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WITH ME.[Finance & Audit Committee on January 27, 2021.]
ORDER AT 6:04 PM.UM, MAY I ASK MR. GRIMMETT FOR THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE? OH, IT'S A LITTLE AWKWARD.
I DON'T HAVE A FLAG IN MY VICINITY, BUT, UH, I CAN DO IT PLAIN VERBALLY.
UH, IF YOU JOIN AFTER ME, WE'LL STAND UP.
THERE'LL BE A LITTLE HARD TO SEE US, BUT THAT'S OKAY.
I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STANDS ONE NATION UNDER GOD FOR LIBERTY AND JUSTICE.
WE'LL MOVE ON TO THE ROLL CALL.
DONNA CHIA, PRESENT ROSARIO DIAZ, ROSARIO DIAZ.
WE'LL MOVE ON TO THE APPROVAL OF THE MEETING MINUTES.
LET'S START FIRST WITH THE JUNE 3RD, 2020 FINANCE AND AUDIT COMMITTEE MEETING MINUTES.
DID ANYONE ON THE COMMITTEE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS ON THESE MINUTES? I'M CHAIR.
UM, IT'S MORE OF A COMMENT ON THE MINUTES FOR THE 3RD OF JUNE.
I WAS JUST CLARIFICATION MORE SO ON PAGE FOUR, UH, YOU ASH ACTUALLY ASKED MARCEL A QUESTION ABOUT THE ANIMAL CONTROL AND THE BIG DECREASE IN REVENUE AND THE INCREASE IN EXPENSES.
AND MARK SAID THAT THEY WERE LOOKING INTO OTHER OPTIONS.
AND I WAS JUST WONDERING, DID YOU EVER GET A RESPONSE TO THAT? DID WE EVER FIND OUT WHAT THE STATUS WAS? THAT'S QUESTION NUMBER ONE, PAUL, I HAVE NOT RECEIVED AN UPDATE ON THAT.
MAYBE SAY MANAGER WILL BE ABLE TO ENLIGHTEN US.
AND THEN THE OTHER QUESTION YOU, YOU DID ASK WAS ABOUT POLICE DEPARTMENT AND THE ACCOUNT, UM, MARSHA SOLARIO ASKS QUESTIONS ABOUT POLICE DEPARTMENT AND STATES THAT COUNT SEEM A BIT HEAVY AND CITY MANAGER STATES THAT POLICE CHIEF WAS NOT ON THE CALL, BUT HE'D GET BACK TO HER ON A QUESTION YOU HAD REGARDING THE POLICE DEPARTMENT.
DID YOU EVER GET A RESPONSE TO THAT? NO, I DID THAT.
MAYBE WE NEED TO FOLLOW UP ON THOSE IF IT'S STILL IMPORTANT FOR YOU TO FIND THOSE, THOSE ANSWERS TO THOSE QUESTIONS AND THEN JUST REAL QUICK ON THE MINUTES.
THAT'S THAT'S WHAT I HAVE FOR THE THIRD.
I HAVE QUESTIONS FOR THE 11TH.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS FOR THE MINUTES ON THE THIRD? NOPE.
UM, DO WE NEED TO DO A MOTION FOR, TO APPROVE THESE MINUTES BEFORE WE GO ONTO THE NEXT ONES OR APPROVE AND BOTH TOGETHER? LET'S APPROVE THE FIRST ONE PLEASE.
DAVID LYNN MADE THE MOTION AND DARRIO SECOND THAT'S CORRECT? YUP.
WE WILL MOVE ON TO THE JUNE 11, 20, 20 FINANCE AND AUDIT COMMITTEE.
ANY COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS?
ON MINUTES FOR THE 11TH OF JUNE ON PAGE THREE, UM, WE WERE ANTICIPATING A COPY OF THE DRAFT CONTRACT FROM THE FIRE DEPARTMENT THAT HAD TO DO WITH LA COUNTY.
DID WE EVER GET A COPY OF THAT? THAT'S COOL.
I DON'T BELIEVE WE DID THE LAST WEEK.
IT WAS BEING ROUTED FOR YOU AND THEN YOU SEE NO UPDATE AFTER THAT.
SO WE WILL NEED TO FOLLOW UP THE TENDER COSTS.
BUT MADAM CHAIR, THE REASON I BROUGHT THIS UP IS BECAUSE IN
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THE PAST, WHEN WE'VE REVIEWED MINUTES, UM, I KNOW THAT THERE'S A COUPLE OF THINGS THAT I BROUGHT UP.ONE WAS AN IT ISSUE THAT THERE WAS PROBLEMS WITH IT AND THAT THE PERSON WAS SUPPOSED TO GET BACK TO US.
AND DIDN'T, AND I GUESS MY CONCERN IS THAT, EXCUSE ME, WE FAST THESE QUESTIONS AND WE'RE TOLD THAT WE'RE GOING TO BE GETTING FOLLOW AND COPIES OF THINGS.
AND IT KIND OF JUST FALLS OFF INTO A BISQUE, WHICH IS AS WE MOVE FORWARD INTO NIGHT'S MEETING SOMETHING THAT THE STATE AUDIT HAS REFLECTED UPON.
SO I THINK MOVING FORWARD, AS FAR AS OUR COMMITTEE IS CONCERNED, JUST THROWING THIS OUT THERE AS A SUGGESTION, THAT WHEN WE ASK QUESTIONS OR HAVE CONCERNS, OR WOULD LIKE DOCUMENTS THAT WE FOLLOW UP AND MAKE SURE THAT WE GET THEM, CAUSE IT COULD IMPEDE ON A DECISION WE HAVE TO MAKE DOWN THE ROAD.
SO THAT'S WHY I'M JUST ASKING IF ANYBODY GOT COPIES OR RESPONSES TO THOSE QUESTIONS THAT WERE ASKED AT THOSE TWO LAST WEEK.
LET ME REACH OUT TO THE COMMITTEE REALLY QUICK.
DID ANYBODY RECEIVE ANY DOCUMENTS IN REGARDS TO THESE ITEMS ON THE MINUTES? NOPE.
FOR WHOEVER'S ASSIGNED CHAIR TODAY, MOVING FORWARD THAT WE FOLLOW UP ON OUR ITEMS IN A MORE TIMELY FASHION.
WE'LL, WE'LL PUT A SYSTEM IN PLACE TO KIND OF FOLLOW UP ON THOSE.
I'LL MAKE SURE, BUT WHO'S SAYING THAT REO.
CAN I HAVE A MOTION TO GET, OH, SORRY.
IS THERE ANY MORE QUESTIONS ON JUNE 11 MINUTES FOR APPROVAL? I'LL SECOND IT AGAIN.
HERE WE KNOW THEY'RE APPROVED.
