OTTUMWA, IOWA -- One of the items up for discussion at the Ottumwa City Council meeting Monday is whether or not to provide laptops and tablets for council members, the city clerk, administrator and attorney.
The town of North Liberty, Iowa recently went paperless and provided iPads to all city staff. They got payback for the costs within a year.
"If North Liberty is saving $10,000 a year in reducing paper, we'd probably save more, because we're much bigger and we have more commissions, committees and boards and other activities than North Liberty does," Ottumwa City Administrator Joe Helfenberger said.
The city is looking to spend around $3,000 for the tablets and computers. Helfenberger said each employee would likely get to choose which technology works best for them.
"I think this is the way of the future, it's definitely going to save money, and probably create more and simpler organization for council members on all the agendas," he said. "Instead of having to take a typical packet for a meeting... it'd all be done with a couple simple strokes of a button."
The devices will initially be funded from the administrative budget.
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