Todd Sander
Montana Tankhelper is a site that helps manage underground storage tanks. Sander, speaking at the Government Technology Conference in Albany, N.Y., today, said Tankhelper is a much more useful tool than a three-ring binder of information stuck on a shelf in a service station somewhere, especially since if tank systems fail, cleanup and resulting liabilities can cost millions. The site has information on why tank systems fail, as well as deadlines, forms, due dates etc. "It is a really good example," said Sander, "of taking a bureaucratic regulatory process and making it friendly and easy to use."
Maryland's Economic Development Portal. Sander said this site recognizes something important about how businesses decide to locate. The search begins quietly, mostly online, checking various locations to see what kind of information is available, and rather quickly eliminating or shortlisting locations based on what is found. Maryland -- seeking to attract business -- put information online about infrastructure, taxes, available properties, etc. It's all in one place. Sander said it works because it "takes what we already know how to do," and focused it on a community of interest to give Maryland a competitive advantage.
The Federal Government's grants.gov aggregates $400 billion annually in grants and presents it coherently, said Sander, which is a major leap forward. The site is easy to navigate, and solves the problem of grants going unused because they were difficult to find, or fraught with unknown deadlines etc.
Oakland County Michigan's Video Arraignment and Document Management System connects courts, administration, jails, police departments and other law enforcement agencies on a common network. The network reduces the need to transport prisoners for arraignments and other appointments. That means reduced security concerns, personnel costs etc. The system contains calendars and schedules, the video recordings are transferred to the record, and digital signatures and time stamps handle legal issues and non-repudiation.
Seminole County, Fla., Emergency Whiteboard. This is just a very simple way for sharing information in managing any kind of disaster, said Sander. A site that contains lots of information, from how to donate blood, where to find tents, etc.