SO ITEM NUMBER THREE, FINANCE AND AUDIT COMMITTEE NOMINATION.
WE HAVE TO NOMINATE A CHAIR AND A VICE CHAIR.
SO WE WILL START WITH THE CHAIR.
I, I HAVE, UH, I HAVE A QUESTION BEFORE WE PROCEED.
UH, NORMALLY AT LEAST IN THE PAST, UH, WE'VE DONE THESE THINGS IN JUNE.
THE, UH, THE, WHAT I CALL THE REORGANIZATION MEETING AND THIS IS JANUARY AND I GUESS I'M ASKING A GENERAL QUESTION ABOUT PROCEDURE OR TIMELINES.
UH, WHEN SHOULD THIS TAKE PLACE? WHEN, WHEN IS THIS COMMITTEE RECONSTITUTED? BECAUSE I NOTICED WHEN THE COUNCIL REAPPOINTED NEW MEMBERS TO THE COMMITTEE, IT SEEMED TO BE THAT THE TERM STARTED IN JANUARY, WHICH IS NOT THE WAY IT'S BEEN IN THE PAST.
UH, SO I'M TRYING TO FIND OUT THE, UM, TIMELINE STRUCTURE OF THIS COMMITTEE, UH, THE CITY MANAGER, PERHAPS, BECAUSE I'M NOT SURE WHAT'S GOING ON WITH US.
JIM, CAN I SPEAK UP FOR A SECOND? SO WHEN THIS COMMITTEE WAS THE KULIN ROSATI, WHEN THIS COMMITTEE WAS FORMED IN 2016, YOU'RE CORRECT.
IT WAS ABOUT MAY OR JUNE THAT THE ROTATION SHOULD HAVE OCCURRED.
AND IT HAD BEEN OCCURRING ABOUT THAT TIME.
IF YOU LOOK AT THE MINUTES FOR JUNE 3RD AND I WAS GOING TO BRING THIS UP, UM, THERE WAS A NOTATION THAT A NEW CHAIR SHOULD HAVE BEEN NOMINATED AT THAT POINT.
AND IT WAS SAID IT WOULD BE POSTPONED TO THE NEXT MEETING, WHICH WAS JUNE 11TH.
AND FOR SOME REASON IT GOT OVERLOOKED.
SO IF WE WOULD HAVE BEEN ON THE TIMELINE, WHICH YOU'RE SPEAKING OF, WE WOULD HAVE BEEN INAPPROPRIATE, UM, TIMELINE FOR NOW, BUT WE DIDN'T.
SO THERE WASN'T FOLLOW THROUGH WITH APPOINTING THE NEW CHAIR.
IN FACT, I THINK I BROUGHT THAT UP TO ROBIN WHEN WE HAD THE MEETING WITH THE FIRE DEPARTMENT OR MAYBE IT WAS BEFORE THAT IT WAS COMING SOON.
WELL, I GUESS I'M, I'M TRYING TO FIND OUT IF SOMETHING HAS CHANGED ABOUT THE, UH, THE TERMS AND, UH, BECAUSE JIM, LET ME, LET ME INTERVENE HERE.
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THAT LIKE LATER.UM, IT'S SOMETHING I'M SURE WE COULD RESOLVE PRETTY EASILY.
AND, UH, I THINK WE SHOULD MOVE THE MEETING ALONG.
IT'S NOT DECIDING THAT RIGHT NOW IS NOT THE AGENDA, BUT I COULD, UH, WE COULD DISCUSS IT LATER AND, AND FIGURED THAT OUT.
I THINK WE COULD DISCUSS IT WITH THE COUNCIL ABOUT, YOU KNOW, DO WE REVERT BACK TO STARTING, YOU KNOW, MID YEAR? OR DO WE LEAVE IT THIS WAY AND HOW OFTEN WE HOLD THEM, THE MEETINGS? UM, I, I THINK, I THINK WE COULD DO THAT LATER.
ARE YOU OKAY WITH THAT? W WELL, I, I WOULD BE UNCOMFORTABLE WITH PROCEEDING WITH AN ELECTION UNTIL WE FIGURE OUT WHAT OUR CALENDAR IS.
THAT WAS WHAT I WAS TRYING TO SAY.
SO I AM CAREFUL WITH MARSHA STAYING CHAIR UNTIL WE KNOW HOW LONG HER TERM IS.
YOU KNOW WHAT I'M TRYING TO SAY? AND I, I AGREE WHAT YOU'RE TRYING TO SAY.
UM, WELL, W WELL, WE COULD JUST GO BACK TO, YOU KNOW, WE COULD, I GUESS, AS A COMMITTEE TODAY, DECIDE, DO WE WANT TO VOTE ON IT TODAY? OR DO WE WANT TO POSTPONE IT FOR NEXT MEETING? SUPPOSEDLY THE NEXT MEETING MAY NOT BE UNTIL MARCH.
SO DAVE GLENN IS YOUR CO-CHAIR.
AND WHILE YOU DON'T HAVE TO USE THAT PECKING ORDER NECESSARILY TO HAVE THE CO-CHAIR MOVED TO CHAIR, SOMETIMES THAT IS WHAT HAPPENS.
SO MY PERSONAL OPINION IS WE'VE EXTENDED IT LONG ENOUGH.
UM, AND I THINK THAT WHAT DAVE'S, I'M SORRY, WHAT GYMS IS TRYING TO ALLUDE TO IS THAT WE DO A NEW CHAIRMAN AND A NEW VICE CHAIR.
AND I THINK POSTPONING IT, THAT THAT'S WHY THINGS NEVER GET DONE IS WE JUST KEEP POSTPONING IT AND PUTTING THINGS ON THE BACK BURNER, AND WE'RE GOING TO LOOK INTO IT.
AND THERE'S NO FOLLOW-UP WITH ALL DUE RESPECT.
SO I, I THINK IF, IF THERE'S NO OPPOSITION, WE COULD DO IT TODAY.
I MEAN, I DON'T THINK WHY WOULD ANYONE BE OPPOSED TO DOING THAT TODAY? DOING THE CHAIR AND THE GO CHAIR? YEAH.
IT, I THINK PEOPLE WERE PLANNING ON IT BECAUSE IT HAS BEEN AGENDA.
I THINK JIM SPHERES DOES THAT NOW IS ANY, ANY PRECEDENT THAT NOW WE'LL JUST BE DOING THE NEW ROTATION EVERY JANUARY, JANUARY, AS OPPOSED TO IN JUNE.
AND SO IF THIS IS WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN, THEY HAVE TO TASTE IT.
I SEE, I SEE WHAT YOU'RE SAYING.
DO YOU HAVE A COMMENT ON THAT AS TO, SHOULD THE CHAIRMANSHIP START IN JUNE WHEN IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN DONE? OR SHOULD IT START NOW AT JANUARY, THE COUNCIL APPROVED THE APPOINTMENT.
