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HomeMy WebLinkAbout9B - Y2K Contingency Planning Report MEETING DATE: AGENDA #: PREPARED BY: AGENDA ITEM: DISCUSSION: CITY COUNCIL AGENDA REPORT November 15, 1999 ~ ~~ank Boyles, CityManag~ CONSIDER APPROVAL OF REPORT REGARDING Y2K CONTINGENCY PLANNING. History Considerable attention has been paid to the potential problems which may arise with computer software, hardware and date sensitive imbedded chips as the year 2000 arrives. Scenarios range from dooms day to business as usual. In 1998, the City established a Y2K committee consisting of members of our computer committee and Emergency Management Personnel to assess the most likely Y2K circumstances and develop a plan for responding to worst case and best case scenarios. City employees who have worked diligently in this effort include Bret Woodson, Rob Boe, Steve Schmidt, Doug Hartman, AI Friedges, Larry Dushek, Bruce Sames and Bill O'Rourke. Committee members have spent a considerable amount of item discussing Y2K issues with utility company representatives, others in the Emergency preparedness field and representatives from other cities. Current Circumstances From the information reviewed to date, our findings are: (1) The City's computer hardware, software and network servers are expected to be unaffected. Testing will be done before January 3rd to confirm. (2) Major utilities and banking institutions claim to be Y2K compliant and do not expect to be affected, Utility companies will know if problems exist by 5pm, December 31st, which is the date and time their equipment will turn over to the new year. (3) The most likely difficulties will be created by people's behavior. Persons who stockpile large quantities of gasoline or other flammables could mishandle such products, Since most people will use the telephone to call others, or access the internet, there most likely will be a delay in receiving a dial tone, That delay, if long enough, could have public safety implications. 162n~ccrlMKlNR>P0Sfi99'Rili~_I9lk~<MiK1e~~&372-1714 / Ph, (612) 447-4230 / Fax (612) 447-4245 AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER Conclusion We have prepared a Y2K Contingency Plan which attempts to address the most likely scenario while enhancing our readiness to respond to a worst case situation. The Contingency Plan has a number of elements: (1) Public Information before December 30th: Between now and December 30th, various steps will be taken to inform the public. One or more Inside City Hall programs will be produced and replayed. A Red Cross flyer recommending preparatory steps will be available. The newly formatted Wavelength in the Prior Lake American will focus on this topic in December. City staff members will give presentations at civic group meetings and homeowner association meetings. (2) Public Information on December 31st and January 1st: The City Hall switchboard will be open from 8am to 8pm on December 31st to respond to questions or concerns people may have, Cable channel 51 during this period of time will originate from the Fire Station where we can provide up to the minute information assuming that electricity is available, (3) Communication Nodes: Assuming that receiving a telephone dial tone will be the major Y2K problem, we have arranged to have two department heads/supervisors staffing each of three locations with radios from 8pm December 31st to 2am January 1st. Persons with bonafide medical and public safety emergencies would drive to the closest node to receive help, The help can be administered at the site or dispatched to the persons address. The Communication nodes are: . City Hall . Fire Station No. 1 . Crest and Cedarwood Water Tower site, These communication nodes will be in contact by radio with the Fire Station, Mystic Lake and with two township operated communication nodes in Spring Lake and Credit River. The Fire Station will act as our command post where the remainder of the department heads/supervisors will be located, together with police department emergency service personnel. (4) Police Department: Police staffing will consist of five squads and one supervisor during the 8pm - 2am period. Back-up will be available if necessary. (5) Fire Department: Five or more firefighters will report to the Fire Station during this period to be prepared as necessary. (6) Public WorkslPark Maintenance: Half of each staff will be on duty with the other half ready to respond if additional issues arise before or after 2am. (7) Fleet and Information Management: Both employees will be on duty to attend to equipment problems. Fuel tanks will be topped off for generators and equipment. (8) Insurance: We have acquired insurance which provide added coverage levels for incidents which might occur during this time. I:\COUNCIL\AGNRPTS\99\1115 _9B,DOCKelly Meyer ISSUES: ALTERNATIVES: FISCAL IMPACT: RECOMMENDED MOTION: (9) City Council: The Council will be apprised of the situation throughout the night. A complete copy of the Contingency Plan is attached for information, The Contingency Plan seeks to establish a state of readiness in the event of Y2K difficulties, The Plan attempts to minimize the costs associated with readiness and the number of employees affected. I am