The Virginian-Pilot
©
CHESAPEAKE
The City Council voted to approve funding to upgrade a computer mainframe system that's more than 35 years old.
The $3.5 million technology upgrade will bring the city's business into the Internet age, ending the need to rely on 2.6 million lines of coding necessary to update the website.
The city's chief information officer, Peter Wallace, had warned that Chesapeake's information technology was long out of date and recently said he was worried about a future "total breakdown" related to antiquated technology: police radios that couldn't send alerts, power outages shutting down the city's information grid and a technology work force retiring with no one qualified to replace them.
COBOL, the program the city has been using, is not taught in schools anymore, which makes hiring new employees a challenge, Wallace said.
The investment will enable the city to update its website, which hasn't been redesigned it 10 years. Officials plan to enable the public to conduct city business more easily online, without having to go to City Hall.
In December, City Manager William Harrell updated the council with the current fiscal year's outlook, showing a surplus of more than $19 million. He suggested allocating the funds toward employee pay, IT upgrades, the risk management fund, and the tax reserve.
The council also approved $2.45 million for a 1.5 percent employee pay raise and benefits for the current fiscal year. The council deferred a vote on replacing the public safety radios at $1.5 million and putting $2 million in the city's risk management fund. Vice Mayor John de Triquet suggested moving those items to the end of March, when the city will begin discussing the budget.
Marjon Rostami, (757) 222-5207, marjon.rostami@pilotonline.com
Delicious
Digg
Reddit
Facebook
Twitter
Google
Yahoo
Bid
I hope that they actually put this out for competitive bid with a RFP that doesn't have proprietary manufacturer's equipment listed...
I can only hope
that the allocated monies are fully and accurately watched over and accounted for, unlike a certain Commonwealth who shall remain nameless.
I would hope for more than a
I would hope for more than a 1.5 % increase, considering their employees could really use the cost of living increase. Beyond that, definitely invest in your systems - @ 35 years old they are likely not secure and almost certainly unstable.
public safety radios
If i'm not mistaken the last time I remember that the upgrade on public safety radios was put on the back burner, two firefighters were killed in Indian River. The public saftey radios should be a priority,
WFOS 88.7 FM needs Tower Signal Repair ASAP
This should be first on the list. The station can not be heard since it has been over a year since the tower signal went out. Please get it up to at least the power wats Hampton U has. This station has a great overall mix of the very best music in this area. True Beach music, jazz, blues, everything else.