From our local rag which can be found at www.palatkadailynews.com

Sure some one will put up the link but just to synopsize the article,our county commissioners have budgeted $20,000 for y2k battle and are asking for $20,000 more for coordination of emergency response services,mass care,public information,electrical power and shelters as well as general office equipment.

It gets better! "The 10 page plan introduced by County Administrator includes a detailed strategy plan for each department to follow to make equipment (sure?) will be ready for the new millenium".(Plan on March 10th !)

And better:" The County's plan is to have all the equipment in compliance by July 4th, 1999, if not completed we will go back to manual"

So now we got a plan, why don't I feel better? This is not a huge county populationwise but one little town just got $80,000 from a government grant to fix-up 3 blocks but we're going to do all our remediation for only $20,000 in just 3 months !

I guess that I can't get it thru my feeble brain that all you need is a PLAN and you can accomplish anything ! 'Scuse any typo's -in a hurry. Gotta get more beans.

-- Sue (deco100@aol.com), March 11, 1999

Answers

Sue...I am located in the Big Scrub and as far as I have been able to find, Ocala doesn't even have a PLAN. I don't feel so hot etiher. Meet ya at the bean section of WalMart.

-- Taz (tassie@aol.com), March 11, 1999.

The other night on local news they reported that our city zoo is Y2K compliant. The Y2K bug has hit everywhere.

If you're really interested, why don't you go down to the County Admin and ask them the question directly? The cost to fix Y2K directly corresponds to the number of systems you have. IMO, they may not have very many. And if they can back up with a manual process, it seems that the automation is minimal.

-- Maria (anon@ymous.com), March 11, 1999.

Dont feel so bad, we here in Ohio arent no better. We are already saying we need mo money....Duh.....But, we have a bunker site so the big wigs will be comfy warm.........

-- consumer (private@aol.com), March 11, 1999.

Every time I read about a bunker for the "big shots", I think of the part of The Dirty Dozen where all of the Nazi elite took refuge in their bunker. . .

-- Hardliner (searcher@internet.com), March 11, 1999.

At least your officials have done "something". Our county has done absolutely NOTHING. Not even a meeting.

***Looking for widespread confusion in my area*** Mr. K

-- Mr. Kennedy (y2kPCfixes@MotivatedSeller.com), March 11, 1999.

My county (in Wisconsin) just held a public meeting:

"Everything is fine. Any problems have been fixed. "

They spent 0.0 dollars. Incidentally, the electric coop said all they have no Y2K problems so they did'nt have to spend anything either. They left out that they only buy electricity from a large electric company, and don't even own a single sub-station.

So, your county is not the worst, believe it or not.

-- Jon Johnson (Narnia4@usa.net), March 11, 1999.

How big is the town (no time to read the link right now)? I have lived in a couple places so small the only official computing equipment the place had (and still has) were a few computers in the local elementary school and the calculator they used to tally votes on election day. Not much to remediate in those places. Do they provide their own city services or get them from someone else? (Water, Sewer etc.) A lot depends on just what kind of place you are talking about.

-- Paul Davis (davisp1953@yahoo.com), March 11, 1999.

Jon - inone way they could be right - "wires" are automatically Y2K compliant - if they weren't they be very stiff and might break in winter 8<).

However - ask your EMC president - in a letter, copy to the local paper and fire chief - so he can't ignore it - the following:

When did they test their bill processing equipment and software?

How do they "measure" the electricity coming "across" these wires?

Where? How is that signal processed, by who, using what program or machine (meter), what is the backup power to that procesing center? How is the signal transmitted? Over what network or satellite link? If this link fails, what is the result?

When did he test these functions? What was the result, specifically - do not accept bland replies here, he is already avoiding the issue. - If no test = he dosn't know, and is merely guessing. Tell him that. Ask him how you will pay - if automatic deposit or transfer if no power. Ask what are contingency plans at the central office, what is their backup power, backup emergency control centrer, and backup comm. center.

Demand to know whether he will participate in the communication drill April 9 - it's only a drill, but it is at least something.

I'll be interested in his replies - and those of any other small counties or cities around. Very similiar questions can be sent to a mayor or county chairman.

Why fire, not police? I've found fire officials must rely on more "systems-systems" relationships to solve problems (spilled chemicals, fires, electric wires, low water pressure, equipment and rescue gear) and face fewer "people-people" problems than a police chief routinely faces.

So the fire chief is more affected by Y2K failures, and mentally more "alert" to the possibilities of failure - because his people will be more directly affected if/when the utilities do fail..

-- Robert A. Cook, P.E. (Kennesaw, GA) (cook.r@csaatl.com), March 11, 1999.