By Britain Stites
Junction City Attorney
It is hard to not wax poetic as I draft this 5-15 report. I sit in the brief chasm between 9 and a half years of a 34+ year veteran of city administration and Monday morning where the interim city manager arrives in-person. I figured that the City would be sailing smoothly over just four days upon Allen Dinkel’s retirement.
Apparently, Microsoft and software dependent on Windows had something else in mind between municipal software, airports, financial institutions, and other entities. Stites said on Friday that since Thursday night, our interim IT director worked to keep our systems online or bring downed systems back up. Even with crashed systems, emergency and first responders kept going to calls to aid citizens. Streets, water, wastewater, and storm sewer kept flowing or being repaired. Parks and recreation still occurred. The court and customer service desks still took care of their customers. Building and Codes continued to inspect and issue or review permits.
Regardless of the situation, the crisis, or the management, the City keeps living breathing, and working. In Kansas, we still live by Ad Astra Per Aspera. That was true in the 19th Century. It continues through today.
We welcome the chance to serve and the opportunity to improve our community.