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MINUTES

SERVICE COMMITTEE OF THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL

November 29, 1995 Second Meeting of 1995-1996

MEMBERS PRESENT

MEETING IN BRIEF

Organizational staffing by Diane Bolender, Director
Minutes prepared by Ed Cook, Legal Counsel

  1. Procedural Business.
  2. Procedural Business.
  3. New Employee Introductions.
  4. Personnel Reports.
  5. Fiscal Year 1997 Central Staff Agency Budgets.
  6. Office of Citizens' Aide/Ombudsman Administrative Report.
  7. Computer User Policy Direction Committee Reports - Sale of Legislative Information.
  8. Appointment of Citizens' Aide/Ombudsman.
  9. Confidentiality Policy for Documents of the Legislative Service Bureau.
  10. Documents Filed with the Legislative Service Bureau.

COMMITTEE BUSINESS

1. Procedural Business.
The Service Committee of the Legislative Council was called to order by Chairperson Senator Gronstal at 11:10 a.m., Wednesday, November 29, 1995, in Room 22, State Capitol, Des Moines, Iowa.
The minutes of the June 14, 1995 meeting of the Service Committee were approved.
Upon motion of Representative Connors, the Service Committee went into executive session to discuss personnel policies from 12:13 p.m. until 12:25 p.m.
The Service Committee adjourned at 12:25 p.m.
2. New Employee Introductions.
Legislative Service Bureau.
Legislative Fiscal Bureau.
Computer Support Bureau.
Office of Citizens' Aide/Ombudsman.
3. Personnel Reports.
Legislative Fiscal Bureau. The Service Committee received and filed a personnel report from Dennis Prouty, Director of the Legislative Fiscal Bureau, and recommended, upon motion and unanimous vote, that the following employees be promoted, effective December 1995:
The Service Committee also recommended, upon motion and unanimous vote, that the Legislative Council approve the addition of one full-time equivalent position within the Computer System Analyst series for the Legislative Fiscal Bureau starting in January 1996. Mr. Prouty indicated that the analyst would spend approximately half-time working on the payroll projection model and the other half-time working on making Fiscal Bureau information accessible to legislators.
Legislative Service Bureau. The Service Committee received and filed a personnel report from Diane Bolender, Director of the Legislative Service Bureau, and recommended, upon motion and unanimous vote, that the following employees be promoted:
Computer Support Bureau. The Service Committee received and filed a personnel report from Sanford Scharf, Director of the Legislative Computer Support Bureau, and recommended, upon motion and unanimous vote, that the following employees be promoted:
Citizens' Aide/Ombudsman. The Service Committee received and filed a personnel report from William Angrick, of the Office of Citizens' Aide/Ombudsman, and recommended upon motion and unanimous vote, that the following employees be promoted:
4. Fiscal Year 1997 Central Staff Agency Budgets.
Background. Pursuant to section 2.12 of the Code, nonpartisan central legislative staff agencies present proposed budgets to the Legislative Council for review and by December 1, the Legislative Council must submit the approved budgets to the Department of Management for inclusion in the Governor's proposed budget for the succeeding fiscal year.
Legislative Fiscal Bureau. Mr. Prouty presented the proposed fiscal year 1997 budget for the Legislative Fiscal Bureau to the Committee. He also requested a supplemental increase to the 1996 fiscal year budget to reflect the approval for hiring a computer systems analyst in January 1996. The Service Committee recommended that the Legislative Council approve a revision to the approved LFB budget for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 1995, and approve the proposed budget and budget allocation of the Legislative Fiscal Bureau for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 1996, pursuant to section 2.12 of the Code.
Legislative Service Bureau. Ms. Bolender presented the proposed fiscal year 1997 budget for the Legislative Service Bureau to the Committee. She also requested a supplemental increase to the 1996 fiscal year budget to provide initial funding for Phase III of the replacement bill drafting system. In presenting the budget, Ms. Bolender provided the Committee with additional information concerning the funding, and rationale for the funding, for three technology-related projects, the Iowa redistricting process, the Iowa Administrative Code, and the replacement bill drafting system. In response to questions from the Committee about printing costs, Ms. Bolender indicated that the proposed budget for the printing allocation includes estimates for the costs of printing various publications and that the members of the Service Committee would be informed about any budget surplus in this category. She indicated that a previous budget surplus in the printing allocation was used to provide funding for development of a plan for the replacement bill drafting system. The Service Committee then recommended that the Legislative Council approve a revision to the approved budget for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 1995, and approve the proposed budget and budget allocation of the Legislative Service Bureau for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 1996, pursuant to section 2.12 of the Code.
