ITEM 6 DA TRACKING SYSTEM DOCUMENT NAMING LMC
Division Environment and Community Management Author Acting Director, Environment and Community
Management Meeting date 8 October 2015 Strategic Plan Key Service
Area
Community well-being Accessibility
Place where we live and work A sustainable environment Business in the community Sustainable services and assets SUMMARY AND ORGANISATIONAL IMPLICATIONS Purpose of Report The purpose of this report is to provide the
committee with advice on the naming of key documents on Council’s on-line application tracking system.
Background See report
Current Status Nil
Relationship to existing policy
Nil Financial and Resources
Implications
Nil
Recommendation That the Committee receive and note this report.
Notifications Nil
Purpose of Report
The purpose of this report is to provide the committee with advice on the naming of key documents on Council’s on-line application tracking system.
Recommendation
That the Committee receive and note this report. Background
At its meeting in February 2015, the Committee resolved: PUDC08/15
1. Request that the Director of Environment and Community Management review the naming of documents on the DA tracking system so that key documents are readily accessible. That a report be brought back to the next Planning and Urban Design Committee meeting outlining the recommendations of the Director of Environment and Community Management on this matter. 2. Note that the Planning and Urban Design Committee have reviewed the operation of the first Leichhardt Planning Panel meeting and provided feedback to the Manager of Assessment.
Resolution PUDC08/15 considered by Senior Management Team (as per Council Resolution C378/14)
Report
Council has provided an on-line application tracking since 2008. Leichhardt Council provides one of the most open and transparent systems of application tracking in NSW.
In response to resolution No.1 above, a number of senior Council officers met and reviewed the naming of documents on Council’s on-line application tracking system. The nature of any specific concerns have not been provided by the Committee, however the following advice is provided.
Software
Documents are uploaded to the application tracking system via Council’s electronic document management system (EDMS). Documents are either registered in the EDMS manually, or from integration with Council’s rating and property system, known as Pathway.
The latter is used for all document and report generation by the Assessments team, using templates with standard naming protocols.
Council has business rules for registering documents in the EDMS related to applications. Generally speaking, the naming protocol is as follows:
Application Number – Address – Description of the document Eg D/2015/001 – 7 Wetherill Street Leichhardt – Application form
Where additional information or amended plans have been lodged the document precis is extended to include ‘amended plans’ – or ‘additional information’. Similarly, where a document has been superseded by a newer version, that plan is marked ‘superseded’.
Documents are described according to the nature of the document. The review has identified that some standard document descriptions require revision (eg ‘Architectural Plans’ will be changed to ‘Elevation & Section drawings’) and this will commence shortly.
The internal review has considered that this method is the most appropriate for internal record-keeping and document management, and allows for clear legibility on on-line tracking.
Documents generated by Pathway
Council’s Assessments team utilise over 700 templates in Pathway. This includes all outgoing correspondence, reports, notices of determination, memos and files notes, and referrals (both internal and external). Such a high volume of templates is in part driven by the need for clear document descriptions in on-line application tracking system.
After documents are finalised in Pathway, they are locked for editing through a process known as ‘final printing’. Once a document is final printed, its precis is altered in EDMS with a prefix “Final Printed”. It is this prefix that is identified by the EDMS to make the document public on the on-line application tracking system. Hence, all Pathway-generated documents on the application system have the prefix ‘final printed’. This is a software integration issue that is not able to be remedied. Given the very high volume of templates, standard naming protocols are essential. Generally speaking, the existing naming protocol is as follows:
- Application Code – Template Name
- eg. DA – Referral – Heritage or BC – Acknowledgment submissions
The internal review has identified that it would be desirable if greater detail could be provided in these template names. However, the software limits the number of characters that can be used in these descriptions and on this basis it is proposed that the template naming will be reviewed on an as-needs basis over time.
ITEM 7 OTHER BUSINESS
LMC
Division Environment and Community Management Author Team Leader Strategic Planning
Meeting date 8 October 2015 Strategic Plan Key Service
Area
Community well-being Accessibility
Place where we live and work A sustainable environment Business in the community Sustainable services and assets SUMMARY AND ORGANISATIONAL IMPLICATIONS
Purpose of Report To advise the Committee of other business items.
Background NIL
Current Status NIL
Relationship to existing policy
NIL Financial and Resources
Implications
NIL
Recommendation That the Committee note other business items.
Notifications NIL
Purpose of Report
To advise the Committee of other business items. Recommendation
That the Committee note other business items. Report
Other business items:
1. Implementation of Framework for Council and Committee Meetings - Governance and Administration Processes (re Council Resolution C259/15P) 2. Leichhardt Local Link - a free community transport service
Leichhardt Council is pleased to offer a new community bus service to assist any member of the community to travel around our local area.
The Leichhardt Local Link is FREE community transport designed to assist
community members to access a range of local services such as Leichhardt Park Aquatic Centre, doctors and health services, major transport hubs, community facilities and services, shopping precincts and high streets.
You may wish to catch the bus to catch up with friends for lunch, get to your appointment or transport you to your exercise class.
The Leichhardt Local Link will run between 8.30am and 2.45pm on Mondays and Thursdays.
The service will be piloted over the next 12 months.
Refer to Council's website for more information and to download the route and timetable -
