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<br />. <br /> <br />~ <br />~~ILLS <br /> <br />MEMORANDUM <br /> <br />DATE: <br /> <br />November 16,2001 <br /> <br />TO: <br /> <br />Joe Lynch, City Administrator <br /> <br />@0 <br /> <br />FROM: <br /> <br />Terrance Post, City Accountant <br /> <br />SUBJECT: <br /> <br />Financial Software Replacement <br /> <br />Backl!round <br />Prior to 1993, the City of Arden Hills purchased financial accounling data processing services <br />from a service bureau al an approximate cost of$18,000 per year. In late 1992, the City <br />purchased Banyan Dala Systems (BDS) financial software for fund accounting, payroll and utility <br />billing at a cost of $1 0, 130. The BDS software is MS-DOS based, and was adequate entry level <br />software, <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />Issues <br />,The BDS Software is the sole surviving DOS software at City Hall, Its use also requires the use <br />of a dedicated dot matrix printer. Finally, the software supplier (Banyan) appears to have adopted <br />a revenue "harvest" strategy and has not been forthcoming with a true Windows product from a <br />software development perspective, In light of this support issue, two neighboring cities of about <br />Arden Hills' size (Vadnais Heights and Little Canada) have dropped Banyan in the last two years, <br /> <br />Discussion <br />In terms of converting financial software, an ideal lime is the beginning of a new financial <br />reporting year or in Ihe City's case, January I, 2002, A financial software package that the <br />aforementioned cities of Vadnais Heights and Little Canada wenl with is the Springbrook <br />financial software product. The City of Roseville is also using this product. The City of Arden <br />Hills can purchase the software at a cost of $13,000, With the City of Roseville also using the <br />product, and the City of Arden Hills utilizing the Roseville network, there would also be the <br />advantage of Roseville being, defacto, an application server in terms of upgrades and server <br />redundancy, <br /> <br />Financinl! <br />Although Ihe conversion from the DOS-based BDS software has long been conlemplated, it was <br />always dependent upon moving into a new facility with appropriale nelwork support. With the <br />new City Hall construction schedule somewhat problemalic when the 200 I budgel was prepared, <br />this capital item was not included, <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />Recommendation <br />Slaff asks the Arden Hills City Council to consider this 2001 unbudgeled $13,000 capital <br />purchase request and provide direction 10 slaffiflhe item should be included on the Consent <br />Calendar at the regular meeting of November 26, 2001. The timing of this action could allow the <br />processing of 2002 transactions on the new software beginning in January, <br />