Council questions unused software

Crook County Growth and Development Tim Lyons addressed the Moorcroft Town Council at Monday night’s meeting to discuss renewing the contract for the Environmental Systems Research Institute (ESRI) software.

This contract renews to a cost of $756.75 every three years to maintain licensing for the computerized Geological Information Systems (GIS) mapping throughout the county and municipalities. Weston Niobrara Counties are also partners in this contract. The initial invoice is paid by the county and each town then reimburses the county.

The GIS mapping system allows entities to input water/sewer lines, streets, cemetery plots and more. However, the program is, of course, only useful if used.

This is the third contract signed for a program the town has never used so, when the council received this bill, they asked Lyons to attend the assembly and explain what the town “gets out of it”, as Councilman Dale Petersen put it.

As Lyons talked about the program and its benefits, Petersen again asked, “How is the town of Moorcroft utilizing the software?” To which Lyons admitted, “To date, I don’t believe you are.”

Moorcroft has no individual on staff trained to operate this program and no data has been installed since 2013, when HDR Engineering provided their entire project mapping at that time for installation. HDR’s Heath Turbiville assured the governing body that if the town chooses to engage the program, they will be able to bring their part of the data up to date.

“It’s all there; it’s just that there hasn’t been anybody in the town who has really gotten involved with it,” he said.

If the town chooses staff members to enter and subsequently use data, Lyons noted that online training is available by contract. Mayor Dick Claar said that Public Works Director Cory Allison is considering engaging a member of his personnel in the program.

Moorcroft is not the only small community questioning whether to remain part of this agreement; Lyons also admitted Upton’s departure from the contract after the first three years.

“They were short manned; they had one guy and one part-time. They didn’t have time to mess with it and didn’t see the benefit so they dropped out,” he said.

“I feel there’s a lot of value in it,” Petersen recognized the validity of the program, “It’s just a matter that… as far as we know, the town employees haven’t accessed it. I’m good with another year of this, but unless we’re willing to move forward with it, we’re just throwing money out the window.”

He voiced his plan to discuss the future use of the program with Allison at a later date.

Reimbursement for the next three years was approved, to be reevaluated before the next contract approval by Moorcroft.