Akron, Ohio News Release:MAYOR PROCLAIMS CITY SYSTEMS YEAR-2000 COMPLIANT

Akron, Ohio News Release...

MAYOR PROCLAIMS CITY SYSTEMS YEAR-2000 COMPLIANT


City of Akron	166 S. High Street · Akron, Ohio 44308 (330)-375-2538 · Fax: (330)-375-2335
For Immediate Release
Date: Contact:	December 27, 1999 Mark Williamson (willima@ci.akron.oh.us)

(December 27, 1999)- At a morning news conference in Akron City Council chambers, Mayor Don Plusquellic announced today critical systems within City of Akron municipal government are in compliance with Y2K standards. The mayor also revealed the City’s emergency operations plans for New Year’s Eve and the early morning hours of January 1, 2000.

The news conference included Y2K presentations from representatives of the city’s service and public safety divisions. Also announcing compliance for Y2K were representatives from First Energy Corporation, East Ohio Gas Company, Ameritech, and Summit County Emergency Management.

Mayor Plusquellic said, "City of Akron systems have gone through a rigorous testing procedure and have proven to be 100% in compliance with Y2K standards. We still, however, feel it is important to have in place routine emergency operations procedures in the unlikely event of an unforeseen problem."

Deputy Mayor for Public Safety George Romanoski announced that police officers are allowed no unscheduled time off New Year’s Eve and must carry a uniform at all times whether on or off duty that evening. This goes, Romanoski said, for all officers.

During squad runs from the city’s 13 fire stations, one firefighter/medic will remain at each station to accommodate citizens who have emergencies but are unable to contact the city’s 9-1-1 emergency operators by phone. Akron’s 13 community centers will also be opened New Year’s Eve and staffed by uniformed officers who will relay citizen’s emergency messages to the proper authorities via police radio.

Romanoski went on to say, "We want to make sure people have a way to convey distress messages if phone service is interrupted. Our community centers and fire stations are located in proximity to nearly every neighborhood making them perfect communication centers in case of an emergency. Having uniformed officers at our community centers will ensure the most responsive handling of any situation that may arise."

Akron police staffing for New Year’s Eve will be about twice what it would normally be for a non-First Night New Year’s Eve. The Akron Police Department is made up of 500 officers. Most will be available if needed that evening.

The City of Akron’s public service division will be staffed and all division managers will be on call. Deputy Service Director Lunzy Armstrong said today that all systems are compliant for water supply, water pollution control and traffic engineering (signal division). Armstrong told reporters, "We are confident the preparations we have made will ensure our citizens of reliable service in these critical areas."

The City of Akron began preparing for Y2K compliance as far back as 1995 with everything from the purchases of a new mainframe and a new payroll and human resources system, to new hardware, software, voice mail, 800MHZ radio system, Y2K consultants and more.

City of Akron Expenditures for Y2K
(By division)
Communications (800MHZ radio system, voice mail)	$60,000
Finance (mainframe, payroll, accounting system, income tax)	$11,220,000
Fire	$46,912
Health	$3,000
Law	$14,375
Municipal Courts	$113,000
Planning	$4,000
Police and Safety Communications	$173,594
Public Service	$2,900,000
Total	$14,534,881

Mayor Plusquellic said he is confident the transition from 1999 to 2000 will be a smooth one. In case any citizens have questions about the city’s preparations, they may call a specially dedicated line where an operator will be standing by to take their inquiries. The number is 375.2Y2K (2925).

END