By DAVE HAMRICK
Staff Writer

City officials in Fayetteville aren't expecting any problems when the year 2000 rolls around in two weeks, but if trouble does come, they're ready for it, says a spokesman.

“We have a contingency plan for every department,” said city finance director Lynn Raven, who has been put in charge of coordinating Y2K preparedness.

“This doesn't have to be looked at just for Y2K,” Raven pointed out. The contingency plan will work just as well in any future disaster, she said.

Police and fire departments have identified which roads in the city should be “flow” roads and which should yield to oncoming traffic if traffic lights should go out, Raven said, and extra traffic cones are ready to help direct traffic.

Extra emergency workers will be on duty as midnight approaches Dec. 31, and all city workers will be on call, she added. If workers should have to stay on the job overnight, beds are available at fire stations, and the city has ordered several sleeping bags as well, said Raven.

There are plans for any widespread power outage, phone malfunction and even for the possibility that the mail may not run, Raven said. “We have plans for how to correct the problem and what to do while [the phones or power] are down,” she said.

Her own department, finance, is prepared to make data entries by hand if computers don't work, she said. Every city department has likewise considered the possibilities and has a plan in place, she added.

If any problem is widespread enough to be considered a disaster, Fayetteville's emergency departments will work in concert with Fayette County's Emergency Operations Center in implementing its disaster plan.

In case of minor problems, each city department will have a few employees come by City Hall early Jan. 1 to check things out. “We'll make sure what's working and what's not,” said Raven. “The rest of the staff will report Jan. 2 unless there's an emergency.”

City meter readers are prepared to help out in communications if other systems aren't working, Raven said.

The meter readers are well versed on the layout of city streets, and can use door hangers to communicate with residents, the same way they notify residents if their water is about to be turned off.

City employees also are being told to top off their gas tanks as close to New Years Eve as possible, and city generators are filled and ready.

“The plan is pretty detailed,” said Raven. “I feel like we're ready.”

But all the city's systems have been checked and rechecked, and problems are not anticipated, she said. “But this [plan] is in place if we ever do get into a situation where we need it.”