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NEBRASKA INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY COMMISSION

Monday, September 16, 2002
Video Conference Sites:
Executive Building-Videoconference Room 103, 521 South 14th Street, Lincoln, Nebraska
Panhandle Station-High Plains Room, 4502 Avenue I, Scottsbluff, Nebraska
Kearney Public Library-Information Center, 2nd Floor, 2020 1st Avenue, Kearney, Nebraska
APPROVED MEETING MINUTES

MEMBERS PRESENT:
Lieutenant Governor Dave Heineman, Chair
Greg Adams, Mayor, City of York
L. Merill Bryan, Senior Vice President & Chief Information Officer, Union Pacific
Dr. Doug Christensen, Commissioner, Department of Education
Dr. Eric Brown, Manager, KRVN Radio (in Kearney)
Trev Peterson, Attorney, Knudsen, Berkheimer, Richardson, and Endacott, LLP
Dr. L. Dennis Smith, President, University of Nebraska
Hod Kosman, CEO, Platte Valley Financial Services (in Scottsbluff)

CALL TO ORDER, ROLL CALL, NOTICE OF MEETING

Lieutenant Governor Heineman called the meeting to order at 1:35 p.m. There were eight members present at the time of roll call. A quorum existed to conduct official business. It was announced that the meeting notice was posted to the NITC and Public Meeting Calendar Websites on September 4, 2002, and that the meeting agenda was posted to the NITC Web Site on September 10, 2002.

APPROVAL OF JUNE 18, 2002 MEETING MINUTES

Commissioner Smith moved to approve the June 18, 2002 meeting minutes as presented. Commissioner Peterson seconded the motion. Roll call vote: Adams-Yes, Brown-Yes, Bryan-Yes, Christensen-Yes, Heineman-Yes, Kosman-Yes, Peterson-Yes, and Smith-Yes. Motion was carried by unanimous vote.

PUBLIC COMMENT

Chuck Friesen, Lincoln Public Schools, Director of Instructional Technology, provided the following public commentary:

“TINA/WIDEN/NETCOM has spent a great deal of time and money. The Network Nebraska document is, to some degree, a revision of these previous efforts. There is currently a concern among Omaha and Lincoln K-12 institutions that the Network Nebraska document suggests eastern Nebraska will subsidize the network for western Nebraska. These concerns tend to argue against the building of a coalition that is necessary to make the Network Nebraska plan viable. The stated concerns among telcos that DOC can't build or hold a coalition together seems accurate when these concerns exist. Thus, there is an immediate need to get the key eastern Nebraska K-12 players on board. The backbone plan submitted by Walter Weir appears to jump start the Network."

Nebraska process. It has the ability to build consensus among those that have been slow to show support. The University is a trusted education-first institution whose needs much more closely approximate K -12 than do those of state government. (Internet 2, Blackboard, Online Learning, Learning Centers) We support an IP- centric network. We don't have concerns for such protocols as SNA or others since we have long since made the move to an IP- centric environment ourselves.”

Dr. Friesen entertained questions and comments from the Commissioners. After discussion, Lieutenant Governor Heineman and Commissioners made the following comments:

  • Postalization is not going to happen.
  • Commissioners are confident that the coalition cohesiveness is intact and will remain intact.
  • Commissioner Smith felt that University of Nebraska could assist the smaller school districts by using a combination of connections.
  • Commissioner Christensen is concerned with the smaller schools where the need for telecommunications is greater and higher.

REPORT – COMMUNITY COUNCIL (PDF 83k)
Jeanne Saathoff, Co-chair and Anne Byers, Community Information Technology Manager

IT Planning and Mini Grant Program. In partnership with Technologies Across Nebraska, the Community Council will be working with eight communities to develop local information technology plans - Alliance; Brown/Keya Paha/Rock Counties; Crawford-Harrison; Custer County; Edgar; Fillmore County; West Point; and York County. (More detailed information available on Community Council link above.)

