ROANOKE TIMES

                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: FRIDAY, August 26, 1994                   TAG: 9408270036
SECTION: CURRENT                    PAGE: NRV11   EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY 
SOURCE: PAUL DELLINGER STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: PULASKI                                 LENGTH: Medium


COMPUTERIZED UTILITY BILLS FOR PULASKI

The town will computerize its utility bills by next year when it starts reading meters electronically instead of manually.

The changeover, which will involve the purchase of at least five personal computers in municipal offices, is scheduled to be on line in March, although some town officials hope it can be done sooner.

Vice Mayor Rock Schrader and Councilman Roy D'Ardenne also called for faster processing of checks used to pay utility bills.

Treasurer Mildred Bolen, during a meeting Thursday of the town's Finance Committee, said random sampling showed that all receipts are deposited within two work days. But Schrader said citizens have complained for years that the town delayed cashing their checks.

The town is requesting proposals from computer hardware and software suppliers and will accept bids in October. An award will be made in mid-November and the system will be installed in Jaunary if all goes according to plan. Town employees would be trained on the new system in February.

The Finance Committee also authorized Town Manager Tom Combiths to sign an agreement after it is reviewed by Town Attorney Frank Terwilliger for a computer link with Pulaski County. The committee is allowed to approve expenses of less than $20,000 without full council action.

Bolen has met with county Commissioner of Revenue Maynard Sayers about the link. It would provide the town and county with information about taxpayers moving from one jurisdiction to the other and give both offices access to one another's data. Combiths said Dublin will be approached about joining the linkup.

The computer link also would give the town access to state information from the Department of Motor Vehicles and other agencies. There is a charge for the state data, but there would be no charge for the exchange between the towns and county.



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