A-OK BY Y2K; CITY CONFIDENT IT WILL HIT HIGH READINESS RATE.

Byline: Angela M. Lemire Staff Writer

If insect repellent existed to ward off the Y2K bug, the city could bottle its fairly new infrastructure and the foresight of its technical services division.

The two factors are credited with bringing city departments close to a 100 percent compliance rate in preparing for the change of the calendar year from 1999 to 2000, an event that experts predict might cause computer systems with older software to fail.

With a two-year review of its technological infrastructure nearly complete, city officials reveal that only three software programs used for minor administrative functions await patches to keep their data from being affected by the arrival of the new year.

Officials last week reported the city is 95 percent Y2K-ready, but predicted the percentage would climb closer to 100 percent by the time an official Y2K-readiness report is delivered to the City Council in mid-October.

The remaining software being studied for any necessary fixes would be corrected by the next council meeting, or long before the turn of the calendar year, said city management analyst Frank Oviedo this week.

``The city is prepared to continue operating after Dec. 31, 1999,'' Oviedo said. ``We would never dare say we were 100 percent ready, because there's always the possibility of some unforeseen computer glitch or something that you have no control over. Statistically speaking, is anything ever 100 percent? Probably not.''

Besides taking a look at the city's internal operations - including computer systems and emergency response procedures - city officials conducted external audits of all agencies, businesses, vendors, suppliers, utilities and financial institutions with which the city conducts business.

In January, the city formed a Y2K Readiness Committee, made up of department heads to strategically inventory the city's technology, survey and inventory the city's external business contacts, collect the data and take action from there.

The Y2K bug may occur in older computers and electronic devices that read only the last two digits of the year when running date-sensitive material, according to experts. Some computers may either interpret the data to read 1900 or have trouble processing data and crash, while others may not be affected.

Federal, state and local governments, utility companies, airlines, financial institutions, as well as small businesses for the past few years have worked frantically to patch computer programs affected by the date change and replace electronics and computers.

Overall, analysts and emergency response coordinators say the city government is protected from Y2K glitches, but also prepared to address events beyond its control - such as loss of utilities.

Plans are in place to respond to those circumstances as they would to any unforeseen natural disaster or emergency, as they had done in the 1997-1998 El Nino storm season and the Northridge Earthquake of 1994, for which the city won awards for its responsiveness.

``We live with the threat of an earthquake everyday, so living through Y2K shouldn't be a bigger problem in my eyes,'' said emergency preparedness coordinator Donna Nuzzi. ``The city is set to operate fine with the day-to-day things. Our offices and our government operations are all set, but we also have to be ready to respond to consequences or results of other things, like power failures and traffic jams.''

The city would kick into the role of a command center, she said, communicating with public safety agencies, its Field Services Division, and local and state governments.

The city's Y2K readiness committee also worked with the city emergency management division to review response and communication procedures dealing with public safety and utility failures, as well as come up with outreach programs to inform and prepare the public on Y2K issues.

Having taken less than two years to overhaul the city's entire technological and procedural infrastructure, officials found the 12-year-old city of Santa Clarita was in a better position than most other local governments.

``We were lucky because we didn't have the older technology that's expected to cause the real problems, because we have such a young city,'' Oviedo said. ``Our equipment was fairly new, and if we needed upgrades, we were already doing that with Y2K-compliant machinery.''

Although the city formed its Y2K committee only nine months ago, staff members in the technical services division, who followed the computer industry closely and were forewarned of the Y2K glitch years ago, already had begun replacing older machines with Y2K-compliant models gradually, as needs for upgrades or new equipment arose.

Oviedo believes the city's proactive measures will ``pay off in dividends,'' whether anything happens or not at the turn of the New Year. ``It's that old saying, you prepare for the worst and hope for the best,'' he said.

HOW TO PREPARE FOR Y2K

Stock three days' worth nonperishable food

Keep a minimum of one gallon of drinking water per person.

Have a manual can opener

Keep a flashlight, lightsticks

Have a battery-operated radio

Have extra batteries

Have extra blankets, hats, coats and gloves for warmth

Keep wood for wood-burning fireplaces

SPECIAL NEEDS

Assemble a comprehensive first-aid kit.

Have prescription medications for 30 days.

Have extra eye glasses, hearing aid batteries

Have an alternative power source for life-support equipment

Keep copies of health insurance and prescription cards

Have extra pet food, water.

UTILITIES

Keep a shutoff wrench to turn off gas and water

Have a crow bar

Keep a fire extinguisher, ABC type

If you plan to use a portable generator, connect what you want to power directly to the generator; do not connect the generator to the home power supply. Keep generator in a well-ventilated area, outside or in a garage with an open door.

Check electric smoke detectors for battery backups.

In the event of a power failure, have plans for alternative cooking devices.

SANITATION SUPPLIES

Have plenty of plastic garbage bags and ties

Keep household chlorine bleach on hand

Have soap, liquid detergent 

Have toilet paper and towelettes

Have a medium-size plastic bucket with tight lid.

HOME ELECTRONICS

The following household electronic devices may malfunction due to the Y2K bug.

Fire alarm and security systems

Consumer electronics

Electronic locks

Programmable thermostats

Medical and life-support equipment

Computers, scanners, fax machines, pagers

Have back up for important computer records

Install a power surge protector in case of power fluctuations

PERSONAL FINANCES

Many financial service companies have prepared for the year 2000. Still, you may want to take the following precautions as the date change approaches to minimize potential problems.

Ask your financial-services providers about their plans to deal with Y2K.

Ask your provider what type of backup records are kept in case of an emergency. How would these records be used to identify and correct problems affecting your deposits, loans or other accounts?

Get statements from your creditors detailing your payments toward principal, interest and other charges.

Make sure you have six months of financial records.

If deposit receipts or statements are inaccurate, report discrepancies to your financial services providers.

Keep canceled checks as proof of payment for at least several months before and after the date change.

Consider sending payments for mortgages, loans, leases and other obligations by certified mail, return receipt requested, for several months before and after the date change.

Have extra cash in small denominations.

Get a copy of your credit report from one of the three major credit bureaus before and after Jan. 1, 2000. Check for errors and report them to the credit bureau.

Equifax

[phone]

Experian

[phone]

TransUnion

[phone]

Keep credit card receipts made on or around Jan. 1 and compare them against your billing statements.

Important documents to have on file:

Driver's license 

Birth and death certificates

Social Security numbers

Home and business addresses and phone numbers

Passports

Professional licenses and credentials

Medical information

Copies of medical release forms on file with doctors

Name and address of doctor and hospital

List of type and dosage of medication taken regularly

Written inventory of belongings, including price and date of purchase. Computer disk copies are good. Store copies in two locations.

Financial Documents

Utility Bills

Will or trust

Cash policies and papers

Insurance policies

Insurance agent's name and address

Deed and home-loan papers

MediCal and Medicare cards

Title to vehicles

Major warranties

Source: city of Santa Clarita

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