RUS Community Connect Broadband Grant Workshop. The Nebraska Information Technology Commission is co-sponsoring a workshop on preparing USDA Rural Utilities Service Community Connect Broadband Grant applications. The grant program provides funding for small, economically challenged communities to provide broadband access. The workshop will be broadcast to satellite downlink sites on Sept. 24 from 2:30 to 4:00 P.M. CT. Information on the workshop is available at http://www.nitc.state.ne.us/RUSworkshop.

Inventory and Gap Analysis Update. One of the Community Council’s action items includes working with Technologies Across Nebraska to complete an inventory of IT-related programs and to conduct a gap analysis. In a preliminary gap analysis, members identified the following needs:

  • There is a lack of motivated local leadership in many communities.
  • There are few effective regulatory remedies for poor Internet service.
  • There is a need for technical assistance in evaluating broadband technologies.
  • Additional information on providing incentives for alternative service providers is needed.
  • Information on new models of private-public partnerships need to be developed including sample cooperative agreements needs to be available.

(More detailed information available on Community Council link above.)

Lieutenant Governor Heineman commended Ms. Byers for her assistance with the conference sponsored by Congressman Tom Osborne.

REPORT – EDUCATION COUNCIL
Tom Rolfes, Education Information Technology Manager

The Education Council has had the opportunity to discuss and provide input regarding the Nebraska Network Report. On August 18th, the Education Council endorsed the Nebraska Network Draft Report. The governance models and determining the pros and cons for long-term management concerned the Council. Presentations conducted at the council meetings included the following:

  • Nebrask@Online proposal for an Education Portal. The council endorsed the proposal and will provide input on the architecture and content. The project is a collaborative between NOL and the Office of the CIO/NITC. Mr. Rolfes has visited the web sites of other states and Nebraska could have the first web portal horizontal and vertical access to education information.
  • Blackboard capabilities. Jim Zemke, from the University of Nebraska, was thanked for organizing the demonstration on August 16, 2002. Representatives from the University of Nebraska, K-12, community and state colleges were present.

NETC training grants were affected by the budget cuts. Dr. Christensen put forward a resolution at the NETC meeting to cover costs of existing projects. The council acknowledges the value of these grants for statewide training and would like to revive these monies when the state is in better economic shape.

Membership Changes (PDF 58k). The Council has endorsed the following recommendations for new council members for final approval by the NITC:

  • Higher Education-Dr. Jerry Moskus, Community College System, President, Metro Community College
  • K-12 Education - Mr. Terry Haack, NE Council of School Administrators, Principal, Elkhorn High School

Commissioner Christensen moved to approve Dr. Jerry Moskus and Mr. Terry Haack has new Education Council members. Commissioner Smith seconded the motion. Roll call vote: Smith-Yes, Peterson-Yes, Kosman-Yes, Heineman-Yes, Christensen-Yes, Bryan-Yes, Brown-Yes, and Adams-Yes. Motion was carried by unanimous vote.

The Lieutenant Governor is interested in attending the September or October Education Council meeting. Mr. Rolfes will follow through on this request.

REPORT – STATE GOVERNMENT COUNCIL
Steve Schafer, Chief Information Officer

The council has met three times since the last NITC meeting. Electronic records retention has been a concern. The council has formed a work group to prioritize and address issues pertaining to electronic records retention. NOL is working with the council to develop an employee portal. The E-government conference is scheduled for Thursday, September 16th, at the Cornhusker Hotel.

Membership Changes (PDF 88k). On September 12th, the Council endorsed the following membership changes to the charter for final approval by the NITC:

  • 6.1 - Number of Members was changed from 21 to 24 members
  • 6.2 - Change wording from “Agency Directors” to “Agency Directors or Representatives”
  • 6.2.9 Natural Resources Commission name changed to Department of Natural Resources

Additional Members to include:

  • 6.2.10 - Department of Correctional Services
  • 6.2.11 - Department of Environmental Quality
  • 6.2.12 - Nebraska State Patrol

Commissioner Peterson moved to approve the State Government Council’s recommended charter amendments. Commissioner Bryan seconded the motion. Roll call vote: Christensen-Yes, Heineman-Yes, Bryan-Yes, Kosman-Yes, Brown-Yes, Peterson-Yes, Adams-Yes, and Smith-Yes. Motion was carried by unanimous vote.

