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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2.c. Y2K Readiness Plan CITY OF ROSEMOUNT EXECUTIVE SUMMARY FOR ACTION COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE MEETING DATE: March 10, 1999 AGENDA ITEM: YEAR 2000 READINESS PLAN AGENDA NO.: PREPARED BY: SUSAN WALSH ���� � � - � ASSISTANT TO ADMINISTRATOR ATTACHMENTS: YEAR 2000 READINESS PLAN APPROVED BY: / - The purpose of this report is to review with the City Council a draft of a formal plan, which outlines how the City will address the Year 2000 problem. Much has already been said about the Y2K phenomenon. The potential problem is that automated systems that are date-dependent may cease to operate (or operate properly) on January 1, 2000 and later. In order to be best prepared for Y2K, documentation of efforts is occurring and will continue. Documentation is also critical for legal defense, and the City will need to be able to demonstrate that it took reasonable and prudent steps to identify and address problems. The League of Minnesota Cities has produced A Year 2000 Action Guide, and the steps outlined in the proposed Year 2000 Readiness Plan for the City were taken from this guide. The League recommended that each city create a written plan for addressing Y2K issues and keep a record of efforts related to Y2K awareness, assessment and resolution. Below is a brief summary of the Y2K Action Steps outlined in the proposed plan. Policv Statement: This mission statement summarizes the objectives of the plan and indicates that the Year 2000 problem is a top priority of the City. Organization of Citv Efforts: This includes (1) organizing a committee of staff inembers; (2) designating a coordinator; (3) adopting a city-wide policy and (4) keeping all city staff aware of the city's Y2K efforts. This step is completed except for adopting the plan. Inventorv: Identify systems, equipment, service providers and interfaces that could have Y2K problems. This phase has been for the completed although staff will continue to review items that should be part of the inventory. . Assessment & Vendor Contact: Assess the magnitude of the City's potential Y2K problems; contact vendors, service providers and interfaces; prioritize systems and equipment by how critical they are to the operation of essential city services. For several months, city staff has been in contact with vendors. Vr'e will continue working on this phase. Committee of the Whole Report—Y2K Page 2. Fixes and Testing: Upgrade, modify, patch or replace equipment or systems with confirmed Y2K problems; conduct tests to verify that fixes have resulted in full Y2K compliance. All of the city personal computers, network system and software programs have been tested. Some equipment or vehicles cannot be tested for compliance—such as squad cars and trucks. Contingency Planning: Develop specific plans to deal with possible Y2K-related failures of city equipment and operations; integrate contingency plans for specific systems into a city-wide Y2K Emergency Management Plan. This phase has not been completed but has been discussed by staff. On March 25, some city staff members will be attending a county-wide Y2K meeting. We will hear from Dakota County and utility companies about tlieir Y2K readiness and identify areas that need cooperative efforts and shared resources. Communication: It's essential to have ongoing communication with citizens and businesses. Citizens will be informed via city newsletter, web page and individual communication. Disclosure Statement: President Clinton signed into law the Year 2000 Information and Readiness Disclosure Act. The law encourages free exchange of information regarding Y2K by prohibiting the use of information as evidence for potential lawsuits. This will be included in any written statements the City issues with regards to the City's preparation and readiness for January l, 2000. Staff would appreciate any comments or input the Council may have on this plan before final adoption at a regular council meeting. CITY OF ROSEMOUNT YEAR 2000 READINESS PLAN POLICY STATEMENT The City of Rosemount recognizes that the Year 2000 problem may impact city departments and services. To minimize the possible interruption of public services provided to citizens and businesses of Rosemount, the City of Rosemount has and will continue to address the Year 2000 problem as a top priority. The City of Rosemount commits to make its best efforts to ensure the continuity of essential services. ORGANIZATION OF CITY EFFORTS Organization of the Y2K Committee: The City's Y2K committee is made up of the city administrator, assistant to administrator, public works director,public works superintendent, fire chief, assistant fire chief, police chief, finance director, community development director, and parks and recreation director. At the biweekly department head meetings, discussion will be held on Y2K. The purpose of the committee is to review the status of Y2K assessment, identify and complete Y2K-related remediation and develop a contingency plan for the City and community for providing essential services during Y2K-related failures that may occur. Designation of City Y2K Coordinator: The City Administrator has designated Susan Walsh, Assistant to Administrator, as the City Y2K Coordinator. Walsh is responsible for coordinating efforts to ensure the entire spectrum of Y2K issues is addressed. Walsh is also the City contact for Y2K communications throughout the process. City Staff Awareness and Involvement: All city staff will be kept aware of Y2K efforts during 1999. This will occur through all employee meetings, department staff ineetings, and written materials to ensure that all potential Y2K-related systems are reviewed. Awareness and involvement will be the responsibility of the coordinator and the Y2K committee members. 