City-County Task Force Offers Help With Y2K Source Of Information To Prepare For Possible Computer Bugs

Wed., March 17, 1999

Grayden Jones Staff writer

Elected officials today will announce formation of the Spokane City-County Y2K Task Force, throwing the weight of government behind community preparedness for the millennium.

But officials will not commit public money to the task force, saying the City-County Department of Emergency Management already fills that role.

County Commissioner Kate McCaslin and Mayor John Talbott will introduce the task force as a source of information and technical assistance to citizens concerned about potential problems in 2000.

“We’re not sounding an alarm, but it’s prudent for everyone to make minimal preparation,” McCaslin said. “We’re recognizing the task force as a source where people can go.”

The Y2K problem centers on whether the internal clocks in older computers and electronic devices will recognize the year 2000. If they don’t, some believe the computers could fail, disrupting power, communications and distribution of food and medicine.

However, a growing number of businesses, schools, utilities and municipalities have declared themselves Y2K compliant, meaning they do not expect their systems to fail.

The task force has been in existence since December as a collection of volunteers who served as a clearinghouse for Y2K information. The effort has been guided by the Spokane Health Improvement Partnership.

The task force is expected to recommend today that citizens begin to gradually store food as a precaution against disruptions in January, according to documents provided the commissioners.

Both the city and county this week rejected requests to contribute tax dollars to the task force, saying requests for special funding should come through the emergency management department.

IF YOU GO Y2K task force Officials will introduce the Spokane City-County Y2K Task Force at 2 p.m. at the Spokane Intercollegiate Research and Technology Institute, 665 N. Riverpoint Blvd. The task force can be reached at 444-3088.

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