Upson County water customers will soon have the ability to pay their bills online, thanks to the Board of Commissioners approving the purchase of a new software package for the Finance and Administration, Building and Zoning and Water Departments at their first meeting in March. County Manager Jim Wheeless stated several companies have made presentations to the board in the past, but it was his recommendation they go with CSI Technology Outfitters, which the board approved unanimously.
Wheeless noted this company was a middle priced company with the software package costing $89,970, but it offered the best fit for the county’s needs. An additional server will also need to be purchased to run the system, but the cost will not exceed the money earmarked for this project in the SPLOST, which is around $104,000. He also mentioned this is the program the local school system uses, as well as surrounding counties of Meriwether, Pike and Spalding, and all seem to be very happy with it. The program is also updateable and all cost for the updates are covered in the annual maintenance fee.
The commissioners also approved a records retention plan for the county, which Wheeless noted also follows the state requirements for retaining records. He stated that Public Buildings Superintendent Paul Rogers has been preparing the site for where the records will be stored and the records committee has worked very hard on this policy the past few months and he commended them for their efforts.
He also told the board that Pam Fuentes, who currently serves as the Administrative Assistant for the Finance and Administration department, will be stepping down to serve as the part-time records retention clerk because she is going back to school to finish her degree.
At the recommendation of Chief Judge Christopher Edwards, the board approved a contract with Georgia Correction Corporation of Gray, Georgia, to handle the probation supervision and rehabilitation services for both the Superior Court and Probate Court of Upson County. These services are paid for by the offender, not the county.
In other business, Wheeless was given the green light to organize a Limited English Proficiency (LEP) Program which is one of the mandates the county must have when applying for federal grants. He noted the county must have a plan in place to communicate with individuals who speak limited English. There is currently a list of Upson County employees who are bilingual or interpreters, and he noted the list also needs to be updated to include anyone who is willing to serve that is not currently on staff.
Finally, Mr. George Carriker was appointed to serve on the Georgia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities Region 6 Planning Board.
Post a Comment
