Software Glitch Cuts Utility Donation Option Boxes For Food Bank, Oasis Will Be Back On City Bill

The installation of new finance software has interrupted an option for Post Falls residents to donate money to city programs through their city utility bills.

For the months of December and January, the city bills haven’t included the donation boxes for two city programs - the Post Falls’ Food Bank and the OASIS program, where donated funds help fight domestic violence.

But the city has no plans to do away with the donation option.

The boxes are expected to reappear starting this week, said Shelly Enderud, Post Falls’ finance director. The fault lies with the Portland company installing the new Windows-based program, she said. “They forgot to add (the boxes),” she said.

The city started the new billing system last November in order to be Y2K compliant. The new software avoids any problems caused by the new year and is an easier program for the city. The program still is responsible for several bugs, however, and it’s not expected to be entirely fixed until March.

In the meantime, residents are still donating, said Enderud. When paying January’s bill, people can include a donation in their utility payment. Residents just need to mark it, Enderud said.

In its last fiscal year, the Food Bank received $2,260.77 from Post Falls residents through their utility bills. OASIS received $1,115.43. The option to donate to each program has appeared on the city’s utility bills for more than five years.

The city is also making efforts so, by this spring, utility bills can be paid with a credit card. In the future, residents will be able to pay city bills through the Internet, said Enderud.