TEXARKANA, Ark. - During a regular meeting Monday, the city Board of Directors unanimously approved leasing new case management software for the Texarkana Division of the Miller County District Court.
The software will replace the system in place during last December's cyberattack on local government information technology, which destroyed all the court's stored data, Chief Court Clerk Karen Reed told the Board. Since then, court staff have been performing all functions without the aid of computers, including manually creating dockets and financial records.
Because the company that provides the current software will not be able to train court staff in person until this summer, the Texarkana Division requested a change to software called Virtual Justice, which all other divisions of the District Court use.
Virtual Justice will be able to install its software, train staff and perform all initial data entry within two weeks of beginning the work, Reed said.
Virtual Justice was designed to be specific to Arkansas courts, and more than 180 in the state use it. The current system, provided by a company called Tyler Technologies, is primarily used in Texas.
Nonrenewal of a contract for use of the current system will not cost the court or the city any money, Reed and City Attorney George Matteson said.
Implementing Virtual Justice will bear a one-time cost of $10,800 for installation and staff training, plus $1,050 per month for the lease.
Payment will initially come from the city's general fund, which will be reimbursed from the court's automation fee fund, Finance Director TyRhonda Henderson said.
The court automation fee is a $5 charge added to fines, and half of the fee is earmarked to fund information technology, Reed said.
After a 25-minute executive session, the Board also voted unanimously to authorize up to $10,000 in relocation funding for whoever the next city manager will be.
Former City Manager Kenny Haskin resigned unexpectedly April 1 during a surprise meeting of the city Board of Directors. The Board met with him behind closed doors for almost an hour before voting 4-3 to accept his resignation and appoint local business owner and former state Rep. David Haak as interim city manager.
Mayor Allen Brown said Monday that the Board has received several applications for the position and will begin considering them this week.
In other business, the Board voted unanimously to approve purchase of four new backup generators for the Fire Department.
The generators to be replaced are more than 16 years old and have reached the end of their service lives.
The cost is just over $71,500, accounted for in the current city budget. TMR Generators of Hooks, Texas, was the low bidder to provide the generators, which will run on natural gas.
The Board also approved a contract to clean sludge ponds at the Millwood Water Treatment Plant.
Denali Water Solutions of Russellville, Arkansas, was low bidder for the project at $267,197. Texarkana, Arkansas, will pay more than $98,400 of the cost and Texarkana, Texas, the remainder.
The Board's next meeting is scheduled for May 3.