pleased and proud of our Prior Lake employees. Despite the disruption that the. Contingency Plan creates during a once in a lifetime event, I have received no complaints, Rather, employees have volunteered to work as necessary to assure that our community is ready, (1) Approve the Contingency Plan as submitted. (2) Direct the staff to modify the Plan. Additional shifts worked by overtime eligible employees will be paid in accordance with our labor agreements, Expenses have and will be incurred for insurance and other incidentals during such shifts. These costs are not expected to create budget overages. Accept and file this report and Contingency Plan, I:\COUNCIL\AGNRPTS\99\1115_9B.DOCKelly Meyer CITY OF PRIOR LAKE YEAR 2000 CONTINGENCY PLAN (As of 11/8/99) As you are aware, the City has a Y2K Committee that includes the entire Computer Committee and an emergency management sub-committee who have been meeting since 1998 to discuss a number of issues related to Y2K. One key issue to all of us is staffing for the weekend of December 31, 1999 - January 2,2000, This past Maya memorandum was distributed to all city employees about the potential need for certain employees to work on and around this weekend, While we believe that there will be only minimal disruptions as a result of Y2K, we also believe that we must be prepared for a variety of scenarios. OVERVIEW: Our plan is to keep the City Hall switchboard open from 8:00 a.m. on December 31, 1999 through 2:00 a,m, on January 1, 2000 to respond to questions residents may have and to report emergency situations. Information will also be supplied to cable television subscribers from 9:00 p,m, on December 31, 1999 through 2:00 a,m, on January 1, 2000 on cable channel 51, We will also be staffing with City employees, two additional communication sites from 9:00 p.m, on December 31, 1999 through 2:00 a,m, on January 1, 2000. These sites are the Fire Station and a mobile command site at the water tower located one block south of the intersection of County Road 42 and Crest Avenue on Cedarwood Street. We w;il ask for volunteers to work these hours, If there are an insufficient number of volunteers available, we have to consider work assignments, Employees who volunteer or are assigned to a shift are expected to report unless the shift is canceled by the supervisor, ASSIGNMENTS BY DEPARTMENT: The following is a more detailed breakdown of how staffing will be handled throughout the City during the New Year's Weekend, Please note that if all operations are running smoothly on January 1 st, City supervisors may cancel shifts, Likewise, if things worsen, additional staff will be called in. Questions regarding this plan should be directed to your supervisor, the Emergency Management Director or the City Manager. Police Department The Police Department will be on normal 10 hour shifts from Thursday, December 30th through Monday, January 3rd. Selected support staff may also be on duty during these shifts, Benefit time (includes vacation, floating holiday, personal days, comp time, leave without pay, etc.) will not be granted from Tuesday, December 28th through Friday, January 7th, Circumstances may necessitate escalation or de-escalation of staffing. y16caOO~eiBxamcf'vgt!l9S,E., Prior Lake, Minnesota 55372-1714 / Ph, (612) 447-4230 / Fax (612) 447-4245 AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER Fire Department The Fire Department will have firefighters on duty at the Fire Station from 9:00 p,m, on December 31 through 2:00 a.m. on January 1, 2000. Circumstances may necessitate escalation or de-escalation of staffing. Public Works / Parks and Recreation One of the following employees (Public Works Supervisor, Parks Supervisor, Public Works Lead worker, or Parks Lead worker) will be on duty for an eight hour shift from 6:00 p.m, on Friday, December 31 through 2:00 a,m. Saturday, January 1st, and from 2:00 a,m. to 7:00 a,m. on January 1st. We expect that half of the Public Works Maintenance staff and half of the Parks Maintenance staff will be needed for each of the two shifts. The second shift will be canceled if it proves to be unnecessary. Benefit time will not be granted from Tuesday, December 28th through Friday, January 7th. Circumstances may necessitate escalation or de-escalation of staffing. PUBLIC BUILDINGS AND THE ROLE THEY PLAY City Hall The City Hall switchboards and lobby will be open from 8:00 a.m. on Friday, December 31st and remain open until 2:00 a.m. on Saturday, January 1, 2000. Circumstances may necessitate additional shifts to 7 a.m" January 1st. The switchboard will require two employees per shift. The MIS Coordinator will be on- call from 8:00 a.m. on Friday, December 31st to 7:00 a.m. on Saturday, January 1st. He will be testing City computers after 1/1/00, but before 1/3/00. Maintenance Center The Fleet Maintenance Coordinator or designee will be on duty from 5:00 p.m. on Friday, December 31st to 5:00 a.m. on Saturday, January 1st to provide service for emergency vehicles and maintenance vehicles / equipment. Otherwise, the maintenance Center building will be used by City crews, but closed to the public. Command Post (Fire Station) The Following department heads and supervisors will be on duty in the Command Post and the