By SHERRI KOLADE
Times Herald Newspapers
DEARBORN — An Interlocal Services Agreement between Dearborn and Dearborn Heights plans to help close the computer technology support gap between the two cities.
During the Dearborn City Council’s Committee of the Whole meeting Feb. 16, councilors reviewed and set the agenda for its Feb. 27 meeting including the Interlocal Services Agreement, which will be voted on at that meeting.
The proposed agreement would net Dearborn $100,000 a year to help Dearborn Heights improve their computer systems.
Doug Feldkamp, director of Dearborn’s Management of Information Systems, said the shared services are primarily information technology services for the city offices’ daily computer usage.
“Currently we have been analyzing (Dearborn Heights’) network and doing a plan to upgrade their system so they have up-to-date systems that are cost effective,” Feldkamp said.
Dearborn’s MIS supports approximately 700 to 800 computers in 18 city-operated buildings. Dearborn Heights has about 150 to 200 computers that the MIS is aware of and can bring up-to-date.
Feldkamp said if the City Council passes the item, the Dearborn MIS team will get to work on Dearborn Heights’ computer systems.
Dearborn Heights is without an information technology department after having contracted the service out in the past, and already has accepted the service agreement.
“We are already helping them but it will be in full force as soon as the agreement is signed,” Feldkamp said.
Dearborn Heights has a three- to five-year development plan to upgrade its technology throughout the city, he added.
Feldkamp said either city could terminate the agreement at any time.
“We are not in it to make a big profit,” Feldkamp said. “We just want to cover our cost and shared services between communities, help them out and, given they are our neighbors, it helps us out too.”
(Sherri Kolade can be reached at [email protected])