AND, UM, IF I COULD SAY THIS, THEY WERE APPRECIATIVE THAT EVERYONE REAPPLIED AND THEY WANTED THE COMMITTEE TO CONTINUE AS CONSTITUTED.
SO THIS WAS APPROVED AT THE CITY COUNCIL MEETING ON THE 19TH.
I'M ASSUMING IT'S A ONE YEAR TERM OR TWO YEAR TERM FROM, FROM THAT DATE.
BUT I WOULD THINK YOU COULD, UM, TONIGHT RECONSTITUTE THE OFFICES THAT THE CHAIRMAN HAD SAID, I WOULD, I WOULD RECOMMEND YOU DO THAT.
SO MOVING FORWARD, WE NEED A NOMINATION FOR A CHAIR.
LET'S START WITH NOMINATIONS FOR THE CHAIR, PLEASE.
I'D LIKE TO NOMINATE CO-CHAIR DAVE LYNN AS CHAIRMAN.
DO I HEAR A SECOND? LET ME GET A ROLL CALL, MARSHA.
YEAH, I THINK SHE MIGHT HAVE TO BE LED INTO THE MEETING BECAUSE SHE WAS HAVING TROUBLE CONNECTING.
SO I TEXTED HER TO HANG UP AND TRY AGAIN.
IS THERE A WAY TO CHECK THAT? OKAY.
I LET HER IN US, KAREN, SHE SENT ME A SCREENSHOT OF HER PHONE THAT SHOWS
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PLEASE WAIT.THE MEETING HOST WILL LET YOU INTO, I LET HER IN.
IT SAYS GALAXY S NINE ON MY SCREEN.
LET ME ASK HER IF SHE CAN HEAR US, PERHAPS SHE NEEDS TO CHECK THE, UH, MICROPHONE ON HER SCREEN TO TALK.
SO SHE WOULDN'T REALLY KNOW WHAT WE'RE DISCUSSING.
I'LL FILL HER IN ON, ON THIS LATER.
UM, BUT HOPEFULLY SHE CAN JOIN US.
NO, SHE SAYS SHE CAN'T HEAR, BUT SHE COULD SEE EVERYONE.
I'LL ASK HER MAYBE TO PUT A HEADSET ON PLUGGING INTO HER PHONE SOMETIMES THAT WAY.
I'M GOING TO ASK HER TO CALL ME ON MY CELL PHONE.
HELLO? CAN EVERYONE HEAR ME? YES.
ROSARIO HAS JOINED UP THROUGH, THROUGH MY CELL PHONE.
THIS IS MARSHA DATING ON, UM, DAVID LYNN BECOMING THE CHAIR.
SO WE'RE DOING ROLL CALL YOUR LAST VOTE.
DO I HAVE ANY NOMINATION? THERE'S A STATEMENT.
UH, I THINK SHE'S BEEN DOING A VERY GOOD JOB IN LAST YEAR GETTING DISCUSSIONS.
AND SO I WOULD LIKE THE LAMINATE MUSHROOM.
UM, AT THE TIME I WAS, UM, MADE CARE.
SO SHOULD I PASS THE GAVEL ON TO DAVID RIGHT NOW TO GO WITH THE MEETING, DAVID YOU'RE UP? OKAY.
THIS CHAIR IS CURRENTLY, WELL, I BELIEVE WE HAVE ALREADY COVERED THREE ITEMS ON THE AGENDA.
UM, S I'LL PLAN THE GOAL, BUT THE, THE CORRECTIVE ACTION PLAN, UM, AS A SHARED WITH THE COMMITTEE, IS IT POSSIBLE TO RESHUFFLE THESE TOPICS TO MAYBE LEAVE THE STATE TO THE END SINCE IT'S PROBABLY GOING TO BE THE MORE DETAILED ONE, THIS RECOMMENDATION? I DON'T KNOW IF I'M ALLOWED TO DO THAT.
I GUESS WE CAN START WITH THE STATE AUDIT REPORT AND THEN MOVE
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ON TO THE MORE GENERIC CORRECTIVE ACTION PLAN AND THEN EVENTUALLY GET INTO THE FINANCIAL RECOVERY PLAN.SO IF YOU START WITH, UM, THE STATE AUDIT REPORT, UH, DOES ANY OF THEM WON'T HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OR CONCERNS OR THE STATE AUDIT REPORT? IF NOT, UH, I GUESS WE'LL MOVE INTO THE CORRECTIVE ACTION PLAN.
UH, I GUESS I CAN GO FIRST ON THIS ONE.
UH, I DO HAVE A QUESTION FOR THE CITY STAFF, SO I UNDERSTAND THAT, UH, THE CORRECTIVE ACTION PLAN FOR THE STATE AUDIT WAS ALREADY APPROVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL.
AND SO WHEN HE SENT TO THE SAFE STATE AUDITOR ON JANUARY 21ST, HOWEVER, I'M A LITTLE BIT CURIOUS TO WHY THIS PLAN DIDN'T GO THROUGH THE FINANCE OR THE COMMITTEE FOR REVIEW AND DISCUSSION FIRST, BEFORE SUBMISSION TO CITY COUNCIL, UH, WHERE WE UNVEILED SEPARATE DEADLINE THAT, UM, I WAS NOT AWARE OF OTHER THAN THE CHILL LIFE FOR US TO SUBMIT SOMETHING TO THE STATE, GOOD EVENING, DAVID COMMISSIONERS, UM, OUR COMMITTEE TERMS HAD LAPSED.
AND SO IT TOOK SOME TIME TO GET BACK ON THE AGENDA, THE REAPPOINTMENT, WHICH OCCURRED ON THE 19TH, THE STATE WANTED THAT CORRECTIVE ACTION PLAN RETURNED TO THEM AS A FIRST OF TWO STEPS.
AND SO WE SENT THAT IN, SO WE COULD COMPLY WITH THE STATE DEADLINE, UM, THE COMMITTEE WASN'T CONSTITUTED, SO COULDN'T MEET, WE DIDN'T, UM, THE TERMS HAD EXPIRED, ET CETERA.
THAT KEY THOUGH IS THE NEXT PART, WHICH IS THE FINANCIAL RECOVERY PLAN, I GUESS THE FIRST IS THAT THE CORRECTIVE ACTION PLAN, WHICH IS AN ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF THESE ISSUES.
AND THEN THE, THE, THE MEAT, THE SUBSTANCE OF IT IS THE FINANCIAL RECOVERY PLAN, WHICH IS THE DOCUMENT THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT TONIGHT, UM, WHERE THAT WAS SOME REVEALING, THE EVEN MORE GRANULAR PLAN, WHICH IS THE FINANCIAL RECOVERY PLAN.