1 INVENTORY A major duty of the Y2K Committee will be to direct an inventory of all of the City's equipment, hardware, software, firmware, interfaces and contracted services. Below is a description of these five major categories into which Y2K at-risk systems fall: 1. Hardware: Includes personal computers, mainframe computers, network hardware. 2. Software: Includes any office automation programs (Windows, word processing, spreadsheet, database, e-mail, etc.) 3. Firmware: Often referred to as "embedded chips", these are often found in such items as security systems, elevators, vehicles, pagers and utilities. 4. Interfaces: Includes exchange of data or currency with other governments and banks (through automated deposit and withdrawals). 5. Contracted Services: Most commonly, these related to utilities such as electricity, natural gas, telephone service and cable television. A significant amount of the inventory process has been done. Y2K staff team members will review what has been accomplished and identify other areas for inventigation. The scope of systems already reviewed and remaining to be reviewed includes, but is not limited to: • Traffic signals • Street lights • Water and sewer utilities • Elevators • Security systems • Pagers � Cellular phones • Radios and consoles • Vehicles and other motorized equipment • Diagnostic equipment • Medical devices • PC's, printers, network equipment • Office automation software (Windows, Microsoft Office) � Specialized Applications (GIS, building permit program, scheduling program, utility program) • Internet Access • E-Mail • Banks, Dakota County • Natural gas providers • Electric providers • Telephone systems It is also important to ensure that all new purchases are Y2K-compliant as a condition of acceptance. 2 ASSESSMENT AND VENDOR CONTACT The Y2K committee members will assess the City's equipment, interfaces, software, firmware and contracted services for Year 2000 compliance. The next step will be to contact vendors of systems and components identified as having potential Y2K problems to determine if problems indeed exist and how they can best be addressed. Service providers and interfaces will be contacted to determine what actions are being taken to address potential Y2K problems. (This has primarily to do with utilities and banks relative to the City.) Questions to them will focus on whether they see any potential problems in providing continued service on or after January 1, 2000. At a minimum letters will be sent to utility companies, but it is anticipated that city staff will meet in person with utility representatives. Although it is expected that all Y2K problems will be addressed on a timely basis, non-compliant systems and equipment will be prioritized based on how critical they are to the operation of essential city services. If there is any evidence that an essential service may fail, or be may be adversely affected by failure with a service provider or interface, contingency plans will be in place to address that failure. FIXES AND TESTING After the City has determined which equipment or systems have Y2K problems, an action plan will be developed for making fixes and testing to be sure those fixes will actually work. Non- compliant systems will generally be addressed in the following ways: • Repair the non-compliant component with an upgrade or"patch"; • Replace the unit; or • Abandon the system. In deciding which fix is appropriate for each situation; information received from vendors or manufacturers, the city's budget and personnel restraints and which city operations are critical will be taken into account. CONTINGENCY PLANNING The Y2K staff team will coordinate with departments to develop contingency plans for possible Year 2000-related failures to continue the provision of essential City services. The committee will focus on these additional steps: • Develop specific plans for Y2K-related failures of City equipment, systems and operations. • Recognize that most Y2K-related failures that may affect providing essential City services will relate to power, water and sewer, transportation, communications and information systems. 3 • Integrate any contingency plans into the City-wide Emergency Management Plan. • Recognize that many, if not most failures, will be of short or intermediate duration (and can still be significant, like loss of power), and plan accordingly. COMMUNICATION Since the Year 2000 problem has the potential to affect everyone in the community, it is important to have ongoing communication with citizens and businesses. Through press releases, city newsletter and media interviews, citizens and businesses will be informed of the City's efforts in preparing for the Year 2000 problem. Residents and businesses will also be made aware of potential disruptions and the City's contingency plans. YEAR 2000 READINESS DISCLOSURE STATEMENT On October 19, 1998, President Clinton signed into law the Year 2000 Information and Readiness Disclosure Act. This law is intended to encourage the free exchange of information related to both private and public entities' efforts regarding the Year 2000 problem by generally prohibiting the use of such information as evidence in several types of potential lawsuits against the party making the disclosure, even if the information later turns out to be inaccurate. All City of Rosemount written communications shall include the following: Information contained in this communication relates to the City of Rosemount's Year 2000 efforts. The disclosure of this information is intended to serve as a Year 2000 Readiness Disclosure under the Year 2000 Information and Readiness Disclosure Act, Public Law 105-271. 4