Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Municipal Operations topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Mechanicville to switch utility billing software, roll out new payroll and promote website updates; brief payment outage possible
Summary
The city plans a mid-July go-live for new billing and payroll software and warns residents that payments may be unavailable for a short testing window; officials also noted a new website launch and travel toward Brownfield Opportunity Area grant application.
City finance and clerk staff told the Mechanicville City Council on June 10 they will install new utility-billing software and roll out a modern payroll/time-and-attendance system that could improve reporting and reduce manual processes.
Key points: The clerk reported about 75% collection for the current water-billing cycle and said the vendor will perform a final data pull and four days of testing before the new billing system goes live; during that testing window staff expect to be unable to accept certain online payments and will alert residents and try to schedule the work so it does not coincide with month-end penalties.
Payroll and HR changes: Council staff outlined a phased roll-out for a new payroll/time-and-attendance platform, with the first payroll under the new system scheduled for July 2 and department-by-department training (DPW first). Paper timesheets will remain acceptable during the phased transition; the city plans stricter requisition/purchase-order controls starting 2027 after a soft enforcement period in 2026.
Website and alerts: The city has launched a redesigned website; staff said email alert subscriptions from the old site will not port over automatically and residents will need to re-subscribe. Council members said they will adjust content placement (calendar and agendas) to improve usability for residents.
Grants and planning work: Officials discussed applying for a Brownfield Opportunity Area planning grant (BOA) to support downtown revitalization; staff anticipate applying for the $100,000 minimum to fund planning and consultant support, with in-kind match for the required 10% contribution.
What residents should do: City staff said they will post the specific dates for any payment interruptions on the city website and advised residents to monitor the site or contact the clerk for payment alternatives (staff can accept checks and hold them until the new system can be updated).