emergency communication sites, City Hall, Fire Station and water tower. to cover the following shift:: 9:00 p.m. - 2:00 a.m. - City Manager, Police Chief, Police Lieutenant, Emergency Management Director, Fire Chief, Public Works Director, Parks and Recreation Director, Planning Director, and Finance Director. If necessary, the Command Post will be staffed from 2:00 a.m. to 7:00 a.m. by one management representative from each City department. These staff members will assist with command post operations, including staffing the training room; assisting walk-ins, and contacting additional city staff as needed. In addition, the following people will be on duty from 4:30 - 5:30 p.m. to monitor the utility rollover expected to occur around 5:00 p.m. - Emergency Management Director, the Fire Chief, and a Police Department representative. Emergency Communication Sites Three locations will be open to the public to report problems, emergencies or seek information if telephone dial tone is unavailable, The sites are: (1) Fire Station No.1, (2) City Hall, and (3) a mobile site located one block south of CSAH 42 and Crest on Cedarwood Street. These locations will be staffed by City of Prior Lake employees. These sites will be staffed in two initial shifts: (1) 9:00 p.m. on Friday, December 31st through 2:00 a.m. on Saturday, January 1, 2000, and (2) 2:00 a.m. to 7:00 a,m. on January 1 st. Two people will be at each site. Personnel at these sites will be equipped with radios and Y2KCONTINGENCYEXnOCll/8/99 other means of communicating with emergency personnel in the event someone reports an emergency situation, Shifts will be offered on a volunteer basis to all employees of the City who are not already scheduled to work or on call. If we do not receive enough volunteers, we will assign employees to cover all necessary shifts, Contingency plans may necessitate escalation or de-escalation of staffing, including canceling one or more of the scheduled shifts. PUBLIC INFORMATION OFFICER (PIO) If City employees are contacted by the media for information, they should direct the media to either the City Manager or the Emergency Management Director. All information going to the media and the public will be authorized by one of the above prior to dissemination, ELECTED OFFICIALS The Mayor or one Councilmember will be on call for each 12 hour shift from 5:00 p.m, on Friday, December 31st through 6:00 p,m, on Sunday, January 2nd, Councilmembers will be kept apprised of developments during the city's Y2K alert status. COMPENSATION Compensation will be paid in accordance with union contracts or the Personnel policy as applicable. STAFFING SELECTION PROCESS Department heads and supervisors, police and maintenance employees will be scheduled by their supervisor based upon this plan, Four volunteers are needed on December 31st to work two shifts: (1) 8am to 2pm; and (2) 2pm to 8pm. Please advise your supervisor by November 15th if you wish to volunteer for a shift. We would like to fill these openings with volunteers. If we are unsuccessful, work assignments will be made by November 19th so that employees will have time to plan accordingly. ATMOSPHERE We know that this is an inconvenience, but a necessary one, Accordingly, we would encourage employees to bring pot luck items so the time spent can be as casual as possible. A sign-up sheet will be posted in mid-December. If you have ideas for making these shifts more pleasant, please tell Kelly in Administration. Y2KCONTING ENCYEX. DOC 11/8/99 Y2K VOLUNTEER SIGN-UP SHEET FOR EMERGENCY COMMUNICATION & SWITCHBOARD SITES Staffing Plan for 12/31 - 1/1 FIRE STATION COMMAND POST 12/31 9:00 p.m. - 2:00 a.m,> 1/1 2.00 a.m. - 7.00 a.m. City Manager / Assistant City Manager, Police Chief / Police Lieutenant, Emergency Management Director, Fire Chief, Public Works Director, Parks and Recreation Director, Planning Director, and Finance Director CITY HALL 12/31 8:00 a,m. - 4:30 p,m. (Switchboard & Lobby) 12/31 4:30 p.m. - 8:00 p.m, (Switchboard & Lobby) Alice Baker Lori Drabant 12/31 8:00 p.m. - 2:00 a.m. Ralph Teschner (Switchboard & Emergency Communication) 1/1 2:00 a,m. - 7:00 a.m. Dept. Head/Supervisor (Switchboard & Emergency Communication) (If Necessary) WATER TOWER 12/31 9:00 p.m. - 2:00 a.m. Don Rye 1/1 2:00 a.m. - 7:00 a.m. (If Necessary) Dept. Head/Supervisor Y2KCONTINGENCYEX,DOCI1/10/99 Kelly Meyer Kelly Meyer Paul Hokeness Dept. Head/Supervisor Sue McDermott Dept. Head/Supervisor VII ~PIlI (1) PUBLIC INFORMATION (Nov. 15th through Dec. 30th) .. Inside City Hall on Cable Channel 51 .. Red Cross Flyer .. Wavelength .. Civic Group Presentations (2) PUBLIC INFORMATION (Dec. 31st through Jan. 1st) .. City Hall Switchboard (Bam - 2am) .. Cable Channel 51 (9pm - 2am) (3) COMMUNICATION NODES .. City Hall, Fire Station No.1, Crest & Cedarwood Water Tower site. .. 9pm - 2am .. 2am -7am, if necessary. .. Staffed 2 persons each with radios .. Purpose: Emergency Communication (4) STAFFING BY DEPARTMENT .. Police .. Fire .. Maintenance .. Fleet and Information Services (5) FINANCIAL PRECAUTIONS .. Insurance (6) CITY COUNCIL 16200 Eagle Creek Ave, S,E" Prior Lake, Minnesota 55372-1714 / Ph. (612) 447-4230 / Fax (612) 447-4245 AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER