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City administrator flags utility-billing software issues, tracks countywide power blip and seeks federal disaster funding for storm damage
Summary
City staff reported ongoing problems with the Accel accounting and utility-billing implementation that have created mail and billing delays; the administrator also described a countywide power outage event tied to a transmission substation breaker and said work continues to pursue federal disaster designation for March blizzard recovery.
City staff told the Seward City Council that the city’s new Accel accounting system and utility-billing integration remain only partially implemented and are causing ongoing customer-billing problems and staff workload pressures.
The city administrator said general ledger, accounts payable and budgeting modules of the Accel system are working but that payroll time-and-attendance and utility-billing integration have not been fully implemented. The administrator described utility billing as “our most complex element of that system,” saying it must integrate Aclara metering software and Badger water-meter data and that recent staff shortfalls have increased the implementation burden.
The administrator said the city has escalated outstanding issues with the vendor to a vice president and assigned multiple staff members to troubleshoot data and printing errors. The city asked residents to enroll in electronic billing where possible and noted the local mail service had contributed to delayed deliveries that, in some cases, arrived days after bills were due.
Separately, staff described a countywide power interruption on a Sunday that the administrator said began when a breaker at an MPVD transmission substation blew; staff said switching to shed load caused additional local outages. City electric staff were credited for rapid on-site switching and restoration work. The administrator said the city observed unusual behavior from some streetlights and continued to investigate equipment that remained unlit after the event.
On disaster recovery, the administrator and another council member said they had met with U.S. Rep. Flood and are pursuing a federal emergency declaration for a March blizzard that caused widespread tree damage and utility outages. The administrator said a federal declaration would help pay for debris removal, tree removal and electric-utility replacement in affected areas of Seward and Seward County; work to document damage and debris-removal costs is ongoing.
Council members received the administrator’s report and later voted to accept it. The council’s recorded vote to accept the report was unanimous.
What’s next: City staff said they will continue vendor escalation and data-cleaning work on the Accel implementation and to encourage electronic billing enrollment; electric staff will continue equipment inspections and follow-up repairs related to the transmission-substation event. The city will continue coordination with federal staff to document disaster impacts for potential funding.
