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Lowell Veterans Commission seeks fix for veterans card software after IT loss
Summary
Commissioners said the Lowell veterans card program’s software and related data went missing after a city IT disruption; VSO has cards and printing supplies and the commission agreed to explore alternatives and costs.
The Lowell Veterans Commission was told that the local veterans-card program’s software and associated files disappeared after a city IT incident, and commissioners directed staff to explore recovery or replacement options.
Eric LaMarche, Veterans Services Officer for the City of Lowell, told the commission he still holds physical cards, printers and other materials but that the program’s software and data were removed when a city hard drive was taken for IT work. ‘‘They took my hard drive and everything disappeared. They’re trying to recover it,’’ LaMarche said during the meeting.
Commissioners discussed alternatives, including purchasing a new commercial system, and asked for at least a cost estimate of replacement options for consideration at the next meeting. Commissioners emphasized the program’s value for outreach: several members said offering the card brought veterans into the VSO office for assistance and benefits counseling.
The commission asked LaMarche and other volunteers to research replacement systems and pricing and to report back with recommended options and an estimated cost. No procurement decision or budget allocation was made at the meeting.
