A computer maintenance and replacement fund.

• Author: Litchfield, Jeff

Most people recognize that computers are necessary for optimum efficiency. Technology changes at a phenomenally fast pace, however, and computers, like motor vehicles, have a defined useful life. To accommodate scheduled replacement of computers, the City of La Porte, Texas, has created a computer fund for maintenance, repair and replacement of existing computer hardware, software and related equipment.

Background

La Porte, situated in Harris County, about 30 miles from downtown Houston, provides a full range of services to its population of 30,000. It boasts a municipal golf course, wave pool, fitness and recreational center, and covered riding arena. It also is home to the Sylvan Beach area, which has a long history of entertainment and recreation in the Gulf Coast area. For all its amenities, however, there was an area that was lacking: computers.

In 1987, the City of La Porte had five microcomputers, and major applications, such as police, court, accounting, billing, tax and word processing, were performed on a minicomputer purchased in 1982. The most powerful microcomputer in the finance department was an 8088 machine with a 10 megabyte hard drive. Recognizing that the city's use of computer technology was "light years" behind then-current capabilities and that excessive energy was being used for routine tasks, the staff, with some consultant assistance, prepared a plan to bring the city up to date.

The management information system (MIS) plan called for more microcomputers, temporary upgrade and eventual replacement of the data general system, and the addition of an MIS manager. Staff was able to establish hardware and software standards, which was helpful in obtaining knowledgeable MIS personnel.

Since implementation of the MIS plan in 1988, La Porte has expended in excess of $600,000 improving computer operations. It now has 103 microcomputers in its seven departments with 40 divisions, and new systems have been purchased for police and court operation. Several troublesome operations were moved to microcomputers, using "off the shelf" software or custom software written by existing staff. An additional $250,000 will be needed to complete the plan.

In the years since the MIS plan was first implemented, the inevitable occurred: the microcomputers purchased in 1989 needed to be replaced, and those costs had to compete with others in the budget. Fortunately, La Porte already had established its Computer Maintenance and Replacement Fund.

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