Q: What is D-FAST® Software?

A: D-FAST® is a state-of-the-art proprietary software program specifically designed for the administration, management, billing, and tracking tasks of Special Assessment and Special Financing Districts ("SFD").

Q: What are Special Assessments or Special Financing Districts ("SFD")?

A: Special Assessments or Special Financing Districts are financing methods used in over 25 States (USA) and provinces in Canada whereby some special type of charge or levy is placed on a piece of land. This includes a number of different types of SFD's with varying nomenclature. In many States, they are called Local Improvement Districts (LID) or just Improvement Districts or Assessment Districts. Some may have a loan or bond attached to them, and some may be just annual maintenance charges for services.

Q: Who developed this software, and do they have a track record?

A: NBS developed D-FAST®. NBS is a stable growing company based in California. The company specializes in the set up and ongoing maintenance of SFD's, and has been in business since 1996. All senior staff have over a decade of experience. NBS has a ten year legacy of providing software systems to local governments, pre-dating the company incorporation.

Q: What does the software do?

A: D-FAST® is a complete solution because it allows for the administration of any type of SFD. The administration includes all of the functions associated with having such an SFD, such as:

• Parcel data management
• Data history tracking
• Billing (direct or via a County or other government agency)
• Amortization of liens, bonds, or loans
• Calculating complicated formulas
• Tracking associated budgets
• Delinquency management and follow up
• Extensive reporting capabilities (Crystal Reports)
• Letter and invoice generation

Q: Who currently uses D-FAST®?

A: Many public agencies across the United States  license D-FAST®, including the Cities of  Boca Raton (FL), Manhattan (KS),  Rapid City (SD), San Diego (CA), Scottsdale (AZ), Spokane (WA), and the County of Sonoma (CA). It should be noted that the largest user is NBS. NBS works under contract as the administration service provider for well over one hundred local government agencies comprising hundreds of thousands of parcels. Therefore, NBS has a continued vested interest in providing the best software and support available.

Q: What are some of the technical details?

A: D-FAST® is a Windows based product running on a SQL server platform. It can be set up in two modes: via the Internet as a client-server application or ASP (Application Service Provider), or via a local installation with a SQL server. The D-FAST® client can be installed on any workstation running Windows 95, 98, NT, 2000, or XP. Embedded within D-FAST® is Crystal Reports, the best-of-breed reporting tool, and T-VALUE, the blue-chip amortization tool used by most banks, mortgage companies and financial professionals. It represents the latest in technology, and it provides a local governmental agency with access to a sophisticated management solution. Licensing D-FAST® is a manageable project with a measurable improvement.

For further information, please call (800) 676-7516 or email to DFAST@nbsgov.com.