Computer problems hit city hall

City Clerk Autumn Acree updated the Gallatin Board of Aldermen on the current computer software problems at city hall during the council’s regular meeting held Monday, March 14.

The software crashed at the first of the month and city hall lost the capability of looking up information stored on the computer. All functions are being done manually now. The software that was lost held information for the functions of the city, including payroll, accounting, utility bills, etc. New software from a new company will be coming around March 30.

Mrs. Acree said the city had been working on the software problem with the old software company since March 1.

“We tried to retrieve it and restore it and we ended up losing it,” she said. “It was just gone.”

All is not lost as hard copy records are available and everything since the crash has been kept manually.

The former City Administrator Toby Dougherty left Friday, March 11, and the secretaries at city hall have been keeping a pretty hectic schedule.

“We’ve just been going day by day,” said Mrs. Acree. “Going from computers one day to doing everything by hand the next day, it’s kind of like a foreign language. It’s making everything very difficult. People who call in wanting information have to wait awhile because we have to go to old copies of our reports.”

Mrs. Acree stated that a new server has been installed and the computers are getting upgraded this week from Windows 98 to XP. The new basic desktop computer software was necessary in order to run the new software containing city information.

“We’re going to wait for the new software to come and do utility bills the first thing,” Mrs. Acree said.

Utility bills may be up to a week late next month, with all penalties taken off. An ad will be placed in the paper regarding utility bills at a later date.

Mrs. Acree also discussed the all-in cost of the electric bill for February with the aldermen.

In other business at Monday’s meeting, Police Chief Richards reported on activity from March 1 to March 14. Summons Issued: 1- stealing; 1 – leaving the scene of an accident; 1 – improper backing; Reports Taken: 1 – accident; 1 – animal bite (squirrel); 1 – informational report (civil/stealing); Pound: 3 – dogs adopted out by officers; 4- dogs in the pound.

Police Chief Richards stated that he has received several complaints in regards to skateboards downtown. The city has provided an area for skateboards behind city hall. If skaters are found skating downtown, officers will impound the skate boards.

Chief Richards informed the board that D.A.R.E. graduations would be coming up quickly. Also that D.A.R.E. is looking into sponsoring the Easter Egg Hunt at Dockery Park.

Bills in the amount of $103,482.80 were approved for payment.

Utility Superintendent Loxterman informed the board that a 50 foot pole will need to be set by the pool for the new warning siren.

Utility Superintendent Loxterman stated that new electric service would need to be provided on the south end of town on Hwy. 13 for a new home going in at that location.

Street Supervisor Holcomb informed the board that the city had received their new spreader but the company sent the wrong one and the correct one should be here in about two weeks.

Bills in the amount of $302,167.85 for the sewer project were approved for payment.

Bids were accepted from Richard Curtis on leveling, filling and seeding graves at the cemeteries.

After first and second reading an ordinance was approved authorizing the mayor and city clerk to sign and execute the necessary legal documents to quit claim two tracts of land to Missouri Gas Utility, Inc., as a result of the sale of the city’s natural gas system. Mrs. Acree said the land was in the Jameson area.

During comments by aldermen, Bob Snidow commented on the new gas company.

Pat Baker had complaints on trucks parking in a “No Parking” zone, J-Turns in front of the post office, the entrance to Gallatin looking junky with old vehicle and trash on the hill, and the culvert at Richardson and Hwy. 13.

The above are the unapproved minutes of the regular meeting for the city of Gallatin held on Monday, March 14, at city hall. Present were Mayor John Thomas, aldermen Bob Snidow, Doyle Patton, Gene Caldwell and Pat Baker; Police Chief Mark Richards; City Clerk Autumn Acree; Utility Superintendent Roger Loxterman; Street Supervisor Teddy Holcomb; Police Chaplain Abel Perez and Norma Griffin.