UH, I'M UNDER THE IMPRESSION THAT A STATUS REPORT WILL BE SUBMITTED ON A MONTHLY BASIS TO THE STATE.
I'M WONDERING IF I CAN, ON BEHALF OF THE FINANCE AND AUDIT COMMITTEE, UM, SHOULD TO REQUEST A COPY OF THE MONTHLY STATUS REPORT GOING FORWARD AS SOON AS THEY BEGIN.
BUT IF I MAY, THE DEADLINE FOR THE FINANCIAL RECOVERY PLAN IS JUNE, 2021.
SO WE THOUGHT, UM, WE WOULD GET THIS OUT IN JANUARY, SO WE COULD BE WORKING ON THIS AND HAVE IT SUBMITTED AHEAD OF THAT DEADLINE.
AND THEN THE STATE AUDITOR ASKED THAT THE, THAT THE CITY COUNCIL BE INFORMED QUARTERLY OF THE CITY'S PROGRESS IN IMPLEMENTING THIS PLAN THAT YOU'RE LOOKING AT TO NOT QUARTERLY.
UM, LOOK SO WITH THE LOSS COLUMN, UH, APRIL PAYPAL, THAT STATUS REPORT PARENTHESIS UPDATE A MONTHLY, IS THIS MORE LIKE AN INTERNAL PROCESS? IT IS A NUMBER OF THE THINGS ON THAT LIST ARE UNDERWAY AND REQUIRE A STAFF LEVEL MEETING.
UM, MONTHLY, THE CITY MANAGEMENT IS, IS ASKED BY THE STATE TO INFORM THE CITY COUNCIL QUARTERLY AGAINST IT.
SO, UM, THIS DOCUMENT IS, UM, INTERESTING FOR ANOTHER RISK IS THE SUBSTANCE OF IT, BUT ALSO THE FORMAT, THE STATE WAS UNABLE TO PROVIDE ANY TEMPLATES OR ANY EXAMPLES OR, OR NO, THEY DIDN'T KNOW OF ANY CITY WHO HAD ACTUALLY DRAFTED SUCH A THING.
AND SO WE'RE, UM, PUT THIS TOGETHER IN A VERY SIMPLE FORMAT, UM, THAT WE COULD GET TO WORK ON IT.
AND IT'S, IT'S A LITTLE PEDESTRIAN LOOKING TONIGHT, I GUESS WE COULD ADD SNAP, CRACKLE AND POP TO IT LATER IN TERMS OF FORMATTING OF IT.
BUT I THINK THE HEART OF IT IS THE ACTION STEPS AGAINST THE OBJECTIVES.
SO THAT, THAT WAS THE INTENTION TONIGHT.
WE'D LOOK AT THOSE THINGS, QUESTION ON THE FORMAT OR TALKING ABOUT THAT.
UM, I COUNTED A TOTAL 14 RECOMMENDATIONS SLASH BULLET POINTS THROUGHOUT THE REPORT.
UM, BUT THE FINANCIAL RECOVERY PLAN IS SEPARATED INTO NINE TOPICS.
CAN YOU TELL US A LITTLE HOW YOU GROUPED THEM TOGETHER TO BECOME THESE NINE? ARE YOU, DID YOU CHOOSE THE TOP NINE, THE MORE SERIOUS ONES? UM, THOSE WERE THE, THE ONES THAT THE STATE HAD GIVEN US, IT'S THE STATE'S TOP NINE.
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QUIBBLING A LITTLE BIT, BUT THE STATE ACTUALLY HAD 10.I, ONE OF THEM WAS THE THING THAT'S UP AT THE TOP, WHICH IS YOU ARE RIGHT.
WE ADDED THAT ONE AT THE TOP BECAUSE IT SAYS DESCRIPTION OF INTENDED CORRECTIVE ACTIONS, TIMING, PRIORITIZATION OF RESOURCES, IDENTIFICATION, INDIVIDUALS, RESPONSIBLE FOR MONITORING.
SO I THINK THAT WAS THE INTRODUCTION TO THIS DOCUMENT.
WE WEREN'T TRYING TO TAKE ANYTHING OFF THE LIST.
WE JUST PUT IT AT THE VERY TOP.
SO I GUESS I WOULD THROW THIS QUESTION FOR THE COMMITTEE MEMBERS HERE.
ARE WE INTERESTED IN THESE INFORMAL REPORT ON A MONTHLY BASIS OR ARE WE OKAY WITH GETTING IT WHEN THE PAIN BECOMES AVAILABLE? UH, WELL, I'M INTERESTED IN, UH, A MONTHLY, UH, REPORT SINCE A LOT OF THESE EXPECTED.
SORRY, CAN YOU HEAR ME NOW? YEAH, I'M NOT ON MUTE.
I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY YOU CAN'T HEAR ME.
WHAT I WAS TRYING TO SAY, UH, IS I WOULD BE INTERESTED IN, UH, UH, SEEN ANYTHING THAT IS SENT TO THE COUNCIL OF THIS COMMITTEE SHOULD BE SEEING ANYTHING THAT'S, I'M GETTING CUT OFF.
I, UH, SO I, I DON'T KNOW THE PRECISE TIMELINE.
CAN YOU HEAR ME? CAN YOU HEAR WHAT I'M TELLING YOU? IT'S OKAY.
I DON'T KNOW THE PRECISE TIMELINE, BUT THIS THING HAS EXPECTED COMPLETION DATES, UH, ROUGHLY, UH, STARTING IN MARCH 1ST.
AND, UH, I WOULD HOPE THAT THIS COMMITTEE COULD, UH, UH, REVIEW WHATEVER IS PREPARED ON MARCH 1ST.
AND I WAS HOPING THAT THE NEXT MEETING COULD BE AT THAT TIME.
UH, THAT'S NOT THREE MONTHS, THAT'S TWO MONTHS, BUT, OR MONTH AND A HALF ACTUALLY.
I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT SINCE THIS IS THE AUDIT AND IT IS THE CITY'S RESPONSE THAT WE NEED TO BE INVOLVED.
AND STEP-BY-STEP OH, THE FULL NUMBERS.
I AGREE WITH MR. MITCH, JUST, UM, IF WE HAVE TIME, UM, I HAD SOME ISSUES ON QUITE A FEW OF THE STEPS.
UM, I THINK IT WAS A GOOD START, BUT I DON'T AS AN AUDITOR AND SOMEONE THAT WRITES THESE AND REVIEWS THEM ALL THE TIME.
