Cop notes are posted.
City commissioners spent a lot of time Monday night with a representative of the company that provides their record keeping software. Employees say the software is too complicated to use and is not modern. They would like to switch companies, but that has a price tag of about $300,000.
City staff is meeting with the software guy today to see if something can be worked out to keep the current system and save a lot of money.
The TIF issue came up again, and could happen.
Some want to create a TIF - Tax Increment Fiance - district and have it ready to go in case a developer shows up with a good plan. The commission would still have to approve any plan.
That could come up at a future meeting.
You can read all about it on the web site. www.arkcityrevived.com
So the city emloyees are griping because the software is too complicated? They need to either send the employees to a school that teaches them how to use it, or fire those employees and find someone smart enough to run the software they already have, and not spend $300,000 on easier software. How long have they been running the current software wrong, and how many errors has it caused? Why wasn't something done long ago?
ReplyDeleteThere are only two "employees" who are not smart enough or too lazy to learn the current software.
ReplyDeleteSolution simple, allow them to find another job, money saved all the way around. Commissioners got sold on the idea not to micro manage, where has it gotten us. Where does the buck stop to see that the city is run effectively. Wake up commissioners, you wanted the job, do it, or find another job...
Im not familiar with the software itself, but I do know sometimes software is poorly designed and hard to use.
ReplyDeleteIts not always a matter of training. Sometimes a poor design can make it so non-user friendly that its impossible to use effectively.
I have used pagination programs at newspapers, where it obviously was not designed by newspaper people. Some stuff will do great things, but if it doesnt do what you need it to do, it wont work well.
One example is a library program I have on my own computer. It has something like 400 books, you can do all kinds of amazing searches and find things. BUT, its hard to just open one simple book and browse that book. Bad design.
so its not always a simple matter of training.
They need to figure out whether its more cost effective in the long run to try to fix what they have or cut their losses and go with another program.
That's why you have managers - to manage things like that :)
My question is this: How long has the current software been in use? Why are we just hearing about the problems now? Is it because errors came to light that cost us taxpayers a butt-load of money and the employees in charge of it need something to blame it on besides their incompetence?
ReplyDeleteWe have used the current software for about 14 years.
ReplyDeleteBut, lets just look at just one point here.
1. It was reported in the paper that the software "lost" 20 million, That was stated by the city treasure, restated by the Director of Administration, endorsed hook line and sinker by the City Manager, told to the City Commission as the absolute truth and the Major reason that we need to spend 300,000 plus $$$ for this new program.
the TRUTH is that they they didn't format the report correctly, after nearly 90 days of waving that report around claiming that it was wrong and that the software was to blame we LEARN..... that one phone call to the software provider and 5 minutes and the problem is not a problem! Done. So now you have to ask yourself.......
Are we the citizens expected to believe that they simply didn't understand the program enough to find that on their own any of them... or that they knew and were trying to pull a fast one.
If you owned the company and your employee walked in told your board or directors that the software had made the mistake and then you find out that the employees made the mistake... Whew..
That was the major reason that they needed new software nothing was lost..... it wasn't even misplaced.... The commission was lied to and thus we the citizens of Arkansas City are being taken for a ride.....
So, Miffed, we have not lost the money, it was an input error instead of an output error. Does this employee still hold the same job of inputting the data?
ReplyDeleteit was not an input error. the error was .. that the software could only put 9 digits in a column, to get twenty million you need 10.
ReplyDeleteso 20,101,101.10 appeared as 0,101,101.10
the money was never lost, the computer knew where it was. and the operator knew where it was
problem was that the software could not print out a 20 million figure. so the report made it look like it was lost.
Software developer say he can fix this.
and so it goes.
no one seems very interested in the TIF
ReplyDeleteare we all TIFed out?
that's not true JJ you simplify for the staff. All of the media reporters seem to be trying to cover up the fact that the staff and administration nearly got away with 300,000 $$ of the tax payers money.
ReplyDeleteIt is true that the report was set for 9 digits not 10, but the software will go to a billion that's 12 digits and BTW they had never had that much money in the that hospital fund. Any highschool student could have seen that one.
It doesn't seem that JJ wants to cover the news at city hall it seems that he wants to cover it up.
And yes 10:38 you'll be happy to know that our tax $$ are still in the hands of the same people.
No I was telling the truth. Just because it doesnt fit your agenda, does not mean im covering it up.
ReplyDeleteAs I understand it, the system will go to 12 digits, but I guess no one knew that. Someting has to be done to their software first.
You make it sound like they were trying to steal $300,00. Obviously they were not. You are being libelous.
There is some blame to go around.
