[StBernard] Clerk of Court

[Westley Annis]

The Clerk's office has over a million dollar surplus.  The clerk's office is
self supporting and the Clerk sets the salaries of the employees.  A basic
website can be set up a no charge and can be maintained with a monthly fee
of less than $10.00.  In order to duplicate records to be stored
electronically and make them accessible via the internet does not cost money
other than the initial investment of the equipment - a scanner.  The setup
costs will be generated more from the man-hours being utilized to back track
documents and get them into electronic format.  Once the system is in place,
there will be no additional costs for equipment or man-hours since the
scanning and storing can be done immediately upon filing.  And besides these
small steps, in order to fully take advantage of the technology available
today by making these documents accessible via the internet, a monthly
access service fee can be implemented - such as the St. Tammany Parish
website.  Anyone can access 
 basic information through the website and if you wish to have more detailed
information (which is mostly used by the legal arena), there is a one-time
fee or a monthly usage fee.  The one-time fees and the monthly usage fees
could offset ALL the costs involved in setting up such a system.  The time
for excuses is gone.  We need to move St. Bernard Parish forward and it can
be done.  It will take someone with determination and drive.

Wendy


> -----------------------------------------------------

> Question:

> Where will the budget come from to pay for the upgraded technology that is

> being recommended?  Upgrades to now technology doesn't come cheap, it's

not

> even reasonable when it comes to revamping an entire platform of data.

> Is the Clerk of Court office self supportive from fees received for the

> payroll, maintenance of ofice equipment, supplies etc. 

> jdolese