UM, I FEEL LIKE THE POINT OF, UH, AN ACTION PLAN IS TO ADDRESS THE RECOMMENDATION STATE, WHAT YOU'RE GOING TO SAY, RIGHT? YOU'RE YOU IDENTIFY A COMPLETION DATE AND RESPONSIBLE STAFF, WHICH IS GREAT, BUT IN THE STEPS, I'M NOT FEELING LIKE THEY'RE REALLY ADDRESSING THE CORE ISSUES OR THE CORE RECOMMENDATIONS.
SO IF, IF THIS CAN'T BE EDITED OR UPDATED, I THINK IT'S GOING TO BE VERY IMPORTANT FOR THE COMMITTEE TO BE ON TOP OF THIS AND GET AS MUCH UPDATES AS POSSIBLE.
SO, WHICH WOULD GO BACK TO DAVID'S RECOMMENDATION OF BEING KEPT IN THE LOOP ON THE MONTHLY UPDATE, UH, MARSHA I'D LIKE TO SUPPORT WHAT YOU JUST SAID.
I, I SENT HER AN EMAIL EARLIER.
WHY, WHY IS MY WHAT'S GOING ON? CAN YOU HEAR ME NOW? OKAY.
UH, I AGREE WITH MARSHA SAID, OKAY.
UM, SWEET EXAMPLE, LIKE NUMBER TWO, YOU KNOW, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT A REVIEW, EVALUATED MONITOR ALL CITY CONTRACTS, BUT THE ACTION STEP IS OKAY.
WE'RE GOING TO MAKE A LIST OF THE CONTRACTS.
VERIFY SOME INSURANCE IS CURRENT AND EVALUATE THE EFFECTIVENESS AND WORK QUALITY.
WELL, THAT'S NOT REALLY WHAT THE REPORTS SAID.
YOU KNOW, THE REPORTS THAT, YOU KNOW, ASIDE EVALUATING IT, WE NEED TO LOOK AT CONTRACT LANGUAGE AND MAKE SURE THAT IT'S THE PROPER CONTRACT LANGUAGE.
IS THERE SAR, WE USE GOING TO IMPLEMENT A TRACKING FORM.
YOU KNOW, MANY AGENCIES USE A TRACKING FORM TO MAKE SURE IT GOES THROUGH LEGAL AND THEY GO THROUGH COMPLIANCE AND THEY GO THROUGH THE DEPARTMENT HEADS, WHOEVER IT NEEDS TO GO THROUGH BASED ON THE SIZE
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OF THE CONTRACT AND THE TYPE TO ENSURE THAT WE DON'T USE EVERGREEN CLAUSES.IF, IF IT'S NOT APPROPRIATE THAT WE DON'T, YOU KNOW, WE ENSURE THAT WE HAVE ALL THE REQUIRED, UH, INFORMATION IF IT'S FEDERALLY FUNDED, THINGS LIKE THAT.
SO, UM, THAT'S JUST ONE OF THE EXAMPLES THAT'S FROM WITHIN THIS WHOLE PLAN.
WHAT'S HAPPENING? EVERY TIME I START TALKING, I GET CUT OFF.
I WROTE HER AN EMAIL EARLIER TODAY THAT SAID EACH OF THESE NEEDED NEED A STEP CALLED DATA ANALYSIS.
UM, AND D DID YOU HEAR THAT? YES.
AND, UH, THAT'S KIND OF WHAT MARSHA WAS SAYING.
THERE NEEDS TO BE GUTS, RIGHT? NOBODY ELSE IS TALKING.
I DON'T KNOW, UNDERSTAND WHAT'S GOING ON.
ANYWAY, UH, I THINK EVERY ONE OF THEM NEEDS AN ACTION STEP CALLED DATA ANALYSIS.
UH, MARSHA ALLUDED TO THE CONTRACT.
YOU HAVE TO DEAL WITH THE GUTS OF THE CONTRACTS, UH, HOW MUCH THEY COST, HOW LONG THEY LAST WEATHER OPTIONS WERE CONSIDERED.
UH, DID IT GO, WAS THERE A, AN RFP, WERE THERE OTHER VENDORS CONSIDERED ALL, ALL THOSE THINGS THAT YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO DO AND ARE A CONTRACT PROCESS THAT SHOULD BE PART OF THIS? UH, THE DATA ANALYSIS OF WHAT'S NEEDED TO DO IT PROPERLY.
SOMEBODY NEEDS TO MAKE A TEMPLATE.
MARSHALL ALLUDED TO A TEMPLATE THAT'S FOR CONTRACTS FOR, I DID ONE ON THE FIRE DEPARTMENT.
YOU NEED BASIC DATA ON, UH, HOW MANY FIRES ACTUALLY ARE THERE.
I WAS VERY DISTURBED AT THE LAST COUNCIL MEETING WHEN THE FIRE CHIEF DIDN'T EVEN KNOW HOW MANY TIMES, UH, IT HAPPENED, UH, WHEN ONE OF THE COUNCIL PERSON ANSWERED, ASK THE QUESTION, HOW MANY TIMES WAS IT THAT THE CITY COULDN'T RESPOND TO A NINE ONE, ONE CALL THE FIRE CHIEF DIDN'T KNOW THE ANSWER.
UH, WE HAVE TO HAVE BASIC DATA TO MAKE ANY KIND OF ANALYSIS OF ANY OF THIS STUFF.
UH, HOW MANY, UH, OF HOW MANY, YOU KNOW, ADVANCED LIFE SUPPORT, HOW MANY BASIC LIFE SUPPORT OF THOSE KINDS OF THINGS, UH, YOU CAN ANALYZE, YOU KNOW, THERE'S BEEN PROPOSED SEVERAL TIMES FOR EXAMPLE, THAT PERHAPS WHAT WE NEED IS MORE RESCUE AMBULANCES AND FEWER FIRE ENGINES, BECAUSE THERE'S HARDLY ANY FIRES AND A LOT, THERE'S A LOT OF CALLS FOR MEDICAL EMERGENCIES.
WELL, WE TO RESPOND TO THAT KIND OF SUGGESTION, UH, THERE NEEDS TO BE A DATA ANALYSIS.
SO MY, AND IF WE'RE GOING TO CONSIDER OPTIONS, WE SHOULD BE LOOKING AT THAT.
UH, I COULD GO DOWN THESE ONE BY ONE AND TALK ABOUT THE DATA THAT'S NEEDED FOR EACH ONE OF THEM.
BUT I THINK THE POINT IS THAT THAT SHOULD BE AN ACTION STEP, UH, UH, AND, UH, UH, THAT EACH OF THESE HAS TO HAVE THAT PHASE DONE AND IT NEEDS TO BE DONE QUICKLY BECAUSE YOU CAN'T REALLY DO MUCH ELSE.