Legislative Computer Support Bureau. Sanford Scharf presented the proposed fiscal year 1997 budget for the Legislative Computer Support Bureau to the Committee. He also requested a supplemental increase to the fiscal year 1996 budget to hire two additional employees starting in January 1996 to provide personal computer support for legislators. He indicated that one of the employees would be assigned to the Senate and one to the House. However, he indicated that an additional employee would be requested in the future to help support the House once personal computers are provided to all House members. He noted that the additional employees would also provide some personal computer programming support to legislative agencies during the interim. In response to questions, Mr. Scharf indicated that the two employees would be available to all legislators and would probably rotate between the two chambers and be used as needed; the employees would not be limited to providing support only to the chamber to which they are assigned. Mr. Scharf noted that computerizing the chambers should result in better service to legislators and the public and may provide some savings by reducing the amount of paperwork generated by the General Assembly. The Service Committee recommended that the Legislative Council approve a revision to the approved budget for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 1995, including the addition of the two full-time equivalent positions starting in January 1996, and approve the proposed budget and budget allocation of the Legislative Computer Support Bureau for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 1996, pursuant to section 2.12 of the Code.
Office of Citizens' Aide/Ombudsman. The Committee recommended that the Legislative Council approve the proposed budget and budget allocation of the Office of Citizens' Aide/Ombudsman for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 1996, pursuant to section 2.12 of the Code.
5. Office of Citizens' Aide/Ombudsman Administrative Report.
William Angrick presented the Committee with a report concerning the Ombudsman's office's involvement in the Small Business Ombudsman Program established pursuant to Section 507 of the United States Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990. He indicated that his office and the Department of Natural Resources have renewed their agreement concerning the establishment of an Assistant Ombudsman for Environmental Affairs within the Ombudsman's office. The reason for establishing this office within the Ombudsman's office is to avoid any possible conflict of interest since both the Department of Natural Resources and the Attorney General's office have some enforcement authority regarding environmental laws. The Service Committee then officially received and filed these reports from the Office of Citizens' Aide/Ombudsman.
6. Computer User Policy Direction Committee Reports - Sale of Legislative Information.
The Service Committee received and filed reports from meetings of the Computer User Policy Direction Committee. The Computer User Policy Direction Committee recommended that the price of legislative information for sale to the public be set at an amount that constitutes the reasonable production costs of that information. The Computer User Policy Direction Committee then recommended setting the price currently for the daily legislative session information at $1,500, the Iowa Code data base at $500, and the fall and spring versions of portions of the Administrative Code at $400 per version. Mr. Prouty indicated that this policy would likely generate less than $20,000 in sales of legislative data. Upon motion and unanimous vote, the Service Committee then recommended that the Legislative Council approve the pricing policy recommendations contained in the November 27 and 29, 1995, reports of the Computer User Policy Direction Committee and further recommended that any proceeds received as a result of this policy be expended subject to Legislative Council approval.
7. Appointment of Citizens' Aide/Ombudsman.
The Service Committee recommended that the Legislative Council reappoint Mr. William P. Angrick II to the position of Citizens' Aide/Ombudsman, for a term of four years commencing July 1, 1996. The appointment by the Legislative Council is subject to the approval and confirmation of constitutional majorities of the Senate and House of Representatives, as provided in sections 2C.3 and 2C.5 of the Code.
8. Confidentiality Policy for Documents of the Legislative Service Bureau.
Ms. Bolender presented a draft of the confidentiality policy for drafting and research documents of the Legislative Service Bureau. She briefly described the policy and indicated that the Service Bureau has operated under these rules since 1989 but that the Legislative Council had not formally approved the policy. Upon motion and unanimous vote, the Service Committee then recommended that the Legislative Council approve the confidentiality policy for drafting and research documents of the Legislative Service Bureau.
9. Documents Filed with the Legislative Service Bureau.
Legislative Fiscal Bureau Personnel Report, November 17, 1995.
Legislative Service Bureau Personnel Report, November 17, 1995.
Computer Support Bureau Personnel Report, November 29, 1995.
Office of Citizens' Aide/Ombudsman Personnel Report and Addendum, November 15 and 29, 1995.
Legislative Fiscal Bureau FY 1997 Budget Request, November 16, 1995.
Legislative Service Bureau memorandum concerning supplemental allocation for 1995-1996 and FY 1997 proposed allocation, November 17, 1995.
Legislative Service Bureau memorandum concerning funding for technology projects, November 17, 1995.
Computer Support Bureau memorandum concering supplemental allocation for FY 1996 and FY 1997 proposed allocation, November 14, 1995.
Office of Citizens' Aide/Ombudsman proposed allocation for FY 1997, November 15, 1995.
Office of Citizens' Aide/Ombudsman Administrative Reports:
Computer User Policy Direction Committee, July 11, 1995, November 27, 1995, and November 29, 1995 Reports.
Confidentiality Policies relating to Bill Draft, Amendment, and Research Requests and Files - Proposed Policy, Legislative Service Bureau.

OTHER INFORMATION FOR THIS COMMITTEE:

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