Mayor Is Assured of L.A.’s Y2K Readiness

A week after a Year-2000 readiness test triggered a massive sewage spill in the San Fernando Valley, Mayor Richard Riordan met Thursday with more than 50 managers of city departments who assured him the city’s major computer-dependent systems will function properly on Jan. 1.

Riordan is scheduled today to announce a countywide initiative linking county and city officials with private industry to ensure that Southern California does not suffer major disruptions in the rollover to 2000.

The Millennium Management Leadership Team will develop a plan to prepare government agencies, businesses and residents throughout Los Angeles County for the new year, when some computers may malfunction because of a problem with misreading dates based on the last two digits of the year.

“It is important that we all prepare for Y2K,” Riordan said Thursday. “We greatly appreciate the team members’ dedication in helping laying a framework for Southland residents to tackle Y2K in a smart and proactive manner.”

Riordan will be joined at today’s announcement by John Koskinen, chairman of the President’s Council on Year 2000 Conversion.

On Thursday, Riordan was told by managers, including the city’s Y2K czar, Frank Martinez, that Los Angeles should be able to avoid major disruptions associated with the Y2K bug.

“The city is taking this issue seriously,” Martinez said. “We remain highly confident that all of our mission-critical systems will be operational for Y2K rollover.”

City Councilman Mark Ridley-Thomas, who chairs the council’s Information Technology Committee, scheduled Thursday’s special management meeting before the sewage spill at the Tillman Water Reclamation Plant in Van Nuys.

Ridley-Thomas called the meeting to emphasize that Y2K preparations should be a top priority.

“The department heads are responsible for becoming personally involved in making sure their departments are ready,” he said.

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At the meeting, Martinez asked all city departments to notify him before launching Y2K tests so problems can be avoided.

Ridley-Thomas said real-time tests like those at Tillman are necessary to ensure that city computer networks and communications systems will function properly.

“I expect there will be other incidents,” he said. “They will surface and we will correct them.”

Overall, 93% of the city’s computer systems have been revamped to function properly on Jan. 1, the managers said. The remaining major networks, including the Fire Department’s radio data system, will be upgraded by the end of October, they said.

An executive with the city Department of Water and Power reported that residents should not see any disruption to utility services on Jan. 1.

“All DWP critical systems for supplying water and power will be ready for Year 2000 by June 30, 1999,” Chief Information Officer James Brainerd told the elected officials.

The county and city are working together to develop a system to deal with the public’s concerns.

Noting that Hollywood is working on two television movies about society breaking down because of Y2K problems, Martinez cautioned the managers that there may be more concerns associated with media-inspired hysteria than actual computer mishaps on Jan. 1.