From today's Detroit Free press...and remember, this is a Michigan city that owns about 5 snowplows! so, maybe they're ready because they only own 5 computers???!!!!

apologies in advance for format....

Detroit computers not ready for Y2K, report says

But officials discount GAO study of progress made by major cities

July 15, 1999

BY COREY DADE FREE PRESS STAFF WRITER

City officials are bristling over a federal report that describes a lack of readiness in Detroit and other major cities for the year 2000 computer challenge.

Detroit's routine government services, such as tax collection and payroll, are ready for possible computer problems that could arise New Year's Day. But systems controlling electricity, emergency police services, water, telecommunications and traffic lights remain unprepared, according to a report compiled by the General Accounting Office, the auditing arm of Congress.

A GAO telephone survey of the 21 largest U.S. cities, to be presented today to a Senate subcommittee, found that most of the local governments have not finished Y2K work on computer systems for water and wastewater treatment facilities, public buildings and emergency services.

The GAO reports that only Boston and Dallas are ready for the Y2K challenge, which refers to a pervasive problem in computer software in which the year 2000 is coded only as 00. Technicians say computers may misread the date as 1900, causing malfunctions and shutdowns that could disrupt everyday life.

Officials across metro Detroit say they are confident they're prepared to deal with the problem.

The GAO report jolted Detroit officials, who said the city has spent years and millions preparing for Y2K computer glitches and malfunctions. The city questioned the thoroughness of a report based on phone surveys.

"I find it odd that they can say which of our programs are Y2K compliant without doing any kind of physical inventory," said Greg Bowens, press secretary to Detroit Mayor Dennis Archer. "The city has made significant investments in new technology, replacing everything from rotary dial phones to the computer systems, and when those systems were getting replaced, the criteria for vendors was that they be Y2K compliant."

Systems in only a few city departments still need work, notably the Water and Sewerage and Public Lighting departments, said Carl Bently, interim director of the Information Technology Services Department.

"We are very confident we will be ready," Bently said. "We actually started the process in 1996-97, and we've spent in excess of $25 million" contracting with computer experts and engineers.

Computer systems that run the daily operations of government became Y2K compliant by June 30, Bently said, adding that the GAO report's list of noncompliant police systems in Detroit may refer to internal housekeeping computers that will be converted in September.

Water flow at year's end may be affected as the Water and Sewerage Department continues to work on problems in its 1,000-square-mile system.

The department, which provides water and sewer services throughout the metro area, will rely on a new backup generator and $65 million in upgrades over the last two years, as well as its adherence to the six-step Y2K compliance plan recommended by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

"We know that if something happens, they are going to blame it on Y2K, but they can't blame a snowstorm on Y2K," said Kathy Leavey, assistant director of Water and Sewerage. "We intend to have all problems fixed by November."

To prevent traffic signals from malfunctioning, the Public Lighting Department has ordered new computer chips that will be installed by the end of September, Bently said.

Detroit's preparedness is a primary concern for most large suburbs, which rely on Detroit water and sewer service. But in communities such as Clinton Township, Livonia, Dearborn, Canton and Royal Oak, officials say tests have been run and they're ready.

In Oakland County, officials have been working on Y2K compliance since 1996, when more than $4 million was allocated to address the problem.

"We've been ready since the first quarter of 1999," said Budget Director Bob Daddow.

Macomb County officials also are confident.

"We went through a program to update all our computer systems, so we're about 90 percent Y2K-compliant," county Commissioner Roland Fraschetti said. He's chairman of the committee in charge of working out Y2K bugs for Macomb County.

COREY DADE can be reached at 313-222-6677 or dade@freepress.com. Jeanne May, Jeff Gerritt, Hugh McDiarmid Jr., Niraj Warikoo and Dennis Niemiec contributed to this report.

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All content ) copyright 1999 Detroit Free Press

-- blu (bluwillo@traverse.net), July 15, 1999

Answers

link, sorry, no HTML (the store was all out, said it was a Y2K thing! VBG)

-- blu (bluwillo@traverse.net), July 15, 1999.

www.freep.com/news/locway/ qy2k15.htm

man, isn't there a way to edit one's posts?

-- blu (bluwillo@traverse.net), July 15, 1999.

Link: Detroit computers not ready for Y2K, report says

Detroit's routine government services, such as tax collection and payroll, are ready ... But systems controlling electricity, emergency police services, water, telecommunications and traffic lights remain unprepared,...

Interesting comment: "The city questioned the thoroughness of a report based on phone surveys.

"I find it odd that they can say which of our programs are Y2K compliant without doing any kind of physical inventory,"

Consider that with regard to Dallas and Boston. Boston which didn't even include electric companies, water services or hospitals, and hasn't completed a contingency plan. Dallas which said May 25 that it didn't EXPECT many essential services to be ready unti or Nov. or Dec.

Unread, the GAO report sounds like bad news - only 2 large cities ready... but the reality may be much worse.

-- Linda (lwmb@psln.com), July 15, 1999.

Detroit 100 percent ready. Chaos expected.

-- Mara Wayne (MaraWayne@aol.com), July 15, 1999.

PLEASE!!!...I have lived in metro Detroit (including 5 years in Detroit proper and 4 years a block from the border) for 18 years and have never seen such a mismanaged forgettable disaster in my life. The level of graft and incompetence in this city is absolutely beyond belief. I don't intend to be anywhere within 500 miles of this place when the water stops and the crap is 3 feet deep in our basements.

-- Thomas B. Lindeman (tlindeman@worldnet.att.net), July 15, 1999.

Don't mean to sound pessimistic, but Detroit can barely survive Halloween every year. And heaven help them when they win a national championship. How could it possibly survive Y2K???

-- David Bowerman (dbowerman@blazenet.net), July 15, 1999.

Interesting tone to this article.

It reads, so softly,

"Systems in only a few city departments still need work, notably the Water and Sewerage and Public Lighting departments. . "

(Never mind that over 4 four million people depend on the Detroit Water Department for clean drinking water)

I wish, before writing this line "The department. . . will rely on a new backup generator," that the reporter would have checked out the Detroit Water and Sewage Department's quotes on the Michigan State Police Website.

In an April, 1999 water utility industry "roundtable" discussion, a spokesperson for the Detroit Water Department said, "No generator will ever run one of our plants. I mean, we have 2,000-horsepower motors in them."

From the horse's mouth, I've learned that the Michigan State Senate has concerns about the Detroit Water Department.

What's scary to me is this: that's where our family's drinking water comes from.

At least I have a well connected to my sprinkler system. No hand pump though (hubby doesn't think it's necessary).

Yes, Virginia, I AM storing water.

And I'm very glad I neither work nor live within the city proper.

:(

P.S., can anyone suggest a way to get water out of a point driven well without a handpump? Put a hose down there and suck? Ack.

-- FM (vidprof@aol.com), July 16, 1999.