You cant blame a staff for trying to get better stuff.
Even at the local newspaper, we tried to get better equipment and software. I bet that happens in just about every business in the world.
Employees want better stuff to work with, and owners try to make old stuff last as long as they can. That is all this is. There is no criminal activity here.
Who said anything about criminal that's your spin.
ReplyDeleteYou are just trying to scare people.
There is no one who doesn't know by now that the discussion is about spending tax dollars You don't care what others think this is after all your blog. I'll stay out and off of it.
Saying someone nearly got away with $300,000 is accusing them of trying to steal it.
ReplyDeleteSteal is a little strong! Maybe misrepresent the information to appropriate additional funds would be a better choice of words.
ReplyDeleteBut, you made a good point in refernece to a private sector business.
What could a new system do that the old one couldn't accomplish.
AND
Maybe the new system wouldn't require the current amount of labor! (Bet they would never suggest fewer jobs!)
Seems to be fair to the subject at hand you would need to present both sides of the case in more depth!
As for the TIF, three of the commissioners were elected for that purpose and to represent special interest. They won't let up till they have accomplished that task!
From reading Lawson's blog of the work session, it seems Obvious that the powers at city hall wanted a new system, and therefore tried their level best to make sure the old one looked bad in the eyes of the commission, even if they had to try reeeeally hard, so they could get what they wanted. They misrepresented the truth, and did not seek help from the software manufacturer because they wanted to move to a new system... in essence LYING to the commission, and the public.
ReplyDeleteThey should keep the old system and discipline the employees involved.
AGREED
ReplyDeleteouch!!!!! bet this don't end here.d.
ReplyDeleteAs for the software, the city will eventually get what they want, they ALWAYS HAVE and ALWAYS WILL. It seems that the taxpayer cannot expect ANY city employee to 'buckle down' in an effort to conserve spending, as is evident by history! Just take a look at the need for an additional part time position in code enforcement (at $18 per hour), just to 'handle' the additional construction at the present time! I suggest spending a day at city hall so you can see how 'swamped' they all are!!
ReplyDeleteThe TIF WILL come to pass. Who can compete with ark city industries??! They are a long time group who is very wise as to how to manipulate the governing body to see their real estate investments realize maximum returns.
The development on n. 8th street, while developed by out of town investor, with OUT OF TOWN CONTRACTORS, has not yet aged sufficiently to realize any substantial tax revenues, as the property owners there rec'd the prop. tax break for 'revitalization' from between 7 to 10 years. Who paid for the installation of the water and sewer, street, and curb and guttering??
You would think that after all that has transpired and that which is still left to be reconciled in the last and coming year!
ReplyDeleteThat people would be more weary of creative financing, delayed or deferred taxing and the result of overall evaporation of wealth!
Then again what better way to get your hand in everyones wallet than to promote a deal that only has to be approved by a few people and paid for by the rest!
Its almost as good as an electronic transfer from their bank acoounts. Except you even get to reach into accounts that aren't even established and of those too young to have them yet!
Wasn't there something about an independent audit of the city last year that pointed out several problems with the city's computer programs handling funds? I thought I had heard this a few years ago too, but I'm almost certain that's what we heard this summer. I would think that an outside source like that would have to be somewhat reliable. Does this type of audit happen every year? Is it for the city or the state? We need a good reporter to dig out the real information instead of everyone making claims. I'm sure the city staff wants a new program and they might need it. I'm also sure whoever they bought it from is going to say whatever it takes to keep on selling. But if this audit thing is real then it needs to come out.
ReplyDeleteThere is an audit that comes out every year.
ReplyDeleteThe city had no major issues, but there were several areas where the audit report showed potential problems .. some of which involved the software.
the audit report said that needed to be fixed.
The representative said it was a five minute fix. He also said the city had quit contacting them, and were pursuing another software company. Do you think he made that up? Someone must have given him that impression. Calls from the rep to the city went unreturned. They wanted new software, so they tried their best to make the old software look bad. Bottom line should be if the software still works, use it and save the $300,000 to use it where it is needed.
ReplyDeletethey wanted the new software and told the commission some bent truth, and some out and out lies.
ReplyDeleteThe Creekstone issue that was stated in the paper quoted from staff that it was a software issue that it didn't get billed.
There is a memo from the treasure to the administrator that says she found the unpaid bill in her "spare time" and that it wasn't on the software at all. So how can the software be to blame.
They refused the updates for the software and the administration did not make sure that staff attended any kind of training.
I can appreciate the tight budget that this new endeavor must be under, but I will have trouble believing there is any real investigative journalism going on here as the only two paying advertisers are a commissioner and his brother
ReplyDelete