Council debates $38,000 cloud billing migration, delays decision pending wastewater cost estimates

Town staff on Sept. 15 proposed migrating Edwardsport’s utility billing and financial software from Keystone to a cloud-based product offered after Keystone’s consolidation with BSNA. The clerk outlined operational benefits — remote access, a customer portal, electronic billing to reduce postage, integrated modules and built-in backups — and framed the change as a long-term efficiency gain.

Cost and timing: the clerk said the first-year implementation (licensing, migration, project management, configuration and training) was estimated at about $38,000, with an annual recurring fee of $16,755 thereafter. The clerk noted the vendor offered a discount if the town completed migration before April and that Keystone subscription fees could be prorated.

Council reaction: several members expressed support for the cloud-based approach but said they could not commit while major wastewater repair costs remain unknown. Council elected to table the software decision to prioritize water and wastewater capital needs and asked staff to provide cost estimates for sewer repairs before finalizing the software procurement. The clerk also noted the town could consider charging customers who opt to keep paper bills to offset postage costs; that would require a rate ordinance rewrite.

Why it matters: the transition promises long-term administrative savings and customer convenience, but it would raise recurring annual software costs in the near term. Council agreed the timing and funding depend on the scope and cost of pending wastewater repairs and will revisit the proposal next month.