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1 <br /> ORANGE COUNTY <br /> BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS <br /> Action Agenda <br /> Item No. V/ n:-C_ <br /> ACTION AGENDA ITEM ABSTRACT <br /> Meeting Date: November 15, 1994 <br /> SUBJECT: Fee Policy for Data Processing Services <br /> DEPARTMENT Data Processing <br /> Budget Office PUBLIC HEARING YES NO x <br /> ATTACHMENT(S) : INFORMATION CONTACT <br /> Keith Brooks, ext. 2276 <br /> Fee Schedule for Data Processing Sally Kost, ext. 2151 <br /> Charges TELEPHONE NUMBER <br /> Hillsborough 732-8181 <br /> Chapel Hill 968-4501 <br /> Mebane 227-2031 <br /> Durham 688-7331 <br /> PURPOSE: To revise fees charged for providing computer tapes, printouts <br /> or labels requested by the public. <br /> BACKGROUND: <br /> The County frequently receives requests for electronic public information <br /> provided on computer tape(s) or printed as labels or as a list. For <br /> computer tapes, the County has traditionally charged $250 for each <br /> request. For computer labels, the County has charged one and one half <br /> cents per label provided and one cent per line of printed data. <br /> Recently County staff reviewed this fee schedule to determine if this is <br /> an equitable way to charge for electronic public information and to <br /> ensure that we are recouping all costs associated with providing this <br /> information. The result of this review is a proposed new fee schedule, <br /> which varies based on the complexity and time required to meet the <br /> request for information. The underlying philosophy of the proposed fee <br /> policy is to balance the interests of providing information to individual <br /> members of the public at reasonable costs, while ensuring that the <br /> specific users of the information absorb the cost of providing the <br /> information through an appropriate user fee (rather than having the <br /> general public absorb the cost through general property tax revenue) . <br /> Under this proposed fee schedule, charges for staff time and resources <br /> are based on actual usage. Programming charges are based on $34 per <br /> hour, with a minimum programmer charge of $17 . This rate is based on an <br /> average hourly cost (including benefits) of the positions responsible for <br /> this task. If the request requires an attendant to monitor the <br /> equipment, an additional personnel cost of $21 per hour would be levied <br /> to cover the costs of the computer operator's time. <br />