Lansdale is On the Move

Lansdale Borough is on the move and, according to borough manager Timi Kirchner, it is worth the investment.

At a borough council work session this month, Kirchner presented how Lansdale is putting the money where its mouth is.

A half-hour PowerPoint presentation showed off Lansdale’s current progress in records management, projects, department goals and more over the past year.

It was a summing up of the events undertaken following the results of a borough operations study last June.

“Six months into my first year as your borough manager, council was receiving and accepting the results of an internal controls review, again directing staff to address deficiencies revealed in that study,” Kirchner said, who also announced it was her one year anniversary as borough manager.

“With council’s strong support, we created an agenda for success that is aggressive, promising major improvements in our operations, assuring accountability throughout,” Kirchner said. “We also promised that our employees and our citizens would know what we are doing, how we are doing it, as we work diligently to keep all informed about and involved with this great community.”

She said consistent and informative communication is important to a community’s success.

“If people are well informed, they are more likely to be involved with positive solutions to the issues and opportunities presented to us daily,” Kirchner said.

The public, she said, is being brought in for their opinions on various initiatives in the borough.

For instance, with the PCTI Project, the borough held meetings on evenings and weekends for input to the final project. With the streetscape project, the borough held public meetings and weekly updates on progress.

Kirchner also cited the new town hall meetings and public meetings for the future development of Madison Lot, and there is the setting up for a community discussion on Lansdale’s branding.

She said the borough has given citizens and employees information on daily operations, services, issues and opportunities through a newsletter, the website, council and committee meetings, quarterly staff meetings and social media.

“Tonight is but on in a long list of examples of holding ourselves accountable by letting you know just what has been accomplished in the last year,” she said. “It is also a reflection that we put our promise into action. Communication is the first action step in our accountability report; it is the first crucial step in promoting full engagement by the citizens of Lansdale.”

Records Management Protocols

Kirchner began the update with a look at the accomplishments and sound business practices of records management to be completed in 10 phases.

“The following is a remarkable example of the ingenuity taken by our records manager Sandy Cox in cooperation with all the departments of the borough. The stunning volume of work done is worth of recognition,” Kirchner said.

In the first completed phase, under requirements of the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission, Cox disposed of 5½ tons of obsolete files, documents and copies dating back to 1997.

At present, Cox is in the second phase: disposing Code Enforcement Committee records from 1950 to 2005.

In the third phase, there is a plan to have a central filing system for the retention of original contacts, agreements, leases and the like from all borough departments.

The purpose, Kirchner said, is to enable the records manager to dispose of obsolete files; allow accessibility by departments when necessary; avoid lost or misplaced files; allow easy access of files for yearly audits and keep the borough departments nimble in their responsiveness to requests for information.

A fourth phase involves creating and maintaining a central file system in the basement of borough hall. The file system will include grant documents; request for proposals; state, local and federal agencies documents; historical materials; previous budgets; union contracts and various studies.

Phase Five of the records management plan is to compile and maintain original and copies of deeds for all borough-owned properties and store them electronically.

A sixth phase involves maintaining all drawings, agreements and specifications for all borough-owned properties, including scanned drawings and plans. All plans and drawings will be uploaded to a server for easy access by other departments.

Phase Seven will involve scanning and making available ordinances on the server for access by all departments. This is followed by an eighth phase where employees will be instructed on the process of scanning and document maintenance within folders on the borough server.

Documents saved on the server will then be disposed of in accordance with state law.

Phase Nine for records management involves cleaning out and disposing of unused items, like vehicles, equipment and furniture.

“The borough will be utilizing the services of Municibid or donating to nonprofit organizations to dispose of these items,” Kirchner said. “Use of Municibid enables the borough to sell items through the company’s website thus eliminating the use of borough funds for advertising and employees normally accrued through the bid process.”

The final phase of records management includes an in-house records retention policy for use by all borough employees.

Nine out of the 10 phases are in process.

