July 14, 2008 — The government is the midst of an "historic transformation," the head of the Bureau of Information Technology told senators Monday — a move to e-government, where reviewing business licenses or accessing permit applications can be done with a few clicks of the computer mouse.
During the first round of budget hearings, John George said all operations are now performed on the government's wide area network (GWAN), which is soon to be replaced by a new private area network. The new network would provide the territory with a "comprehensive communications infrastructure" that will link up and provide service for the government's new electronic 911 system, Internet systems, email and other electronic communications. It will also provide direct and easy access to the enterprise resource planning system, the government's new financial management database.
"This private network is the backbone on which all government agencies will transfer and share information electronically, as well as for communicating using video-conferencing," George explained, adding that most departments and agencies have already made the shift to computer applications in an effort to improve productivity.
BIT is in the last phases of the project, but is waiting to close out some contractual issues with tower space on St. Thomas, George said. Otherwise, equipment is in place on all three islands, and a new facility on St. Croix — which will serve as the first ever "mission control center" for all the government's network operations — is near completion, he added.
"This facility is intended to be the government's port in a storm and a fortress," George said. "When power fails or disaster hits from an earthquake, tsunami or hurricane, the bureau will be an operational and communications hub that will provide access to the World Wide Web and the government's applications, allowing the government to continue to purchase supplies and pay bills."
The agency's fiscal year 2009 budget recommendation — a little over $3 million from the General Fund and another $655,003 in the miscellaneous section of the budget — is enough to cover pretty much everything from personnel to maintenance costs, BIT representatives said. Another $1.6 million, appropriated in FY 2008 from the Internal Revenue Matching Fund for capital outlays, would assist in setting up the sites and the build-out of equipment, according to Dwight Simmonds, BIT finance manager.
The FY 2009 General Fund budget recommendation represents a slight increase — about $187,645 — over this year's budget. Any additional funds are being put toward personnel services, and five new employees hired over the past few months. The positions were initially 75 percent funded, but have to be fully funded going into the next fiscal year, George explained. Though the bureau currently has 10 vacancies, six are soon expected to be filled, he added.
No money from the Internal Revenue Matching Fund has been appropriated to BIT during FY 2009. Any such money would be put toward helping BIT handling its equipment failures, George said.
Items falling under the "other services and charges" category — which, in this case, covers expenses ranging from rent to maintenance and repairs — are currently budgeted at nearly $2 million for FY 2009.
Senators had few concerns for BIT officials during the first half of Monday's hearing, and even less for representatives from the Magens Bay Authority, which currently does not receive any money from the General Fund.
Out of the approximately $1.5 million budgeted by the authority for FY 2009, close to $1.2 million will be put toward personnel services, according to the authority's board chairman Aubrey Nelthropp. The authority's revenues come from gate receipts at both Magens Bay and the Smith Bay Park, along with a cut of the profits from the Magens Bay concession stand, shed rentals and wedding fees. Over the past few months, the authority has been pulling in 15 percent more than it did last year, Nelthropp added.
In terms of appropriations from the government to assist with various capital projects and the cleanup of Smith Bay Park, Nelthropp said the authority:
— was promised this year $750,000 as "seed money" for the cleanup of Smith Bay Park but has only received about $375,000 to date;
— never received a $167,000 appropriation passed last year for a boardwalk at Drake's Seat;
— will be using some $200,000 previously allocated by the government to rereroute the section of the Magens Bay Beach road after the bridge.
Releasing the rest of the funds would help the authority put up at least a bathhouse and a gatehouse at the Smith Bay Park, Nelthropp said.
Present during Monday's meeting were Sens. Liston Davis, Neville James, Terrence "Positive" Nelson and James A. Weber III.
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