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Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "The Conversation Continues":

I am struggling valiantly to keep up with all this verbiage about IT technology. What does seem increasingly obvious is that everyone agrees that the system is not working, may never work and might not be the right product. Can we leave it at that and try to clean up the resultant waste so as to stop spending more money stupidly? That was, after all, a large part of why the current Council was elected. Otherwise we are simply replacing excessive legal bills with over-the-top tech bills.

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Many of us are struggling with IT language. But needs must and I commend you.
While I am not sufficiently conversant with the lingo myself,I can help you understand that  what you read here is my perspective.
It does not reflect opinions  of other members of Council.
Mine was the only vote against purchasing the Machimo program.
Here be the result of my efforts to determine facts about the success or otherwise of the program elsewhere, And my knowledge of the town's daily operations.
Yesterday I spoke to the  manager of the program at the Region. He was  positive and helpful.
While acknowledging  implementation has taken a long time, it is beginning to show benefits.The Province likes it. The annual audits
are well received.
Implementation has been underway since  2004. There has been an increase in staff  to assist in getting the information from the field into the computer.

"The initial implementation costs for Maximo was $800,000 which did not include consulting costs for business process development and improvement for work order and inventory management.
Initially when we implemented Maximo, annual licensing was $56,000. With the purchase of new modules and add ons, and almost double the staff licensed to use it now, we are at an annual licensing cost of approximately $100,000"

What I take from that is, initial cost of buying the software 
was not the end.
Additional consultant services, new modules and add-ons have been required for the system to work. 
Annual cost for licensing fees at the Region has gone from $56,000, to $100,000. More staff are using the system.
Considering  a higher  number of people in the field at the Region,our licensing fees will not be so high.
They will however be a new  annual operating cost in addition to the payroll for new  staff needed to make the system work.
The  Region's operation is not like ours Field operations at the Region are mainly in transportation.
The Region is responsible for supply of water and treatment of sewage. 
We  treat the water, distribute and market it. We collect sewage.
Infrastructure to do both is our responsibility.
We make contracts for garbage collection.
The Region signs  contracts for its disposal.
They sign three different contracts for bus service.
They don't participate in contract negotiations so it's unlikely  daily operation is their concern.
A software program functioning at the Region, after eight years requiring ongoing consultant service  and  adaptation with new modules and add-ons and a dissimilar field operations, is no more likely to be  functional in Aurora than it was in the beginning at the Region. 
That it is likely to be adaptable to our function,even after considerable additional  expenditures. is not realistic in my view. 
I am mindful of placing town staff in compromising situations.
I believe  the  person who recommended  purchase of Machimo for the Region also advised the purchase for Aurora.
I stress.The view put forward here is mine. It is not shared 
by any other member of Council
I believe it must be shared by some staff at the town hall who are involved in the process.
They are not likely to be asked for input. Nor would they be encouraged to offer.
They are under orders to provide no information requested  by a Councillor.
All information must first be vetted by the relevant Director. 
It's the times we live in.      
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