Tuesday, February 8, 2000 City's Y2K costs $225K over budget

By MARIA MCCLINTOCK, CITY HALL BUREAU Fuel, generators and communications put the city's Y2K costs $225,000 over its $3.3-million budget.

Over the two years the city prepared for Y2K - including getting its computer systems compliant - it spent a total of $3.3 million, said Jayne Galanka, the city's emergency planning officer. But in the last couple of months leading up to the new millennium, the city had to spend an extra $225,711 that was not budgeted.

Of that figure, $39,641 was spent on generators to ensure if the power went out the pump and drainage stations could still function.

Another $34,750 was spent on stockpiling fuel for the city's emergency vehicles and $70,658 was spent in corporate communications for things such as brochures and public meetings about potential Y2K problems, said Galanka.

Five city departments - asset management and public works, community services, corporate services, emergency response and transit - had overruns and will be responsible for finding the extra funds in the 2000 budget, said Joyce Tustian, head of the emergency response department.

The department of asset management and public works had the largest over-expenditure at $82,975.

The cost of police planning for Y2K is not included in the $3.3 million. Estimates put that bill at $219,000.

http://www.canoe.ca/EdmontonNews/es.es-02-08-0014.html

-- Martin Thompson (mthom1927@aol.com), February 08, 2000