REPORT – TECHNICAL PANEL
Walter Weir, Chair

The Technical Panel has met three times since the last NITC meeting. Several presentations were given and include the following:

  • Discussion of Distance Learning Interconnectivity with Al Schneider, Southeast Nebraska Distance Learning Consortium. The panel felt that the consortium was proposing a different standard than that established by the NITC. Mr. Schneider agreed to wait until the NITC’s Network Nebraska report was adopted before suggesting other infrastructure projects.
  • AET's Emergency Response Network Proposal - Dr. Vrbicky and Don LaPoint. Before accepting the proposal, the panel felt that a pilot project demonstrating their network would be beneficial.
  • DTV Datacasting - Michael Beach

REPORT – STAFF
Steve Schafer, Chief Information Officer

Summaries of agencies' IT comprehensive agency plans have been posted on the NITC web site. A document with pie charts indicating state agency email accounts, email applications, productivity software and security policies was distributed. Commissioners were given the status of action items and Budget Review Timeline. LB 12 extended the budget deadline until October 15th.

NETCOM Update
Steve Schafer, Chief Information Officer

The Collaborative Aggregation Partnership has been working cooperatively towards accomplishing the Scottsbluff pilot. The project is days away from signing a Memorandum of Understanding with Qwest and Sprint to provide services.

Lieutenant Governor Heineman thanked Walter Weir, Commissioner Smith, Commissioner Christensen, and Lori McClurg, Director of Department of Administrative Services, for their efforts.

NETWORK NEBRASKA WORKGROUP FINAL REPORT AND RECOMMENDATIONS

Presenters entertained questions from the Commissioners, after the following three presentations were provided (for more detailed information, click on the link):

Commissioner Smith moved to adopt the Nebraska Network Workgroup Final Report and Recommendations. Commissioner Adams seconded the motion. The following friendly amendments were offered:

  • Add the word “economical” to recommendation 1, and
  • Change the wording of recommendation 3 to read, "The Nebraska Division of Communications should coordinate, in close cooperation with the University of Nebraska, the telecommunications purchasing needs for the State."

Commissioners Smith and Adams accepted the friendly amendments. Roll call vote: Peterson-Yes, Brown-Yes, Smith-Yes, Adams-Yes, Kosman-Yes, Bryan-Yes, Heineman-Yes, and Christensen-Yes. Motion was carried by unanimous vote.

The recommendations of the Nebraska Network Study are available at: http://www.nitc.state.ne.us/nitc-nitc/network/documents/FinalReportRecommendations_September16.pdf (185k). The recommendations are located on pages 4-5.

Commissioners offered the following suggestions:

  • Next steps be mapped out and/or include a flow chart with timelines.
  • A governance proposal should be provided, including a statement regarding the need for a partnership with the telcos. Commissioner Christensen offered to draft a statement for the next meeting.

NEW BUSINESS

There was no new business.

Commissioner Kosman referred to an article published in the Wall Street Journal regarding the a Supreme Court case dealing with telecommunications issues. The Lieutenant Governor agreed to distribute the article to the other commissioners.

NEXT MEETING AND ADJOURNMENT

The next meeting of the Nebraska Information Technology Commission will be held on Wednesday, November 13, 2002 at 1:30 p.m. The location will be determined later. Commissioner Smith moved to adjourn. Commissioner Christensen seconded the motion. All were in favor. The motion was carried by voice vote. The meeting was adjourned at 4:12 p.m.

Meeting minutes were taken by Lori Lopez Urdiales and reviewed by staff of the Office of the CIO/NITC.

Meeting Minutes

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