Y2K and the Carthage Police Department.

In a busy session Tuesday evening, Carthage City Council members heard action on a variety of subjects ranging from street names to possible year 2000 related computer problems.

Y2K and the Carthage Police Department

Carthage Police Chief Veach informed Council members that the Department was taking a "close look" at its computers and systems in light of possible Y2K issues.

Veach is working in conjunction with Jason Spangler, a knowledgeable employee of McCune Brooks Hospital, as to the feasibility for computer upgrades.

Y2K has become shorthand for the Year 2000, the year of the possible millennium bug. Some computers and microchips will read 2000 as 1900, or not read it at all. Computers might shut down or just run steadily and give users the wrong results.

As a result of initial research, Veach says, 75 to 80 percent of the computers in the Department are not Y2K compliant, and bringing these computers up to new standards could be a waste of money.

"With most it would cost more to fix them than the actual value of the computers," explained Veach.

In addition, because the software the department uses for is also antiquated, Veach is also looking for someone with a police background to assess the department's future computer needs.

Veach said he is prepared to "run very hard and very fast to fix the problems."

Mike Harris, First Ward Council member, reminded the Council that this issue is not limited to the Police Department. He said this could provide the City a chance to look at networking needs throughout the City departments.

In addition to Y2K issues, Veach said he is approaching the computer quandary knowing that his actions now could impact future city-wide computer networking possibilities.

Memorial Hall Fees

Council members approved 9-0 the new fee structure and lease agreement for use of Memorial Hall recommended by the Public Services Committee.

The new fees and lease agreement will take effect on February 1. Groups and individuals who have already placed a deposit on a scheduled event will be charged according to the existing fee structure.

As reported in Wednesday's issue of the Mornin' Mail, the new fee structure includes a distinction in the amount of rent and the event's deposit based upon whether alcohol will be served.

The new lease agreement also includes the stipulation that when staff determines additional security is required for an event, those hired must be off duty police officers with arrest powers in Carthage. Event sponsors will no longer be able to hire private security firms to work their events.

The new lease also includes provisions about making the ratio of youth to adult chaperones at events 50 to 1, and raise the minimum age of chaperones to 30 years old, unless he or she is a parent or guardian of a youth attending the event.

J.D. Whitledge, Third Ward Councilman, said that many of the changes were suggested to close up existing loopholes in the previous lease agreements.

New Street Name Request

William Fortune, Second Ward Council member, informed the Council of Americold's request to name the street in their new industrial park in the northeast corner of town west of Civil War Road.

Alex Boyer, representing Americold, submitted a request to the Public Works committee concerning receiving the name prior to the platting of the development.

Normally, name considerations do not come before the Council until the official land platt is presented.

Americold requested the name early so that an address could be obtained for business purposes. They requested the name Claiborne Jackson Drive after the Civil War era governor.

Engineering Department Head Joe Butler said that at the suggestion of Flex-O-Lator, currently building on the site, the name requested was shortened to Jackson Drive.

The Council gave tentative approval of this new name pending the submission of the land platt.

Fair Acres Expansion Project

City Administrator Tom Short, notified the Council that $1.161 million had been deposited in the City's account, guaranteed by a "capital improvement grant," from the Steadley Trust.

Obtaining the Steadley Trust grant has allowed the city to borrowed the money at a 3.9 - 4.7 percent interest rate. The grant, which will be consist of ten $150,000 annual disbursements year beginning in April, will be used to repay the debt.

The funds were called upon to pay for the cost of initiating the loan with the first reading on Bank Requisition No. 1, for $23,823.33, for payments of bills incurred through last weekend. This includes closing costs items such as attorney and engineering fees.

In other action, the Council approved in a 9-0 vote (Brewer absent) the appointment of Alan Bull as the Parks Administrator. Bull and new City Attorney David Mouton were sworn into office by City Clerk Barbara Welch.

In addition, Council also approved the reappointment of the entire Myers Park Development Committee in a 8-0 vote (Committee member Boyer abstained.)

Charlie Bastin, Third Ward Councilmen had moved to have the Council vote on each member individually, however the vote ended in a 4-4 tie, with Mayor Kenneth Johnson casting the deciding vote for a group appointment vote.

The committee members are reappointed each year following the ordinance which established it's existence.

Just Jake Talkin'
Mornin',

The test balloons are flyin'. With the approval of the increase in rent charges for Memorial Hall, community reaction will be no doubt monitored to see if the "market" will bear the price.

There are those who feel that any price is too high. Their opinion is that the City should make the facility available for community activities at no cost. A public service like fire protection or street sweepin'.

'Course there is a cost involved and not many figure the buildin' will ever show a profit. The decision is how much the City can afford to contribute to the cause.

Price isn't just about makin' money either. Some of the rates approved are aimed at keepin' the activity in the Hall down to a college roar.

This is some fact, but mostly,

Just Jake Talkin'.

by

Metcalf Auto Supply

Click and Clack Talk Cars.

Dear Tom and Ray:

We recently contacted the local Aamco transmission shop about servicing our 1992 Chevy Blazer's automatic transmission, which is working just fine. The vehicle has almost 100,000 miles of mostly highway driving. The Aamco man said that it should have been serviced every 25,000 miles and that it would now have scale deposits in the transmission and that doing the service now would cause problems. He said that it were his car, he would now do nothing to the transmission. We admit we've been negligent in letting it go this long, but is this guy right? It doesn't make sense to us.-David and Patty

TOM: It doesn't make sense to us, either, guys. First of all, the recommended service interval for this transmission is 100,000 miles. So you're right on time. You haven't been negligent at all.

RAY: And I've never seen a recommendation from Chevy that calls for transmission service every 25,000 miles under normal conditions. That may be this particular Aamco shop's recommendation, because they'll make four times as much money if you do it that often. But I think the guy's wrong on that account.

TOM: This guy is also perpetuating the myth that "disturbing" an older transmission will somehow cause irreversible problems (this is also known as the "let sleeping transmissions lie" theory). This myth is based on the belief that the transmission has gotten used to its old, dirty fluid. And if you drain out that loving, old, comfortable, familiar fluid and introduce new, clean, uncaring, unfamiliar fluid, the transmission will be upset and won't remember how to work right. This, of course, is complete horse-droppings. A fluid change is never bad.

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