Politics & Government

Council Green-Lights Borough Hall IT Overhaul

The proposal approved by Hellertown Borough Council March 5, subject to its solicitor's review, calls for purchasing a managed IT service contract, upgrades to borough computer servers and wiring, and a disaster recovery system.

A technology audit recently conducted at  has revealed that the information technology (IT) systems the borough is relying upon are inadequate or outdated, and in some cases never should have been installed in the first place, Borough Manager Cathy Kichline told Borough Council March 5.

"It's been discovered that we have residential (Internet) connectivity, and we're trying to run a business with residential connectivity," she said.

Access issues prevent her from being able to use or even view QuickBooks--the borough's online accounting system--on her computer, Kichline noted.

Find out what's happening in Hellertown-Lower Sauconwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

And issues with the antiquated Borough Hall phone system make transferring a phone call from her office to the Chief of Police's desk impossible.

Chief Robert Shupp said Kichline must offer the caller his office number and ask him to call back in order to complete the transfer.

Find out what's happening in Hellertown-Lower Sauconwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

The police department is also relying upon old, reconditioned servers for data storage, and in one instance emails sent one from one borough employee to another took about four months to reach their destination, Kichline noted.

Councilman Tom Rieger, who cited technology concerns and , told council that the wiring that supports the current computer and phone system is a "rat's nest" in the basement of Borough Hall, and, when asked by councilman Richard Staffieri how soon an overhaul is needed, responded simply, "tomorrow."

Rieger and Kichline recommended to council purchasing a four-year contract for managed IT service from Alura, along with new desktop computers, new servers, new wiring (including a digital phone service upgrade), and a disaster recovery system.

The recovery system is a critical component of the proposal because Borough Hall is located within a flood plain, and a catastrophic flood could submerge the first floor of the building.

In terms of the managed IT contract, Rieger said he is "very impressed" with Alura, and he noted that Kichline has worked with them in the past in another municipality.

"I feel that by spending this money we'll increase our productivity," he said. "This will give our employees the tools needed to complete the job we are paying them to do."

Borough council solicitor Michael Corriere questioned whether the $25,500-per-year contract with Alura would need to be bid out, and said he wanted to review the agreement in order to ascertain whether it is for something that would be considered "professional services." 

If so, he said, the bidding process could be avoided.

"I consider this professional services," Kichline said.

Rieger noted that the borough is already spending a considerable amount of money on IT services, without the desired results.

He estimated that $15,000 to $18,000 is being spent annually for "things that just do not work."

Referring to the overhaul, Kichline said, "it's a start-over, really. It's not a fix. It's not a patch. It's a start-over."

Council voted unanimously to approve the techonology overhaul contingent upon Corriere's review.

The funding for the upgrades would come from unallocated funds in the borough's capital fund.


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here