AND UNLESS YOU'RE LOOKING AT, UH, UH, WHAT THE, WHAT THE SITUATION IS IN THE, IN THE, IN EACH OF THESE AREAS, I THINK AT THE THOUSAND FOOT LEVEL, WHEN YOU READ THE REPORT, ULTIMATELY IT'S REALLY GOES BACK TO WHAT OUR FINANCIAL AUDITS SAID WAS THAT WE NEED MORE STAFFING IN THE FINANCE DEPARTMENT TO BE ABLE TO ADDRESS A LOT OF THESE ISSUES.
WELL, CERTAINLY THE ONES THAT HAVE TO DO WITH FINANCE.
AND I DON'T WANT HER TO SEE IT EITHER THAT, OR WE NEED, UH, A CONSULTANT TO DO THE WORK.
I MEAN, IT COULD BE DONE THAT WAY TOO, BUT SOMEBODY NEEDS TO DO IT.
SO REGARDING CHIMPS AND REQUESTS OF DATA ANALYSIS AND MR. CARMEN AND MS. BURR, IS THERE SOMETHING THAT YOU CAN COMMIT TO TODAY'S MEETING OR IS THAT SOMETHING YOU WOULD OFFLINE, UM, APPROPRIATE UP RESPONSIBILITY? UM, I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE SET THE, THE STAFF AND SET THE COMMITTEE UP FOR SUCCESS.
UM, MY INTENTION TONIGHT WAS THAT WE'D HEAR ALL YOUR SUGGESTIONS AND THAT WE'D GO BACK AND WORK ON THIS.
AND I KNOW THE COMMITTEE IS GOING TO BE MEETING AGAIN, I ASSUME, QUARTERLY.
UM, SO I HEARD SOMEBODY SAY THEY WANTED TO MEET MONTHLY, ET CETERA.
I, I DON'T SEE THAT AS BEING REALISTIC, BUT, BUT WHAT WE WANT TO DO IS, UM, IN THIS THING, INTRODUCE MULTIPLE LEVELS OF ACCOUNTABILITY.
THAT SEEMED TO BE ONE OF THE MAJOR THEMES OF THIS STATE.
AND, UM, I WOULD WELCOME THAT SUGGESTION AND ANY OTHERS THAT ANY OTHER COMMITTEE MEMBER HAS AS WE GO DOWN THE LIST HERE.
I DON'T THINK WE NEED MOTIONS, BUT I JUST WOULD HOPE WE COULD HAVE A DIALOGUE.
AND, AND ALL OF YOUR SUGGESTIONS ABOUT THIS DRAFT REPORT, WHICH WANT
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TO HAVE, UM, SHIP SHAPE BY, BY LATE JUNE, 1ST OF JULY.AND WE WILL, WE'LL BE WORKING ON THIS.
THANK YOU FOR THAT SUGGESTION.
CHAIRMAN LYNN, COLLEEN REZONE.
SO DAVE, IF I'M HEARING YOU CORRECTLY, YOU WOULD LIKE SOME SUGGESTIONS AS TO WHAT DIRECTION THIS COMMITTEE COULD GO INTO GO TOWARDS.
IS THAT CORRECT? THAT'D BE HELPFUL.
SO IN READING THE, AND I'M SORRY, I MAY BE BACKPEDALING AND READING THE STATE AUDIT.
I SAW A THREAD THAT KIND OF WENT THROUGH THE REPORT AND THAT WAS QUALITY CONTROL WITH MANAGEMENT ISSUES, REVENUE SPENDING, RESERVE FUNDS, EMPLOYEE COSTS, ACCOUNTABILITY, TAKING OWNERSHIP, FOLLOW THROUGH CONTRACTS, AND HOW THEY'RE NEGOTIATED ARE THEY NEGOTIATED IN THE BEST INTEREST OF THE CITY IN THE BEST INTEREST OF THE RESIDENTS OR IN THE BEST INTERESTS OF POLITICAL LEADERSHIP? SO MY THOUGHT PROCESS WAS WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE AFTER GETTING THIS REPORT? AND I THINK A LOT OF THESE ISSUES CAN BE TURNED AROUND.
UM, AS I'VE STATED, WE NEED TO STRATEGIZE A PLAN FOR EACH DEPARTMENT, SIMILAR TO WHAT, UH, JIM AND MARSHA JUST MENTIONED, WHICH WILL REQUIRE BUY-IN FROM EACH OF THE DEPARTMENTS, THE HEADS DEPARTMENT HEADS AND THE STAFF.
AND I THINK AS A COMMITTEE, AS A SUGGESTION, WE SHOULD COLLABORATE TOGETHER USING ALL OF OUR STRENGTHS, START WITH THE MOST AT RISK COST EFFECTIVE AND CREATE OBTAINABLE GOALS.
AND DAVE ALLUDED TO THAT, THAT CAN BE MEASURED, CREATE OBTAINABLE DEADLINES.
AND I THINK MOST IMPORTANTLY IS OWNERSHIP NEEDS TO BE TAKEN AND HAVE ACCOUNTABILITY AND COMMITMENT TO FOLLOW THROUGH.
AND THAT'S ONE OF THE REASONS I KIND OF BROUGHT AS TRIVIAL AS IT WAS ABOUT THE MINUTES.
YOU KNOW, WHEN WE ASK FOR THINGS, UH, REPORTS OR HAVE QUESTIONS, AND WE'RE GONNA BE, WE'VE BEEN TOLD THAT WE'RE GONNA GET A RESPONSE AND WE DON'T, WE MOVE ON TO OTHER THINGS WE'RE ALL BUSY.
AND I THINK THAT'S THE CRITICAL POINT.
UM, THIS IS A SUGGESTION I'D LIKE TO MAKE ON HOW WE PROCEED, MAYBE FORM SUBCOMMITTEES OF THOSE OF US THAT MAY BE BETTER AT REVIEWING CONTRACTS.
THOSE OF US WHO HAVE MORE EXPERIENCE WITH COST SHARING, THAT WAS ANOTHER ISSUE THAT WAS ON THE STATE AUDIT, PRIORITIZE THE CITY'S RESOURCES.
MAYBE SOMEONE'S BETTER AT THAT REVIEW INTERNAL PROCESS OR OPERATIONAL PROCEDURES MOST AT RISK AND THE REDUCTION OF FINANCIAL WASTE AND POSSIBLE FRAUD, ET CETERA.
THOSE ARE JUST SOME SUGGESTIONS.
AND I THINK IT'S BEEN SAID UNIVERSALLY THROUGHOUT THE COMMUNITY.
AND I THINK THIS COMMITTEE IS HIGHLY RESPECTED.
I THINK WE ALL BRING SOMETHING TO THE TABLE AND I DON'T THINK WE'RE BEING FULLY UTILIZED.
SO AS A RECOMMENDATION, I THINK MAYBE TAKING LITTLE CHUNKS OF IT AND CREATING A PLAN AND NOT MAKE IT SO DAUNTING AND OVERWHELMING, BUT START WITH, AS I MENTIONED, WHAT IS MOST AT RISK THAT WE NEED TO LOOK AT? THAT'S MY SUGGESTION.
