Page 10 THE VILLADOM TIMES IV • June 24, 2009 Area Administrator, clerk explore paperless meeting concept by Jennifer Crusco Ho-Ho-Kus Borough Administrator Don Cirulli and HoHo-Kus Borough Clerk Laura Borchers have been exploring the concept of paperless meetings for the governing body. Last week, Cirulli advised Ho-Ho-Kus Mayor Thomas Randall and the council members that he had spoken about the idea with Franklin Lakes Borough Administrator Gregory Hart, who has successfully implemented the program in that municipality. Cirulli and Borchers also visited the Nick Saros, the borough administrator in Ramsey, where a paperless system has been in use since January 2008. Cirulli advised the Ho-Ho-Kus Council that this program can involve a substantial initial outlay. After the meeting, Cirulli told Villadom TIMES that the startup expense could be in the $40,000 range, which would include the software and the laptops for the mayor, council members, and staff members who attend the meetings. A scanner would also be needed to facilitate the system. Cirulli said he and Borchers began exploring the paperless meeting concept after a council member commented on the large amount of paperwork being generated every month. The administrator added that he plans to put together a report on this system for the benefit of the council. According to a research paper on the concept prepared by Hart and reviewed by Cirulli, paperless meeting allows council members opportunities to research issues quickly and compile information efficiently, which can lead to more Your best smile starts... ...with healthy teeth and gums Dental Insurers pay for preventive care Twice a year, 100%, no deductibles. Because it works. Because it saves insurance companies money. Preventive care makes sense for insurers. Preventive care makes sense for YOU! Caring for our community for over twenty years 339 Godwin Avenue, Midland Park 201.652.7110 - Hours by Appointment Philip M. Schwartz, D.M.D., Administrator Marcia Popjes-Egedy, D.M.D informed decisions. Hart noted that municipalities stand to realize savings on the cost of paper, copier and printer maintenance, and time spent searching for documents and conducting research. Hart also wrote that paperless meetings allow the organization and indexing of documents and information in a customized format. Quick retrieval of documents, Hart pointed out, allows the municipal clerk to find documents when they are needed, making compliance with the Open Public Records Act easier. In addition, he noted that many non-permanent documents can be recycled, freeing up space and reducing fire hazards. Documents can be shared via a networked system, through information burned onto CDs, or sent via e-mail. Hart also pointed out the benefits of integrating a document management system with a GIS, or geographic information system, which would allow a public official to access pertinent views of a particular region or lot. He emphasized the importance of providing instruction and training to those who plan to use the paperless system. Ramsey Borough Clerk Meredith Bendian enthusiastically endorsed the paperless system now in use in that municipality. She acknowledged that multiple laptops were required for the council members, mayor, administrator, borough attorney, and for herself. She also noted that a scanner and server are necessary. “Everyone should do this,” Bendian said in a telephone interview last week. “It saves so much paper.” The clerk noted that Ramsey, which is currently in its second year of using the paperless system, is also saving time searching for documents. She said the paperless system allows her easy access to a wide variety of information, and allows her to arrange that information in relevant categories as needed. “The system allows you to search for documents,” Bendian explained. “You can put in one word, and all the related documents come up.” She added that she has been using CDs to assemble the information packets she distributes to Ramsey Mayor Christopher Botta and the borough council members. “With the reusable discs, we’re saving in the long run.” Access to documents is further enhanced through the use of links that are provided on the copies of the agendas the mayor and council receive. Bendian explained that a public official who clicks on a link has immediate access to any documents relating to that agenda item. She added that council members also receive “FYI” notices via the paperless system. “I can e-mail items and send scanned documents,” she said, adding that the new system has greatly improved organization at borough hall. GODWIN DENTAL, PA Check your dental insurance benefits for complete details. Insurance and Credit Cards accepted. For our patients who do not have dental insurance, please discuss preventive care insurance options with our office. Ho-Ho-Kus resident Lynne Warshaw has been named chair of the board of trustees for the Community Blood Services Foundation, the fundraising branch of Community Blood Services, a not-for-profit organization devoted to serving the community’s transfusion medicine needs for more than 50 years. As chair, Warshaw will provide volunteer leadership to the foundation’s board of trustees, and its special events, such as its annual gala, golf outing, and other fundraising activities. Warshaw, who began volunteering at the blood center following the 9/11 attacks, has been actively working with the foundation to increase awareness of Community Blood Services throughout the communities it serves. “Working with the foundation to help Community Blood Services achieve its mission of advancing the quality of health care in the community is truly a privilege for me. I am grateful to be in a position to give back,” Warshaw said. Warshaw is retired from Novartis Pharmaceuticals, where she worked in sales and marketing. Prior to that, she was an elementary school teacher in Maryland. Warshaw earned a BA at Queens College and an MBA in marketing from the Ervin K. Haub School of Business at Saint Joseph University. Warshaw and her husband David have two sons, BJ and Mike. Warshaw heads foundation board