Governor Ernie Fletcher today announced that the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet (KYTC) has completed the first phase of a project to install new computers in county clerks' offices as part of a statewide upgrade of AVIS - the automated vehicle information system.
"This project is a win for the commonwealth and for county clerks," said Governor Fletcher. "The state is actually saving money by upgrading this equipment, while the county clerks finally have the tools they need to do their jobs more efficiently. In many of our smaller counties this same old computer equipment had been in use for 25 years."
The first round of technology upgrades is now complete in Kentucky's 60 smallest counties. The second phase is under way with equipment updates in the 60 larger counties. Old terminals and aging mainframe printers are being replaced with personal computers and new printers that will generate vehicle registrations for customers.
"We are extremely thankful to Governor Fletcher, the Transportation Cabinet and to the Legislature for making the computer upgrade a priority," said Franklin County Clerk Guy Zeigler, president of the Kentucky County Clerks Association. "The equipment upgrades will make the office more efficient and allow our county clerks to better serve the public."
Governor Fletcher budgeted $700,000 for replacement of old terminals, printers and networks in county clerk offices. AVIS software also will be upgraded. The new network will be more versatile and economical.
"It is vital that we utilize technology that allows us to provide better and more efficient services," said Governor Fletcher. "These much-needed improvements are making a world of difference for the county clerks and their customers. This will bring all the county clerks on board with the same, modern computer network. We are laying the groundwork for the new AVIS computer system and future consumer services like digitized plates, on-demand registration stickers and expanding Internet transactions."
The PCs and ongoing technical support are provided by the Commonwealth Office of Technology.