ANY OTHER SUGGESTIONS OR QUESTIONS FROM ANYONE ELSE, DAVID? YES.
PLEASE GO AHEAD, MR. CHAIRMAN, IF I GO AHEAD, MR. COMPANY, I HAD REALLY HOPED.
AND IF YOU LOOK BACK TO THE STATE AUDIT REPORT PAGE 19, IT GIVES US SOME DIRECTION IN TERMS OF HOW THIS THING HAS TO BE CREATED AND HOW IT'S SUPPOSED TO RUN, WHAT IT'S FOR, HOW IT'S SUPPOSED TO WORK.
IF ANYBODY'S GOT THAT REPORT, IT'S RIGHT THERE ON PAGE 19, IS THAT WE CAN INTRODUCE ALL OF THESE MULTIPLE LAYERS OF ACCOUNTABILITY.
WHEN WE PUT THIS TOGETHER, ONE OF THE THINGS WE TALKED ABOUT WAS WE DON'T WANT TO GET GUILTY OF SAYING WE'LL DO EVERYTHING TOMORROW BECAUSE WE'RE IN THE MIDST OF A GLOBAL PANDEMIC.
WE'RE IN THE MIDST OF AUDIT, WE'RE IN THE MIDST OF, UM, BUT PREPARATION FOR THE COMING YEAR.
SO CLEARLY EVERYTHING CAN'T BE A PRIORITY ONE.
AND WE ALSO WANT IT TO ASSIGN IN TERMS OF THE STAFF SIDE, WHO WOULD BE THE LEAD BECAUSE WE SAID, WELL, EVERYONE'S RESPONSIBLE FOR THAT.
IT REALLY MEANS TO ME THAT NO ONE IS I, I WOULD SUGGEST FOR TONIGHT, MR. CHAIRMAN, THAT WE JUST
[00:40:01]
GO THROUGH THIS LIST ONE THROUGH NINE HERE, ANY INITIAL COMMENTS, SUGGESTIONS, RECOMMENDATIONS, LET US DO SOME MORE WORK ON THIS.UM, AS WE, AS WE REFINE IT AND BRING IT BACK IN TIME FOR THE NEXT MEETING THREE MONTHS, WHENEVER THAT IS.
SO WE COULD JUST START WITH NUMBER ONE, TALK ABOUT FEES, WHICH WAS A KEY ISSUE.
THEY WANT US TO HAVE THE FEES, UH, BE RECOUPED AND BASICALLY BASED ON COST, REASONABLY WORN AT SERVICE PROVISION WITH ANY COMMITTEE MEMBER, AS SUGGESTIONS ABOUT THIS APPROACH, THIS WOULD PROBABLY BE A GOOD TIME TO HEAR THAT.
SO COULD WE START WITH NUMBER ONE WITH NUMBER TWO, ET CETERA, SHARE LISTED.
THERE ANY WAY, UM, THE HOST CAN SHARE THE REPORT ON THE SCREEN SO THAT EVERYBODY CAN FOLLOW ALONG.
JUST WONDERING IT DOESN'T WANT, YOU MET THUS, EVERYBODY HAS A COPY, EITHER HARD COPY OR SOFT COPY AND THE RIGHT NOW SO THAT WE CAN FOLLOW.
I HAVE ONE IN FRONT OF ME, PAPER.
COLLEEN, DO YOU HAVE A COPY? ARE WE TALKING ABOUT THE ATTACHMENT NUMBER TWO? NO, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE FINANCIAL RECOVERY PLAN.
JUST NINE THINGS ON THE PLATELETS.
UM, CAN YOU PLEASE CHECK IT YOUR PHONE? YEAH, BECAUSE I THINK THEY SENT ME THE WRONG STUFF.
I HAVE AN INITIAL RISK MANAGEMENT EVALUATION.
AND THEN I'VE GOT, I'VE GOT THIS.
SO I'M NOT, I SENT YOU A COPY ON YOUR PHONE.
WE, WE CAN GET TO THOSE, BUT SO WE CAN GET ALL ON THE SAME SHEET OF MUSIC.
WHAT I'M TRYING TO SAY IS I DON'T HAVE WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT.
MAYBE YOU RIGHT NOW, IF WE WERE IN THE SAME ROOM, I WOULD JUST EMAIL IT OVER.
I WANT TO GET IT TO YOU RIGHT AWAY CALLING.
JUST TRYING TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO SHARE IT ON THE SCREEN, BUT I HAVEN'T DONE IT BEFORE.
LIKE, UH, UM, SO MISS AWKWARD WITH RESPECT TO ZOOM MEETINGS, WHERE YOU RAISE YOUR HAND.
UH, MY FAMILY SWITCHED TO ANOTHER SOFTWARE THAT CAN DO DOCUMENTS BECAUSE THIS, THIS IS AWKWARD.
AND WITH THIS SOFTWARE, THE THING IS YOU HAVE THE DOCUMENT OPEN.
YOU SHOULD BE ABLE TO PRESS THE GREEN AT THE BOTTOM SHARE SCREEN, AND YOU'LL JUST PICK WHICH WINDOW YOU WANT IT TO SHARE.
YOU SHOULD BE GOOD TO, I THINK YOU HAVE TO LIKE SAVE IT ON YOUR DESKTOP AND THEN OPEN IT.
SO IN THE EMAIL I JUST SENT ALL OF YOU, THE ATTACHMENT THAT'S CALLED FINANCIAL RECOVERY PLAN WITH ATTACHMENTS IS THE ONE THAT YOU SHOULD OPEN.
AND THIS FINANCIAL RECOVERY PLAN IS AT THE VERY TOP OF THAT STACK.
IT'S GOT ITEMS ONE THROUGH NINE.
UH, ANYWAY, I WILL START A COMMENT WITH, UH, FEES ASSESSMENT OF THE DATA ANALYSIS HERE IS
[00:45:01]
YOU HAVE TO HAVE SOME IDEA OF WHAT THE FEES ARE CURRENTLY BEING CHARGED, HOW MUCH REVENUE IS BEING GENERATED AND, UH, HOW MUCH IT ACTUALLY COSTS TO, UH, DO WHAT'S ASSOCIATED WITH THAT FEE.AND LET ME JUST PICK ONE THAT I KNOW ABOUT, IF YOU GET A BUILDING PERMIT, I MEAN, WE'RE CHARGING RESIDENTS A CERTAIN AMOUNT FOR BUILDING PERMITS.
WE ARE, UH, UH, AND WE, DURING THE YEAR WE COLLECT WHATEVER THE TOTAL OF THAT CHARGE IS.
