County to move ahead with printer sharing 
by Karyn Eckert
The Star News
November 26, 2009 —  The Taylor County Information Technology Committee will move forward with plans to implement a print management system, but without software which would track and bill individual departments for every copy they make.
The committee met Friday with EO Johnson representative Steve Cain. Along with Cain and the committee members, Peggy Norgren from the UW-Extension and highway commissioner Jess Sackmann had a few questions about the plan.
Nordgren said she was concerned with what costs her department would incur with a bill-back system. The optional software would require each user to have a code to use printers and copiers. Each department would then receive a bill at the end of the month for its copies at a set rate.
The UW-Extension’s primary machine is leased from another company, but it’s back-up, used when the main printer is busy with a large job, would become part of the proposed print management program through EO Johnson. “It’s unfortunate we couldn’t have a lot of this done before budget,” Norgren said. “It’s going to cost me more for that back-up printer than I thought.”
Cain said during the print management study, it was difficult to determine how much the printer was used because the older model doesn’t have a counter. He made an estimate based on the wear of the cartridge which Nordgren said hadn’t been replaced in two years.
Cain said he believed the cost for the printer would be minimal. “The most expensive part of the printer is the ink, it’s not the printer,” he said. “It shouldn’t affect your budget that much.”
Sackmann asked about the machines proposed in the highway department. He said his concern is how much space the floor model copier would take up in the upstairs office.
EO Johnson proposed a color copier with the capability to print on 11x17 paper with four paper drawers and a finisher unit for the upstairs offices and a desktop black and white printer for the lower office.
Sackmann said the highway department had no need for color upstairs, but did use color downstairs to print weather maps.
Cain said the proposal was meant to standardize the equipment in Taylor County to cut down on the number of different models, but they could work with departments on specific needs. “Nothing’s locked in stone,” he said.
Agreement details
Cain went into more detail about how a print management agreement between Taylor County and EO Johnson would work. Although it is set up as a lease, the county would actually own the equipment when the lease expires. Cain explained this saves the cost of property taxes. “You’re much better off owning the equipment at the end,” he said.
Cain said this would also allow the county to terminate the agreement at the end of five years and still have equipment.
EO Johnson estimates Taylor County spends approximately $6,000 per month to put ink on paper taking into account all costs except the paper. EO Johnson would provide the print management service for approximately $5,317, a savings of $683 per month or $41,000 over the five year term.
Cain also presented some optional add-on services. Cain recommended a four-line fax server at a cost of $243 per month, but it would pay for itself in about two years with the elimination of many fax line and machine costs. With a fax server, users dial an extension with the fax number which automatically routes digital copies of the fax to the recipient’s e-mail. “Going without a fax server is foolish,” he said.
The committee agreed to include the fax server in the print management plan.
The committee decided not to bring in a new plotter for the surveyor’s office and will stay with its current model which is about 5-6 years old.
The print management plan will be discussed again in December, possibly during a joint meeting of the finance committee and the IT committee. A meeting for the IT committee was set for December 10 at 11 a.m.

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