Scranton, Pa., Works to Modernize Internal Processes

(TNS) — Scranton plans to convert City Hall's internal paper-based processes to a modern digital operating platform, officials said.

 

The state Department of Community and Economic Development will hold a hearing today on the city's request for $50,000 in Act 47 funding to defray the $300,000 cost of a conversion to be completed by the end of this year, officials said.

The city also will seek to use federal funds to defray costs.

The Act 47 funds would pay for a business analyst or technical support, said city Business Administrator  Carl Deeley . Mayor  Paige Gebhardt Cognetti  and the city aim to modernize processes in all departments to improve services, efficiency and transparency, Deeley said. "This has already been done in other places (municipalities), it just hasn't been done here," Deeley said.

Technical support for the antiquated system expires at the end of this year and "there has been no significant investment in process improvement and technology for many years," according to a description in the city's capital budget.

The change to digital would include creating "unified master data," or a single source of all data for all departments and service partners to help ensure accurate residential information on taxes, fees, quality-of-life and other communications, the budget says. The city's website also would be upgraded to facilitate remote services, including making basic information on city finances readily available, Deeley said.

"I think it's a long time coming," city Council President  Bill Gaughan  said. "A city goal, and the mayor's goal, is to make the city more efficient and make it much more transparent."

The DCED hearing on the Act 47 grant will be held today at 4 p.m. via Zoom meeting, according to a DCED public notice in The Times-Tribune on Dec. 23-24.

Public comments may be emailed before the DCED meeting to ra-dcedclgs@pa.gov, or submitted during the hearing by phone. To comment by phone, registration first is required at the email above.

To join the Zoom meeting, visit https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88449584863?pwd=aU0vRFpkTnViajN0QnlJbGlKT1d0Zz09. The meeting ID is 884 4958 4863 and the password is 4nShGp. To join by phone, call 1-929-205-6099. The phone meeting ID is 884 4958 4863 and the passcode is 888388.

Anyone requiring special accommodations to attend the hearing should contact  Jim Rose , the department's local government policy specialist, at 570-963-4166.

(c)2021 The Times-Tribune (Scranton, Pa.). Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.