On Tuesday, each council member was sworn in as part of a special-called meeting.
Council members serving their first terms include
"2020 was a very challenging year for our city, for all of our residents, but we were able to, through the grace of God and good management, manage through 2020," Mayor
"We are as well positioned in the city of
The city finance department is now seeking $65,000 in funding to upgrade its finance and accounting software with vendor E-Government Solutions.
Assistant City Manager
"We are really pleased that we've found a finance and accounting software vendor that will allow us to do a few things," Jablonski said.
"Those are to provide online payment capabilities to our citizens and to our local businesses, which is a strategic planning objective. The second will allow us to provide online permitting, licensure and citations, which again will provide online capabilities to our citizens and local businesses."
The software will also provide employees at the city Recorder's Office the capability to work remotely, something Jablonski said would have come in handy at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.
"If we had had these capabilities back in April when everything shut down due to the pandemic, we would have been able to keep our recorder's office employees working from home, and we wouldn't have skipped a beat," he said.
"We would have had everybody working at once, which in any type of disaster you would be able to work off-site from anywhere."
The $65,000 purchase for the software would also be a one-time payment. There will be an annual $50,000 operating fee, which is the same amount the city pays now.
Columbia Marketing and Tourism Director
"We'll have a beautiful new site with functionality, within the parameters of our template, where payments are taken, like the City Recorder department, planning and so forth," Murphy said. "This will be terrific."
Jablonski added that, while the city's site will launch by April, the new finance software could take over a year to become fully operational.
The Zoll X Series monitor/defibrillator, which is valued at $35,000, allows fire crews to administer ER procedures to patients directly on the scene. It is designed to get medical attention to the patient faster, as well as sending information to doctors and other hospital workers.
Fire Chief
"This technology allows us to transmit leads, 12 leads, straight to the ER to start patient care and start those rhythms where the ER doctor can see them," Cobb said. "It also gives them the flexibility to check vitals, blood pressure, heart rhythms, defibrillate. It is a lifesaving piece of equipment."
Vice Mayor
"Having that as an inventory item for us is a lifesaver and a life changer. I appreciate that so much," Martin said.
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