Monday, June 24, 2002

FL - Commissioner silent on software: Burden voted against '99 buy By JOHN BOZZO (john.bozzo@news-jrnl.com)Staff Writer

DAYTONA BEACH -- George Burden skipped a chance to say "I told you so" to his City Commission counterparts and city staff recently.

He cast one of two votes in 1999 trying unsuccessfully to oppose buying $1.2 million in computer software from Creative Computer Solutions.

Included in that purchase was software for budget preparation tasks that never worked, which was only one of a series of problems with computer software purchased in 1999.

On Wednesday, the City Commission approved seeking proposals for new software to help prepare the city's annual budget. City Finance Director Jim Maniak recommended the action in a memo stating that the Creative Computer Solutions software failed to meet city needs.

The proposal to seek new budget-preparation software was on the consent portion of the city's agenda. That's where a number of usually noncontroversial items are approved with no discussion and only one vote.

Although commissioners can ask for a separate discussion on consent items, Burden let the item pass without comment. "In my mind, I'm saying 'I told you so,' " he said in an interview. "The reality is we need something that's functional and works."

Tracey Remark, a former city commissioner, cast the other dissenting vote.

"I told you so doesn't get anybody anywhere with money down the drain," she said Friday.

Maniak said in an interview Friday that the Creative Computer Solutions Software never met the city's needs.

At first, city financial staff used old computer software. Last year, city staff found a new company to provide updated software for about $15,000. However, the new company, Software 4You America, has gone out of business. For the upcoming budget year, city staff hired a former employee of Software 4You America to keep its budget-preparation software running.

A city advisory committee in May also recommended the purchase of new budget software. The Economic and Financial Task Group's report stated that the city's budget software is "inadequate to prepare sophisticated budgets."

Maniak estimated that new budget preparation software would cost about $75,000 to $100,000.

The budget software is only one of a series of disappointments from administrative and public safety software purchased in 1999.

Harris Computer Systems Inc., which purchased Creative Computer Solutions in 2000, agreed that year to replace utility billing software.

In 2001, Daytona Beach purchased $1.1 million in computer software and hardware from six vendors to replace a public safety software system from Lucent Technologies that failed to meet expectations.

Burden and Remark also unsuccessfully opposed buying the Lucent software in 1999.

http://www.n-jcenter.com/2002/Jun/24/AREA8.htm

-- Anonymous, June 24, 2002