas-based company, Tyler Technologies, to provide the program, Jarrell said.
Other municipalities have used similar budget tactics to spend the federal money ahead of a Dec. 30 deadline imposed by the Trump administration, he said. Jarrell added that public safety salaries and benefits would be paid at the same level as before.
Alderman DaJuan Gay took issue with the process, questioning why the budget transfer wasn't used to fund other programs to help residents hurting from the pandemic.
"I want to be on the record as saying that I am against this," he said.
Gay and Alderman Fred Paone, R-Ward 2, voted against the fund transfer. The measure passed 7-2.
Elsewhere, the city received $19,000 in lost parking revenue from the film production company that filmed a stunt performed by Travis Pastrana last week, Mayor Gavin Buckley said Monday.
Hoonigan Industries Inc., the San Diego-based company that filmed Pastrana jumping a rally car over Ego Alley, paid for a dozen parking spots that were occupied during the event. They also paid for overtime for police and fire employees who worked the event, Buckley said.
The city also earned $3,200 in parking garage revenue during the all-day event, Buckley said.
"I want to thank Travis and his crew. They were professional and kept safety at the forefront," he said. "We took a risk in saying yes to this event, but it worked out well."
Overall, the meeting was a quick affair, clocking in at under an hour thanks in part to there being no legislative agenda. Several other bills passed on the consent calendar, including a resolution to add a Juneteenth Parade and Festival as a city-sponsored event next June.
Juneteenth, or Jubilee Day, is a holiday celebrated on June 19 to honor the emancipation of enslaved people in the U.S. If passed, the city would waive an estimated $4,300 in fees for the event — a sum comparable to other city parades.
The resolution was introduced by Buckley and Alderwoman Sheila Finlayson, D-Ward 4, and co-sponsored by Alderwomen Rhonda Pindell Charles, D-Ward 3, and Elly Tierney, D-Ward 1.
Alderman Brooks Schandelmeier, D-Ward 5, was set to introduce his first piece of legislation as a council member, Ordinance O-44-20. The bill would require the city to consider a petition by city employees seeking recognition as an exclusive bargaining unit at any time of the year. But due to a misunderstanding, the bill was pulled from the consent calendar and will be introduced at next month's meeting instead.
"It's frustrating, but that's what happens when you are only doing things by email and phone calls," Schandelmeier said. "But it's coming up next time, and we will make sure the bill is good and gets done what we want to get done."
Ordinance O-42-20 was one of two bills up for public hearings Monday night. It would modify the Annapolis Emergency Medical Services program to allow the city to charge a medical service fee if someone is treated by city medical workers but isn't transported to a medical facility. The legislation would increase Fire department revenue by about $35,000 from the estimated 100 such instances that occur annually, according to a city fiscal impact note.
Those who are poor or are victims of a crime won't be billed for services.
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