diff --git a/.env b/.env
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..b290898cf
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.env
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+SERVER_IMAGE_TAG=2024-09-20--06-45
diff --git a/.github/workflows/image_build_push.yml b/.github/workflows/image_build_push.yml
index 1847af67b..1afab6fca 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/image_build_push.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/image_build_push.yml
@@ -18,13 +18,21 @@ jobs:
 
     steps:
     - uses: actions/checkout@v2
+
+    - name: Set docker image tags
+      id: set-tags
+      run: |
+        set -a; source .env; set +a
+        echo "SERVER_IMAGE_TAG=${SERVER_IMAGE_TAG}" >> "$GITHUB_OUTPUT"
+        echo "Current server image tag (push): ${SERVER_IMAGE_TAG}"
+  
     - name: docker login
       run: | # log into docker hub account
         docker login -u $DOCKER_USER -p $DOCKER_PASSWORD
 
     - name: Get current date # get the date of the build
       id: date
-      run: echo "::set-output name=date::$(date +'%Y-%m-%d--%M-%S')"
+      run: echo "date=$(date +'%Y-%m-%d--%M-%S')" >> "$GITHUB_OUTPUT"
 
     #Runs a single command using the runners shell
     - name: Run a one-line script
@@ -40,25 +48,26 @@ jobs:
       run: |
         docker push $DOCKER_USER/${GITHUB_REPOSITORY#*/}:${GITHUB_REF##*/}_${{ steps.date.outputs.date }}
 
-    - name: Create a text file
+    - name: Update .env file 
       run: |
-        echo ${{ steps.date.outputs.date }} > tag_file.txt
-        echo "Created tag text file"
+        echo "SERVER_IMAGE_TAG=${GITHUB_REF##*/}_${{ steps.date.outputs.date }}" > .env
 
-    - name: Upload Artifact
-      uses: actions/upload-artifact@v4
-      with:
-        name: docker-image-tag
-        path: tag_file.txt
-        overwrite: true
+    - name: Add, Commit, Push changes to .env file
+      run: |
+        git config --local user.email "action@github.com"
+        git config --local user.name "Github Actions bot to update .env with latest tags"
+        if git diff --quiet; then
+          echo "Latest timestamp already present in .env file, no changes to commit"
+        else
+          git add .env
+          git commit -m "Updated docker image tags in .env file to the latest timestamp"
+          git push origin 
+        fi
 
   dispatch:
     needs: build
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
 
-    env:
-      DOCKER_IMAGE_TAG: ${{ needs.build.outputs.date }}
-
     strategy:
       matrix:
         include:
@@ -71,7 +80,6 @@ jobs:
     - uses: actions/checkout@v4
 
     - name: Trigger workflow in admin-dash, public-dash
-      # TODO: Create Fine-grained token with "Actions: write" permissions 
       run: |
         curl -L \
           -X POST \
@@ -79,4 +87,4 @@ jobs:
           -H "Authorization: Bearer ${{ secrets.GH_FG_PAT_TAGS }}" \
           -H "X-GitHub-Api-Version: 2022-11-28" \
           https://api.github.com/repos/${{ matrix.repo }}/actions/workflows/image_build_push.yml/dispatches \
-          -d '{"ref":"${{ matrix.branch }}", "inputs": {"docker_image_tag" : "${{ env.DOCKER_IMAGE_TAG }}"}}'
+          -d '{"ref":"${{ matrix.branch }}"}'
diff --git a/Dockerfile b/Dockerfile
index fcea642fd..04dba77f0 100644
--- a/Dockerfile
+++ b/Dockerfile
@@ -3,8 +3,6 @@ FROM ubuntu:jammy-20240227
 
 MAINTAINER K. Shankari (shankari@eecs.berkeley.edu)
 
-ADD https://truststore.pki.rds.amazonaws.com/global/global-bundle.pem /etc/ssl/certs/
-
 WORKDIR /usr/src/app
 
 RUN apt-get -y -qq update