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The council allocates $155,850 to upgrade the city's antiquated computer system and design a new, user-friendly Web site.
By ALEX LEARY
© St. Petersburg Times, published March 14, 2001
CRYSTAL RIVER -- In technological terms, Crystal River is still a one-stoplight town.
The computer network at City Hall works but is slow and limits file sharing between various departments, officials say. The city has a Web page but that, too, is pedestrian given what other communities offer.
On Monday, the City Council approved a $155,850 plan that will provide a range of computer improvements intended to bring the city up to date.
"A lot of this is to bring us up to the 21st century," council member Mike Gudis said Tuesday. "It will make us more efficient."
The council had already given conceptual approval to the plan but signed off on a way to finance the expenditure.
Under the plan, designed by Finance Director Donna Kilbury, the city will borrow the money from a reserve fund and pay it back over the next four years through annual appropriations of about $39,000.
The city Tuesday began preparing the technology package for bid. The company that developed the plan, EssentialNet Solutions of Satellite Beach, intends to compete for the work.
Aside from a high-speed network that will allow all departments to share files, the upgrade will provide better security and backup.
Residents could benefit as well. The city intends to spend more than $11,000 on a new Web site. One day, citizens may be able to apply for building permits and pay utility bills and traffic tickets without leaving home. Minutes from council meetings will also be available.
In other action Monday:
UNPAID WATER BILLS: The council approved an ordinance allowing the city to shut off water and sewer service if bills go unpaid for 60 days.
A recent audit cited the city for violating a covenant of its 1992 water and sewer bond issue by providing service to customers who have not paid their bills within 60 days. Past due accounts amounted to $118,000.
That ordinance also gives the city the authority to charge or credit its customers who have been determined by the city to have been undercharged or overcharged as a result of incorrect meter readings.
But the City Council turned down a provision that would have allowed the city to provide partial credits for line breaks that occur on the owner's side of the meter.
"It's not the city's responsibility to pay for somebody's water bill," said council member Ray Wallace.
Sewer credit would be provided, though, since the water is not going through the sewer system.
ZONING CHANGES: The council gave final approval for two zoning changes. An 8.5-acre area off Citrus Avenue in downtown will be changed to commercial from residential, and 7.7 acres between NE Sixth and Seventh avenues will be rezoned to light industrial from commercial. Both efforts are intended to spur economic development and remove blight.