Council may go paperless with iPads

SOUTH PORTLAND — Apple’s iPads ­– they’re not just for kids anymore.

Since its introduction to the market in April 2010, the iPad tablet computer has taken over as the go-to tech item for students of all ages, from toddlers to teens.

Auburn was the “early adopter,” buying 285 iPads in April, enough to outfit every kindergarten student in the central Maine city. Closer to home, South Portland got in on the act in June, buying 60 iPads for students in Grade 6.

So, if it’s good enough for grade-schoolers, why not city councilors?

At a special workshop session Monday, the South Portland City Council entertained a “paperless” proposal submitted by City Manager James Gailey.

“I think there is a big trend nationally of looking at tablet-type machines, for a number of reasons,” he said, before turning to heft an oversized three-ring binder loaded with 90 sheets of paper for the night’s meeting.

“It’s better than the big, gaudy books here,” said Gailey.

The denizens of City Hall run two reams of paper though the photocopier, making packets for the bi-weekly council meetings, and nearly as much for workshop sessions, said Gailey. Between paper, toner and general wear on the copier, South Portland spends $100 each month just keeping councilors up to speed, says City Clerk Susan Mooney. And that doesn’t count the cost of labor to create the information packets.

The alternative put on the table by Gailey is to buy a 16 gigabyte iPad at $629 for each councilor, which, along with a $25-per-month 3G data plan, would cost $2,100.

Although councilors appeared to like the idea of going paperless – especially Patti Smith, who offered half her stipend to buy into a tree-saving device – they seemed less confident of being able to justify the up-front cost to voters. That prompted questions.

“What’s the anticipated life of these things?” asked Councilor Tom Blake.

“It depends on how many times you drop it,” joked IT Director Shawn Pennington.

Pennington said each iPad should last about four years. The trick, he said, was to keep councilors using them for that long. 

South Portland tried once before to enter the electronic age. In 2003, it bought laptop computers for all councilors. But, as Pennington pointed out, some councilors refused to use computers at all, while others never quite got on board with the concept.

“They’d read things on the laptop, but then take notes on paper.” recalled Pennington. Laptops of that era were less flexible, said Pennington, requiring ready access to Wi-Fi and an outlet. Some councilors found them cold and impersonal, with the large screens blocking them from audience view during meetings. Others, expressing the same reservations as 68-year-old Councilor Maxine Beecher, simply looked askance at the newfangled contraptions. At any rate, it didn’t take long for use of laptops by councilors to “peter out.”

In order to avoid making the same mistake twice, said Gailey, city councilors will need to commit to digesting their meeting information electronically.

“If the council wants to move in this direction, it really needs to be all or nothing,” said Gailey, adding that the deal should include a commitment by each councilor to jettison their personal email accounts for something in the southportland.org domain.

Pennington also sought to assure Beacher that “learning to use an iPad is easier than learning to use the computer.”

“After all,” he said, “it only has one button.”

If the council does slay the paper monster, more money might be saved simply by having to replace $8,000 copy machines less often, said Mooney.

Although the council seemed genuinely interested in the iPad proposal, and although city policy allows Gailey to spend less than $10,000 without an authorizing vote, councilors will not be getting the touchscreen wonders just yet.

Gailey suggested that a policy should be drafted to outline exactly how the iPads are to be used.

With the council’s Aug. 8 workshop already booked to the rafters with Willard Square concerns, the iPad plan cannot be green-lit until the Aug. 22 workshop, at the soonest.