04/16/02

By JOE CARLSON
The Express-Times

EASTON - Why train to use computer software that doesn’t work; or maybe the software doesn’t work because the people who use it aren’t trained properly.

That’s the chicken-and-egg problem facing Northampton County administrators and title searchers as they decide their next move to resolve long-standing problems with recordkeeping.

County title searcher Bob Rudas challenged county administrators Monday to publicly sit down with him and review 19 specific problems with software in the civil court division.

Administration Director James Hickey said he has been assured by county employees and officials at the company that installed the software that the majority of the glitches stem from the workers’ lack of knowledge about how to use the system.

Hickey and Court Administrator James Onembo said the title searchers have not taken the opportunity to get trained in how to use the system. County officials tried to set up training sessions, but the title searchers complained the training would be a waste of time because of the software glitches.

County administrators admit there may be problems with the software, but they say it’s impossible to distinguish those from user error because of a lack of training.

But Rudas said it doesn’t make sense to train to use a system that doesn’t work. In a statement, he challenged administrators to prove their point during a public meeting.

"Let them show that all the errors are the result of our inability to use the system," Rudas said.

The comments were prompted by a memo released by County Executive Glenn Reibman on Monday outlining what the administration has done to address complaints about the reliability of public records in the offices of the prothonotary and the recorder of deeds.

County council took a vote of no confidence March 4 to fault the administration’s handling of the complaints. Council also demanded a report on what the administration was planning to do about the problem.

Council also directed its attorney to find out if the county was breaking any state or federal laws concerning the storage and accessibility of public documents, such as civil judgments and deeds.

Hickey said Assistant Solicitor B. Lincoln Treadwell determined that there do not appear to be any violations.

"All the records we keep are in compliance with all the applicable statutes," Hickey said. "I don’t see any reason that it should come to a lawsuit."

A group of title searchers and insurance agents, including Anthony Sortino of Midtown Abstract and Tom Castellano of Greater Pennsylvania Abstract Co., threatened to file suit against the county last month if concerns about records are not addressed.

Reibman’s memo Monday consists primarily of an investigation conducted by Associate Court Administrator Jill Smith on various complaints made by title searcher Bernie O’Hare.

Smith’s letter describes 14 of O’Hare’s complaints which are also posted in the recorder’s office. Some of the problems have been fixed or related to the software, but Smith concludes that the searchers need more training.

"In conclusion, again I have confidence that if the searchers would be trained on the software and would approach this training with open minds they will find, that while not the optimum package they are requesting, the software will work for them," Smith wrote.

One recognized flaw O’Hare pointed out causes titles such as "Jr." and "Dr." to be recognized as actual names by the database.

The problem stemmed from the transfer of data from the former system to the current one. Smith said the errors are being corrected by hand. She produced a list of names two inches thick that are being changed.

O’Hare said the county should get new software because the current system - which was installed in late 1999 and updated last year - is unworkable.

Prothonotary Holly Ruggiero said the office could not handle another software conversion on the heels of the past conversions.

u Reporter Joe Carlson can be reached at 610-258-7171 or by e-mail, jcarlson@express-times.com.

Penn Live

-- Anonymous, April 17, 2002