“Now that (Cox) has been authorized to move forward with what she knows is a sound business-like approach to the management of government, she’s not taking any chances that it won’t get done,” Kirchner said. “She’s a smart woman on a mission with tremendous support from the departments who agree that a well organized internal system enables the ‘boots on the ground’ to get their work done.”

Borough Department Protocols

Kirchner reviewed the various accomplishments tasked to the departments of the borough.

The Code Enforcement department, she said, is undergoing a “complete overhaul.”

“This overhaul includes moving from consultant services to in-house staff saving the borough money and providing better service; re-organizing the work space for the staff; cleaning out piles of junk that had been allowed to accumulate over the years and creating a better meeting space for the use of all departments and council,” Kirchner said.

The Public Works Department, the Wastewater Treatment Plant, the Electric Department and Lansdale Borough Police have all hired more staff authorized in the 2011 budget, she said.

The Finance Department and the borough manager’s office are the two departments undergoing the biggest changes.

The Finance Department is working on creating a purchasing manual, which will guide the authority of the borough manager as the purchasing agent.

“It will give a clear road map, with strict adherence to state statutes, for all purchases done by this borough,” Kirchner said.

A human resources system is currently in the works. There is a steering committee overseeing this system creation, comprised of the finance department, the borough manager’s office, parks and recreation director Carl Saldutti and Lansdale Police Chief Robert McDyre.

The system, she said, ensures that employees clearly know what their jobs are and provides training to do their jobs better.

She said there is a capital list that acts as a working document for all committees and council. It serves as a record of actions accomplished and work that must be done to maintain and improve services provided by Lansdale.

“It gives the policy makers, our council, the ability to make informed decisions based on a comprehensive list of what must be done to assure good services now and into the future,” she said.

Department of Homeland Security lays down security suggestions

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security, in collaboration with The MITRE Corporation, recently released the Common Weakness Enumeration version 2.0, a best-practice guide for mitigating weaknesses in software based on the advice of experts from the government, software industry and academic thought leaders.

The MITRE Corporation, a not-for-profit agency that assists the government and other agencies with private sector issues, also released a list of the top 25 most dangerous software errors in order to point out areas developers need to be more aware of in future development projects.

MITRE cites missing authorization, use of hard-coded credentials and downloading code without integrity checks as among the most dangerous errors.

The DHS, in a blog post on June 27, said the project was completed under its National Cybersecurity Division under the Software Assurance Program, which works with the private sector “to spearhead the development of practical guidance and tools while promoting research and development of secure software engineering.”

The guidelines are meant to give software development teams a best-practice development guide in order to reduce the amount of vulnerabilities in their software. Some of the best practices include examples of known vulnerabilities, platforms that are most susceptible to them, and other examples of known malware threats, as well as a checklist for developing secure code with those weaknesses in mind.

Idappcom, an independent data traffic analytics and security firm, believed that these weaknesses can be attributed to the human element in software development, which was confirmed by the DHS in a recent survey.

DHS staff, according to Ray Bryant, Idappcom’s CEO, dropped data disks and USB sticks in the parking lots of government agencies in order to see who might find them and access the information. The DHS found, according to Idappcom’s release, that 60% of these data disks and USB sticks were inserted into government-owned computers.

“This observation—the proof of anecdotal evidence if you will—has ramifications in all aspects of IT security, and especially, I believe, when it comes to network security, as it also shows you cannot rely on staff installing IT security systems properly,” Bryant said.

He added that this is an indication that, in his opinion, the best way to combat these errors is to use “automated and effective auditing of the security appliance and allied systems, which then assists the IT security management about which areas of network/IT system security needs tightening up.”

Chrysler 300 has power, panache

Chrysler is back! The jury has been out since the company's brush with bankruptcy and bail-out, but the news that Chrysler is paying back Canada and the U.S., $7.5 Billion in government loans together with the arrival of 16 new or improved models, is proof positive that the third member of the Big Three is alive and well once more.

