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."

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