Web posted Tuesday, February 22, 2000

CITY FEARED Y2K COULD STRIKE LATE - BUT NOPE

By Robert Hite - The Examiner (Blue Springs MO)

Don Davenport's life the past six weeks has been about as exciting as it was on New Year's Eve.

As technology coordinator for the city of Independence, he oversaw preparations regarding any potential crisis regarding any Y2K computer problem. Nothing happened at midnight Dec. 31, and little has happened.

"It has been extremely uneventful," he said.

Davenport always said the city's computer system spits out bills at least every month and at other intervals. Bills last paid in 1999 become due in 2000. The computers must recognize the difference. He said only minor glitches have occurred and were easily resolved.

People paying court fines for Municipal Court saw 1999 on their receipts, Davenport said. The cashiers hand wrote 2000 on them.

"When the date first changed, (the computers) did not want to roll over from 1999," he said. "I'm not sure why."

Davenport said another glitch came when the Finance Department tried to send tax forms to a vendor saying how much the city paid for a service. They also had 1999 on them.

City staff members check forms for dates and the accuracy of the information a bit more closely now. No problems have been noticed at the other city departments.

It took just a few minutes to a couple of hours to resolve those problems, he said. However, he said, it took years of simulation testing, updating and replacing some computers P 55 in the last five months of 1999 P and equipment throughout the city. That ensured nothing unexpected happened on Jan. 1 or when expiration dates come about.

The end result of Y2K preparation means the city's equipment is as updated as it's ever been.

"That's a byproduct of the year 2000," he said. "We're probably in the best shape we've ever been in."

George Morrow, director of Power and Light Department, said there have been no Y2K problems in the department, but that does not mean staff members do not look for them.

"We thought we had one non-critical software issue, but it did not materialize," he said.LINK

Copyright 1999 The Examiner

-- Dee (T1Colt556@aol.com), February 23, 2000