HUNTINGTON — The city of Huntington could operate more efficiently if it implemented an asset management system, representatives of a consulting firm told City Council members Monday.

That was the central message delivered to the council by representatives of L. Robert Kimball and Associates during a presentation on the city’s infrastructure challenges.

An asset management system is a computerized program used to manage equipment and resources, track financial data and identify solutions through electronic mapping and imagery, said George Sarapa, a project manager with the company.

Many municipalities such as Huntington have data that is maintained by multiple departments in multiple locations and formats, Sarapa said. That could put the city at a disadvantage for federal grant dollars, which requires more efficient tracking of assets and expenditures, he said.

An asset management system could help Huntington formulate a 10-year plan for street paving, coordinate the closure of its old landfill and map fire hydrants throughout the city, among other things, Sarapa said.

“It would be a big change, but we think in the end it results in a more efficient government,” he said.

Council members and members of Mayor Kim Wolfe’s administration indicated the proposal has merit, but didn’t say whether the city would pursue the idea.

L. Robert Kimball also is in the process of conducting a study to identify inefficiencies in the city’s sanitation and trash departments.

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