Editor’s note: In this week’s issue of the Elkhorn Independent, the figures listed for two change orders in regards to the northeast Water Treatment Plant are incorrect. The correct numbers are reflected in the story below. We regret the error.
By Kellen Olshefski
Correspondent
The City of Elkhorn Common Council voted in favor of several items recommended for approval by the city’s Finance and Judicial Committee Monday night, the first of which relates to the city’s newest water treatment plant.
Alderman Scott McClory said the committee discussed two change orders at its last meeting for the northeast Water Treatment Plant. He said the first change order accounts for an increase of $5,606.05, the second for a decrease of $698.23.
Councilmembers voted 5-0 in favor of approving both. Alderman Michael Kluck was out of town Monday and unable to attend.
Fleet maintenance
McClory said it was noted at the committee’s last meeting the new city-owned cars under warranty are typically taken to the dealer for maintenance and said department heads should be able to make those decisions. He described preventative maintenance to include oil changes, tire rotations and other similar items, not to include full-on repairs.
He said the committee recommended the council vote in favor of allowing the current preventative maintenance contract to expire and suspend the request for proposal process until a later date.
Councilmembers voted unanimously in favor.
DPW assessment
Councilmembers also voted unanimously in favor of awarding a revised contract for a Department of Public Works facilities assessment to Barrientos Design and Consulting.
McClory said the study would analyze the department’s garage space need and a potential site.
At this point, he said, the proposed cost for the first two portions of the study is $9,238. After the space needs and site analysis are completed and the city will need to consider a proposed alternate site for the Department of Public Works garage, it will then need to cover the costs associated with the third portion of the analysis.
“So, we’re agreeing to scope one, two and three with the understanding that we may never take them up on their offer and utilize them for the third task,” he said. “We may not need to spend that money.”
Computer software
The council also voted in favor of a software upgrade for the city’s financial management software with Tyler Technologies.
McClory said the committee was informed by Finance Director James Heilman staff had been looking into upgrading the software for quite some time.
McClory said as a result, Heilman noted it was important to include an upgrade to the electric utility software, something that many technology companies don’t carry.
If the city were to go with a brand new company, McClory said it would cost the city in the neighborhood of $300,000, though upgrading the city’s current software would cost around $14,000.
McClory said the costs associated with the Tyler Technologies upgrade would be $6,650, with some training costs, for a total of about $15,000.
McClory said the tech company is recommending the upgrade be completed in March 2018, when the company isn’t as backlogged, so the city would need to authorize the upgrade this year to have it scheduled for early next year.
McClory noted an important point brought out in discussions is if the city is upgrading software, they want to ensure if City Hall were to relocate it would be easily moveable, such as a cloud-based software system.
A motion to engage Tyler Technologies in March 2018 with a contract not to exceed $15,000 was approved by the council unanimously.
While July 3 would be the council’s next regularly scheduled meeting, the council will not meet that day. It’s possible a special council meeting may be scheduled for June 26, or later in the week following July 3. Details will be posted to the city’s website as they become available.
