In August, Joe Martin and Jeff Hayes, Verona’s emergency operations director, gave the Town Council a first look at a resolution for a roughly $500,000 bond issue that would fund a wide range of technology needs. Verona is earmarking $250,000 for a new 911 emergency call system, which it would share with Cedar Grove. (Our neighbor to the north has already approved its $250,000 spending.) The new 911 system is needed because Verizon has stopped supporting the old platform, which had been in service for three decades.
Hayes gave few details on the system at the August 12 meeting. But technology in general moves at a much faster pace these days, so it is unlikely that we would get anywhere near 30 years of service from a new system. The other assets that Martin and Hayes have lifespans that could also be shorter than the bond that will finance their purchase: hardware (routers and servers) and software, and new computers for all town employees. New computers are needed, Hayes noted at the meeting, because Verona’s current computers operate on Windows XP and Microsoft will stop supporting the software in April 2014. Hayes said in August that the new machines would cost about $1,100 each for the computer and its software license.
The bond resolution did not sit well with the Council at the August meeting. Council members seemed to feel that they lacked details on the spending plan and were uncomfortable at the mismatch between the bond length and the expected service of the technology. “You are still going to be paying interest on something that has been retired,” said Council member Kevin Ryan. Martin said the bond could have a 10-year term, but Verona’s de facto finance officer, Dee Trimmer, said from her seat at the meeting that the term could be 10 to 13 years.
Deputy Mayor Jay Sniatkowski questioned why the computers had to be replaced all at once, in contrast to the town’s vehicles, which are replaced as needed and paid for from the operating budget. Michael McCormack, a staffer in Hayes’ office who manages the town’s tech systems, said that by doing all the computers at once, he could save a substantial amount of set-up time on each machine.
The town’s approach to tech spending stands in stark contrast to that of the Board of Education, which replaces some of its computers every year as its operating budget allows. The BOE also buys refurbished computers, which cost roughly $200 each. Martin has generally run Verona to have a $2 million surplus in the operating budget at the end of every year, so it would seem that he would have sufficient funds to pay for the computers, and perhaps the other equipment, out of the surplus.
One other big question: How the joint 911 system will be staffed. Martin has said in previous Council meetings that Verona might be able to consolidate overnight dispatch with Cedar Grove because neither town has a large amount of overnight crime. But neither Martin nor Hayes gave details on the system’s operation. Because 911 systems have become so complex, many areas around the country now operate their systems on a regional or county level, instead of town by town. (Sharp minds will remember that a few years back, there was talk of a joint 911 system for towns in the western part of Essex County, but nothing came of that.)
Ironically, the tech spending plan has been stripped of one element that might have made the bond more palatable to Council members: Hayes’ original $1 million plan, presented to the Council in January, would have also included several emergency generators that would be permanently hooked up to natural gas lines. Verona ran into trouble in Hurricane Sandy when its water treatment plant lost power. But the generators were not included in the bond resolution that Hayes presented in August.
The Town Council meeting begins at 7 p.m. in the Council chambers on the second floor of Town Hall. The meeting is open to the public.
$250,000 seems like a pretty high figure for a 911 system where each computer plus software costs around $1100. How many new computers would be needed? Ten? What is the rest of the money being spent on? It should not cost $200K+ for a systems technician to come in, configure software and computers and swap out the old system. Nor should training on the new system cost $200K.
There are a number of open source 911 dispatch solutions out there. Ampatu is one.
Had no idea there was an open-source option for 911. Very cool.
Computers of all township employees would be replaced. There are many more than ten employees in Verona.
Michael McCormack said at the August 12 meeting that the town would be looking to buy 50 new computers.
Martin love to spend! 50 township employees need new computers? Really? I don’t know about any of your readers, but I still use an windows XP computer at work and at home. Would he like a new car to drive to his home is WEST CALDWELL?!
I’m not asking about computers for the town. I am questioning the $250K cost for a new 911 dispatch system.
“Verona is earmarking $250,000 for a new 911 emergency call system.”
An itemized breakdown of costs should be provided. Actually, shouldn’t the RFPs from various 911 dispatch software vendors be available?
What part of the new 911 system is costing $250,000? It surely can’t be the computer hardware or the software, which is reportedly costing $1100/seat.
Dan, Microsoft announced in April 2012 that it was shutting down support for XP in April 2014. Verona could have chosen to replace a third of its computers out of its operating budget in 2012, 2013 and 2014. It didn’t. And for the record, the town does not buy the car that Mr. Martin drives. We only give him a car allowance, which was reduced by 50% in his new contract.
Cameron, I should have been clearer: The computer replacement has, as far as I can determine, nothing to do with the 911 system. The computers are for office use.
But you are right. We should see an itemized breakdown of costs for the 911 system from all of the vendors who bid on the project. But I got the feeling at the August 12 meeting that the bid specs had been drawn up with one vendor in mind.