Are you trying to run a preexisting maintenance plan, or are you creating one from scratch and are getting this error when trying to save or run it?
You never answered this question. You stated that you inherited this server as an image of another server. I am curious if the "local server connection" that the error is saying is failing was setup when the maintenance plan was created to connect to an instance name which is no longer valid.
If you create a new maintenance plan does it fail with the same error, or does it succeed?
Joie Andrew
"Since 1982"