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Consent-General Government # 13.
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| Board of Supervisors |
General Services |
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| Subject |
| Authorize the use of IT Innovation funds to purchase a campground reservation system and adopt budget resolution adjusting the General Services Parks Division 2016-17 budget to reflect an increase of $35,896. (No general fund impact) (4/5 vote required) (Yarris) |
| Recommended Action |
- Authorize the use of IT Innovation funds to purchase a campground reservation system; and
- Adopt budget resolution adjusting the General Services Parks Division 2016-17 budget to reflect an increase of $35,896.
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| Strategic Plan Goal(s) |
Operational Excellence
Sustainable Environment |
| Reason for Recommended Action/Background |
The General Services Department, Parks Division is requesting $35,896 in IT Innovation funds in order to purchase an automated reservation system for the campground located at the Cache Creek Regional Park Middle Site. Purchase of this automated system was recommended in the Parks Sustainability Study, which was approved by the Yolo County Board of Supervisors on June 14, 2016.
The Parks Sustainability Study was the result of a more than year long partnership between General Services and the County Administrator's Office and provides a series of recommendations for reducing Parks reliance on County General Fund. Among these recommendations was direction to provide as many automated services to Parks customers as possible. The Parks division currently has an automated reservation system which was purchased with IT Innovation funds in 2011 that no longer meets the needs of the Parks' customers. Prior to implementation of the existing system, reservations were taken by hand; a process that could easily require the time of a single FTE during the height of camping season (May-October). Once on-line, the system immediately reduced that time commitment by 80-90 percent. Despite this internal time-savings, the division has increasingly heard complaints for users and stakeholders regarding the difficulties on the user-interface of the current system.
The Parks Division intends to hire Camava, a leader in automated campground reservation systems throughout the country, to develop, host and maintain a campground reservation system for the Cache Creek Campground. Camava currently hosts reservation systems for counties throughout California, including, but not limited to San Luis Obispo and Marin. Purchase of this system is a one-time expenditure; on-going maintenance and operations will be absorbed by the division until the completion of the Parks Rates Study, also approved by the Board as part of the Parks Sustainability Study. The division anticipates an increase in the overnight camping fee based on the results of the future rate study, and will include these on-going costs in its analysis of a new rate. While the initial intention is only to have Camava host the campground reservation system, the division has selected a vendor that will also be able to host automated sales of daily and annual boat launch and day uses passes in the future.
Through implementation of a new automated reservation system, various Board identified strategic plan goals are attained. By reducing staff time and providing an improved user interface, Operational Excellence is achieved. Additionally, Sustainable Environment and Thriving Resident goals are achieved by promoting easier access to recreational opportunities within Yolo County. |
| Collaborations (including Board advisory groups and external partner agencies) |
| Department of Financial Services, County Counsel |
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| Fiscal Impact |
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| Source of Funds for this Expenditure |
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Explanation (Expenditure and/or Revenue) |
| Further explanation as needed: |
| The division is requesting $35,896 in IT Innovation funds for the one-time purchase of an automated reservation system. Ongoing support costs will be included in the upcoming parks fee study, which will be brought back to the Board later this year for consideration. |
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