ITAC Teleconference
September 16, 2005 -- 11:00 am -- 12:30 pm ET

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Conference Date: 9/16/05
Conference Time (ET)*: 11:00 AM - 12:30 PM
Confirmation #: 9090
# of Ports/Lines: 15
Conference Code #: 43762

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Topic: ITAC Teleconference/WebEx Session
Date: Friday, September 16, 2005
Time: 11:00 am, Eastern Daylight Time (GMT -04:00, New York)
Meeting number: 485 172 324
Meeting password: Please obtain your meeting password from your host.
[Note: The password, if needed, is ITAC. I thought I had requested it not be necessary for participants.--Marilyn]

Please click the following link to see more information about the meeting, including its agenda, or to join the meeting.

<https://usgs.webex.com/usgs/j.php?ED=87272847&UID=35788587>

ITAC membership email abbreviation:   GS-W ITAC

Attendees:

The following members attended today's cyber conference call:

Agenda and Discussion Notes:

1. Review and update pending action items [ITAC members]

Discussion on Aug2005.ME.1 (PCFF): Katherine also talked with a few people about PCFF. One frequent comment was that Frank Crenshaw needs to document what he has done with PCFF. We should also talk with Kathy Fitzgerald to get her perspective. Burl Goree has money for handheld applications; however, only $200,000 is built into the budget and he will prioritize to whatever gets most results. PCFF could be a great tool. Steve Glodt said that Frank will stop by the NWQL (next week-?) and they can discuss PCFF then.

Sep16.2005.Telecon.1: Steve Glodt will contact Kathy Fitzgerald to see if she can meet with him and Frank Crenshaw to discuss PCFF.

Sep16.2005.Telecon.2: Sandy Williamson will talk with Tim Miller about PCFF and funding.

Sep16.2005.Telecon.3: Jim Nicholas will talk with Cathy Hill about C&A training.

Discussion: Who communicates what? NWIS needs to document that it has tested its contingency plan to pass C&A.

• 10/3/05 clarification -- (Susan Trapanese) - NWIS has a Continuity of Operations Plan and/or a Contingency Plan/Disaster Recovery; all these things are updated at least yearly and the contingency/disaster recovery, etc., is tested annually at a minimum. Parts of it get tested "continually" (NWIS-RT real-time backup system).

Discussion on Aug2005.ME.4 ( Enterprise hardware contract observation and suggested change): Terri discussed contracts awarded. Information on this will be available 9/21/05 . (This action item will be deleted.)

Discussion on Aug2005.ME.5 (Cobell Case impacts): Completed. It’s all in the court’s hands now.

Discussion on Aug2005.ME.8 (BLOGS and RSS): Terri Moore sent something to Sandy about the GIO setting something up.

[Discussion about Sandy Williamson volunteering on the Gulf Coast.]

Discussion on Feb2005.GA.10 (Paperless forms data tracking tool) – This fell by the wayside the last couple of weeks.

Discussion about WebEx followed status report on Jan07.2005.Telecon.2 (WebEx demo for STED):

• Sandy said ILink made an offer: They can give more for the same amount of money it costs for WebEx, which includes a training center and reports package.
• Kevin Gallagher is wondering if we should pull the plug on Sametime. Sandy told him, “yes.”
• WebEx is continuing to grow. The national Advisory Committee on Water Information (ACWI) meeting in Reston on 9/14/05 was outstanding. It went flawless. Dottie Harris, Krishna Sarma, and Ami Mitchell are to be commended for all the preparation and organization involved. Bob Hirsch was quite thrilled. Usually attendees travel for this; they didn’t need to this time! Questions were handled very efficiently.
• Q: Is Kevin Gallagher aware of this savings? Katherine Lins can send e-mail to him that the meeting was such a success, etc., and encourage going with WebEx.
• Jeff Stoner said the MN WSC uses WebEx locally now…for satellite offices. They are using it more and more.
• Limited to 50 seats now, and there’s a large “overage.” With the new WebEx model, you can have 100 concurrent meetings, each with up to 200 connections(?).
• WebEx is perceived as expensive; now they’ve given a vehicle to contain cost.
• WebEx contract expires 12/15/05 . Need to communicate with Kevin Gallagher well before next ITAC meeting.

Sep16.2005.Telecon.4: Katherine Lins will follow up with Kevin Gallagher to see where the GIO is going with WebEx vs. Sametime.

Discussion: Sandy feels a write-up on tips using WebEx would be good. Maybe Krishna Sarma can do this.

Sep16.2005.Telecon.5: Ken Lanfear will have Krishna Sarma write up a list of tips in using WebEx.

2. Status of promises made by ITAC (Example: tracking C&A information and heads-up to WSCs)

   • Tracking C&A information through channels to make managers more aware – this has already been discussed.
   • There were no other “promises” discussed.
     
3. Preliminary planning for Idaho meeting [Terri Moore]
   
   • All agreed on the week of 12/5/05.
   • All is set for this time. Kathy Peter (Director, ID WSC) wants to know what she needs to get ready, etc. Terri told her Jeff will send official letter to cost center, so she can discuss with her folks. A conference room is already reserved.
   • Dru Banks (WR RGIO) will not be able to make it that week.
   • Terri asked about a possible field trip. Sandy suggested a field trip to their computer room, as they have a number of servers. Terri Moore and Jeff Stoner will ask about this.
   • Jeff will phone Kathy first, then send an e-mail

 

4. Continued planning for membership and position changes in calendar 2006 [Jeff Stoner] (Special thanks to Tim McElhone)

   • Can resolve membership issues by next meeting, or maybe during a teleconference.
   • Jim Nicholas will become Chair in January; Jeff Stoner will roll off. Who will be Vice Chair

Sep16.2005.Telecon.6: All ITAC members will think about role replacement for the vice-chair of the committee. This can be any nonpermanent member, but preferably someone who is comfortable with ITAC roles in order to help the chair with meetings.

• System Administrator (CR’s turn). Scott McEwen had come up with a bunch of possibilities. (He’ll send this list to ITAC.)
• Terri Moore will check with Margaret Bunch and ask if she will come to 12/05 meeting.
• Jeff may continue with ITAC (not as Chair). He’ll at least be there by phone for the first meeting in 2006.
• This may be Tim’s last teleconference, as he was acting as RCS for NR. He won’t be at next meeting because of part of the reorganization. He was thanked for his participation in ITAC. He said he learned more than he gave.

5. Other? [ITAC members]

• ITAC Executive Secretary: Marilyn Billone said she can phase someone else in at next meeting, if necessary. This can be discussed further in Idaho , when Marilyn knows more about her work situation and supervisor.
  
  Discussion: Katherine said we first need to know who will be in the High Performing Office (HPO).

Action items for this teleconference were reviewed.

Discussion: Re: ADR, Tim Stamey retiring. Possible replacements were mentioned.

ITAC members would like to know who is selected for new CR RCSer by next meeting.

Next teleconference will be Friday, 10/21/05 , 11:00 Eastern time.

Scott McEwen, Katherine Lins, and Jeff Christman should run through process of “lessons learned” from the Katrina crisis.

Teleconference adjourned 12:30 p.m.

Action Items:

USGS :: ITAC :: Water :: Water Intranet :: WICAS

Address questions or comments to:

Kym Burns, ITAC Executive Secretary
(703) 648-5609