City staff outline plan to replace two-decade-old finance, payroll and utility software; no vendor selected

Assistant City Manager (ACM) led a Sept. 15 workshop for the Uintexa City Council to present research into replacing the city’s long‑running financial, payroll, HR and utility‑billing software and to summarize demonstrations given by multiple vendors. The city’s current core system, STW — soon to be migrated to OpenGov — is approaching end of commercial support in late 2026, prompting the review.

City staff said the project would aim to deliver one integrated solution for general ledger, accounts payable, payroll, human resources and utility billing, or two compatible systems that work together. “We set out to identify and recommend software solution that strengthens the city’s internal operations, fosters employee engagement, and enhances customer service through the effective use of technology,” the ACM said.

The ACM said staff and end users have been evaluating vendor demonstrations since 2023. The evaluation team named in the presentation included Lee Garcia, Finance Director; Kevin Reinke, Utilities Director; Jessica Higgins, Human Resources Director; Regina Fonds, Finance Manager; Kim Duncan, Customer Services Supervisor; and Gwen Tenberg, Finance Specialist. Multiple demos were staged this year, the ACM said, including vendor‑led demonstrations of utility billing, payroll, HR and advanced budgeting modules.

Why it matters: the software underpins core city functions (payroll, utility billing, procurement and financial reporting). Staff warned the current software has limited HR functionality, duplicate timekeeping systems and few citizen‑facing features such as text notifications for utility outages. The ACM said residents increasingly expect modern features — “text or email bills, send out reminders, confirmation” — and that staff want improved employee communications, a consolidated HR/onboarding workflow and less manual re‑entry across modules.

What staff found: Springbrook and OpenGov (the vendor that will replace STW) were highlighted repeatedly in staff notes. According to staff summaries presented at the workshop: - Springbrook’s suite was described as closer in layout to the city’s current chart of accounts with built‑in electronic workflow, recurring invoice setup, configurable reports, a mapping tool for notifying customers about service interruptions and a mobile/field work‑order component. Staff said Springbrook demonstrated an integrated HR module that includes an employee portal, mobile app, learning management and automatic payroll population from onboarding. - OpenGov’s newer platform was described in staff notes as less flexible on account/chart layouts and reports (staff acknowledged they have not re‑evaluated OpenGov’s current features recently and gave OpenGov partial credit where functionality may have improved). - Staff reported vendors offered cloud‑hosted options, electronic signatures and automated reports (including Tableau or similar reporting tools) and that some vendors are adding artificial‑intelligence features for invoice capture; staff emphasized a human approval step would remain.

Costs and funding: staff said the project will require capital funding and that remaining proceeds from the city’s 2022 certificate of obligation (CO) include a technology allowance. The ACM declined to present firm contract prices at the workshop, saying staff were still refining vendor proposals and negotiating. When asked about price, the ACM said some packages are in the rough ballpark noted in staff materials but that “we’ve been able to negotiate some of these prices” and that final pricing would be presented later. Mayor and council members were told the ACM would return with firm contract terms and a recommended funding approach if staff recommend proceeding.

Implementation timeline: staff said a vendor selection and contract would require planning and vendor onboarding. If the council approves a vendor, staff estimated roughly 4–6 weeks of lead time to begin implementation and about a year for full integration, depending on scope and which modules are turned on first. The ACM and department leads said training, data migration and security review with the city’s IT staff would be part of the rollout.

Next steps and council direction: councilmembers asked to see live, in‑use demonstrations at other municipalities. The ACM and evaluation team recommended site visits to cities running the chosen software before any final contract. Councilmembers also asked staff to present firm pricing, a recommended phasing plan and a proposed motion to authorize use of the 2022 CO technology allowance when the evaluation is complete. No formal vote or contract authorization occurred during the Sept. 15 meeting.

Discussion vs. decision: the workshop was informational only. Staff requested council direction to continue negotiations and to schedule vendor site visits; councilmembers supported further review but made no formal procurement decision.

Ending note: staff emphasized continuity of operations during the transition, including that cloud deployments would minimize on‑premises infrastructure changes but require IT security and vendor service‑level questions to be resolved before contract execution.