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TYRONE – Borough Council voted at their Monday meeting to rent third-party billing software for almost $100 per month after learning that the borough’s old software had become outdated.
Borough manager Phyllis Garhart, addressing council, said the software company that previously provided the borough’s billing system had contacted her to explain that support would continue to be provided for the current system, but there will be no more updates.
This could be problematic because the lack of updates means no new features will be added to the billing system, Garhart said.
To purchase new software, however, Garhart said the borough may have to spend about $75,000 to $100,000.
So she suggested council opt to rent software from Link Computer Corp., a Bellwood-based software company. Its Muni-Link software would allow borough residents to manage and pay for their utilities, using a website.
“It’s very user-friendly,” Garhart said, referring to an interface she was able to demo. “Customers will be able to access multiple accounts and pay bills using credit or ACH (which Garhart described as an automated debit program).”
Customers using a credit card would be subject to a fee, but the ACH users would not, she said. The cost to rent the service is $940 per month, she said. While this may sound costly, Garhart said the automation will allow for an annual cost savings of $1,440 in postage for sending bills, as well as the cost of paper.
Garhart added that the price is subject to an annual adjustment. Also, if an additional 50 or more properties are added to the system, the price could increase, too, she said, explaining that is not likely.
Mayor Bill Fink, the council’s president, said his biggest concern was with the third-party company’s security protocols. Scott Baker, a Muni-Link representative, was in attendance to address these concerns.
“Our system … is more secure than what you are doing now, or what someone else is going to offer,” he said, explaining data gathered using the cloud-based software is stored in a high-security facility, which also houses Department of Defense data.
“If you went to the facility, it looks like something out of ‘Mission Impossible,'” Baker said.
Baker said once customers enter bank account information, it will not be visible again. He said other local municipalities use the software, and he has yet to hear of any security issues.
Hearing this, council voted to OK the deal, understanding that the borough would also be responsible to pay a startup fee, which Garhart estimated at $1,500. Baker said it will take some time to get current data transferred into the new system, and estimated it could be implemented as early as October.