Businesses Will Answer Y2K Concerns

Tue., Sept. 14, 1999

Mike Roarke Staff Writer

Want a better idea of what to expect from banks, utilities and health care companies when the millennium arrives?

If so, the President’s Council on Year 2000 Conversion and the Spokane City-County Y2K Task Force are holding a community forum Wednesday to answer questions.

The event is scheduled from 7 to 8:30 p.m. at City Hall in the council chamber.

Representatives from businesses including Avista, US West, Sacred Heart Medical Center, Fairchild Air Force Base and Washington Trust Bank are expected to be part of a question-and-answer panel.

So far, 139 of these community events, which the President’s Council started in June, have been held around the country. Another 137 are scheduled.

Greg Johnson, an attorney with Paine Hamblen and co-chairman of the Spokane City-County Y2K Task Force, said, “Locally, I think we’re doing a pretty good job” with preparation and conversion efforts.

But in other areas, some grounds for concern remain.

A quarterly report issued by the President’s Council last month notes that smaller health care facilities could be prone to troubles. And citing a study done by the National Federation of Independent Businesses, the President’s Council believes small businesses are more likely to encounter Y2K problems than large banks, power companies and airlines.

Local journalism is essential.

Give directly to The Spokesman-Review's Northwest Passages community forums series -- which helps to offset the costs of several reporter and editor positions at the newspaper -- by using the easy options below. Gifts processed in this system are tax deductible.

Meet Our Journalists

Jesse Tinsley

Meet Jesse Tinsley. As a certified drone pilot, this veteran Spokesman-Review photographer often can be seen capturing beautiful aerial photographs of our region. Sometimes though, the job requires getting down with the dogs.
Jim Meehan

Jim Meehan is no stranger to Zag Nation. As the lead writer covering the Gonzaga men’s basketball team, he tells the stories behind the game and gets fans a bit closer to their favorite players.
Molly Quinn

There is no artist in Spokane like Molly Quinn. Her whimsical style is instantly recognizable to readers of The Spokesman-Review. She has painted gorgeous illustrations that instantly elevate the journalism accompanying it. She brings to life the stories that defy photography. She makes our pages better.
Rob Curley

Spokesman-Review editor Rob Curley loves to talk with people and learn about their lives, whether it's a best-selling author or a stranger he meets downtown on his walk to lunch. It's that inquisitive nature combined with a playful sense of storytelling that helps make our newspaper different than most.