Leading the charge is the new Chrysler 300. First introduced in 2005 during the partnership with Mercedes-Benz, it signaled a shift from front-wheel drive to rear-wheel drive for the company's flagship large sedan. Designed in-house by Ralph Gilles, the 300 had an immediate visual impact with its Bentley-esque nose, broad shoulders and commanding presence, heightened by the knowledge that a brooding 340-horsepower Hemi V8 was lurking under the hood.

Fast forward to 2010.

The new 300 retains its basic shape but the frontal aspect has lost the brutish character of its predecessor. The new nose is less square and the revised chrome grille with seven horizontal slats and elegant winged Chrysler hood emblem suggest a new refinement without so much flexing of the muscles. The headlight clusters, for example, have a slimmer, more elegant keyhole shape that better defines the fenders, and feature diamond-like LED clusters for the Daytime Running Lights. Handsome multi-spoke, 20-inch polished aluminum rims complete the picture. Think iron fist in velvet glove.

Four models are offered for 2011, the 300 Touring, 300 Limited, 300C and 300C AWD. Base engine is the new Pentastar V6 that provides Best-in-Class 292-horsepower and delivers 7.3 L/100 km (39 MPG) on the highway. The optional Hemi V8 pumps out 363 horsepower and a meaty 394 lb-ft of torque without becoming a gas-guzzler. Thanks to Fuel Saver Technology, it can seamlessly switch from 8 to 4 cylinders during cruising, earning a remarkable 8.0 L/100 km (35 MPG) on the highway. Standard transmission is a smooth and rugged 5-speed Automatic with Manual Shift Mode.

Our tester was the Hemi-powered 300C finished in Brilliant Black Crystal Pearl with Black Nappa Leather-faced seating. If you think the exterior styling has reached a new level of sophistication, wait until you get inside.

In terms of quality, craftsmanship and convenience - including numerous exclusive or Best-in-Class features - the 300 cabin meets or exceeds a level of luxury found only in the most exotic, and far more expensive sedans from Europe and Japan.

Slip into the driver' seat and get comfortable. The four-spoke, power adjustable steering wheel with real wood upper and leather-wrapped lower sections provides class-exclusive 360-degree heating and fingertip controls for audio, cruise, Voice Command and Uconnect functions. You -- and the front seat passenger -- enjoy heated and ventilated seats with 12-way power adjustments and active head restraints. Power adjustable pedals ensure you can tailor the perfect driving position while two memory settings allow you to set seat, steering wheel, pedals, radio pre-sets and outside power adjustable mirrors.

A Vehicle Information Centre display sits between the main speedometer and tachometer gauges. Controlled by steering wheel buttons it lets you scroll through data such as fuel economy, distance to empty, tire pressures, fluid levels, ambient temperature and compass direction. The main gauges and secondary switchgear are illuminated with soft, soothing blue backlighting.

All four doors open wide to 90-degrees making entry and exit a lot easier than in most competitive sedans while rear seat passengers enjoy tons of head, shoulder and leg room, plus the comfort of heated seats. They also enjoy the largest, two-panel panoramic sunroof in its class and power rear backlight sunshade.

The black, soft-textured dashboard surfaces are complemented by the use of satin chrome and chrome trim to highlight gauges, steering wheel controls and air vents. Polished, Black Comodo Elm panels add a rich quality to the centre console with its chrome trimmed shift gate and covered storage bin with dual heated, cooled and illuminated cup holders. The centre stack is dominated by a bold 8.4-inch touch screen (largest in class) that is the heart of the media system. This is without doubt, the easiest, most intuitive touch screen I have seen in any vehicle. It lets you use your voice-activated Bluetooth cellphone, AM/FM and Sirius Satellite Radio (with one year complimentary service), CD and MP3 player. It even understands commands in English, French and Spanish. The Premium Alpine Sound System features nine speakers and 506 watts of amplified, speed-sensitive volume.