AND THEN IT COSTS US A CERTAIN AMOUNT TO, UH, UH, ADMINISTER THAT PROGRAM.
WE NEED THAT BASIC DATA TO, TO DO THIS OBJECTIVE.
UH, AND, UH, THAT'S WHAT I MEANT BY DATA ANALYSIS HERE.
I UNDERSTAND THAT'S HOW THESE STUDIES ARE DONE THROUGH THE CHAIR.
IF I MAY RESPOND, UM, THE WAY THESE ARE APPROACHED IS YOU GET AN ANALYSIS OF ALL THE THINGS THAT ARE CHARGED, AND THEN YOU LOOK INTO WHAT, WHAT'S THE COST OF DELIVERING THAT SERVICE.
IF IT'S A BUILDING PERMIT, GOOD EXAMPLE, I JUST GOT ONE THIS WEEK FROM THE CITY TO REPLACE WINDOWS AT MY HOUSE.
I PAID WHATEVER THAT CHARGE WAS.
UM, BUT THE FEE STUDY WOULD LOOK INTO THAT AND THEN WOULD MAKE A RECOMMENDATION.
IT WOULD, UM, BASED ON WHAT'S THE CITY'S COST AND PROVIDING THAT SERVICE.
AND THEN IT COME BACK TO THE FORM TO THE CITY COUNCIL IN THE FORM OF A RECOMMENDATION FOR ADJUSTING THOSE FEES TO MATCH.
AND THAT WAS A CRITICISM THAT STATE AUDITOR, THEY THOUGHT THE CITY'S FEES WERE TOO LOW.
AND SO THE CITY WAS SUBSIDIZING SOME, SOME OF THESE SERVICES OUT OF THE GENERAL FUND.
THAT'S EXACTLY THE KIND OF DATA YOU GET IN ONE OF THOSE, THESE STATES.
SO THERE WERE SEVERAL CATEGORIES.
ONE WAS THE DEVELOPMENT IMPACT FEES, DEVELOPERS PAY FOR IMPACTS UPON ADMINISTRATION AND POLICE AND FIRE AND PARKS AND PUBLIC WORKS.
THAT'S DEVELOPMENT, IMPACT FEES.
I THINK, UM, WE COULD ALSO, AND THIS RECOMMENDATION ON OBJECTIVE NUMBER ONE SAYS, WE WILL LOOK AT THE SEWER MAINTENANCE DISTRICT FEES AND THE LANDSCAPING DISTRICT FEES.
WE SEEM TO HAVE HIGH DEMANDS FOR CITYWIDE LANDSCAPING AND NOT ENOUGH MONEY TO GET THINGS TO STANDARD.
SO A FEE STUDY WILL BE A BIT OF A, YOU KNOW, COLD WATER BATH.
WE'LL, WE'LL HEAR WHAT, WHERE THOSE THINGS SHOULD BE SET.
AND THEN THERE'LL BE SOME TOUGH DECISIONS ABOUT EITHER SUBSIDIZING OR, OR, OR NOT RAISING THE FEES TO RECOVER ALL OF THOSE COSTS.
UM, THIS THEN AN EXPECTED COMPLETION DATE SAYS WE WOULD ISSUE AN RFP, UM, PRETTY QUICKLY MARCH WE'D KICK IT OFF, WE'D GET IT, UM, ON YOUR WAY, AND WE'D GET IT ADOPTED BY THE END OF THE CALENDAR YEAR.
WE PUT IN THE LEAD ON THIS ONE, THE FINANCE DIRECTOR, AND WITH SUPPORT FROM, FROM ALL OF THE OPERATING DEPARTMENTS.
AND I, I WILL ADD THAT, UM, THAT FOR THE COMMITTEE, NO, WE ALREADY STARTED FIXING THIS PROCESS WHEN WE BROUGHT IN OUR PREVIOUS BUILDING AND SAFETY CONTRACTOR.
SO, UM, WE'VE ALREADY CORRECTED A LOT OF THE OUTDATED FEES.
UM, SO WE'LL CONTINUE AS IT WAS SET FORTH IN THIS DRAFT REPORT, BUT WE'LL, UM, YOU KNOW, JUST SO EVERYONE KNOWS, WE, WE DID UPDATE A LOT OF THOSE ALREADY SHOWING NUMBER TWO, IF THE CHAIR, IS THAT WHAT YOU WERE GOING TO SAY? SHOULD WE MOVE ON TO NUMBER TWO? YES.
SHOULD WE PLEASE MOVE ON TO NUMBER TWO, PLEASE? OKAY.
DOES ANYONE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OR SUGGESTIONS FOR HOW WE SHOULD GO ABOUT REDOING EVERYTHING AND MONITORING ALL THE SUBCONTRACT? WELL, THE AUDIT HAD A LOT MORE DETAIL, UH, ON WHAT WAS THE ISSUES WITH THE CONTRACTS THAN AS INDICATED UNDER ACTION STEPS.
UH, THE, UM, UH, SO I'M, UH, YOU KNOW, LIKE FOR EXAMPLE, THERE NEEDS TO BE, UH, A COMP, UH, COMPETITION PROCESS.
THEY SAID THAT ABOUT A HALF A DOZEN TIMES IN DIFFERENT PLACES, UH, FOR EVERY CONTRACT,
[00:50:01]
THERE NEEDS TO BE A SCOPE OF WORK FOR EVERY CONTRACT.AND THAT, THAT SHOULD BE AN ACTION STEP OF WAY.
IN OTHER WORDS, LET ME, LET ME TALK ABOUT ONE THAT WAS JUST ON THE, UH, AGENDA FOR THE COUNCIL LAST MEETING, THERE WAS A TREE TRIMMING CONTRACT.
UH, WELL, THERE WAS SOME TALK ABOUT, WE SHOULD TRIM ALL THE TREES, UH, ONCE EVERY SEVEN YEARS OR FIVE YEARS.
WELL, THAT'S ONLY ONE ELEMENT, UH, HOW TREES ARE THERE.
I THOUGHT THAT WAS KIND OF AN INTRO, YOU KNOW, AND I MEAN ABOUT 25,000, A LOT OF TREES, YOU KNOW, AND, UH, HOW MUCH SHOULD WE PAY VERSUS OTHER CITIES FOR THIS SERVICE, YOU KNOW, OR COMPETITIVELY BEEN SERVICED? NO, NO, I'M NOT TALKING ABOUT THAT.
IT'S LIKE A MILLION DOLLARS A YEAR OR SOMETHING.
UH, SO LET'S, LET'S TAKE, UH, ANOTHER CITY OUT THERE.
UH, I DON'T KNOW, UH, COVINA, COVINA, I, I'M JUST PICKING A NAME OUT OF THE HAT.
HOW MUCH DO THEY PAY FOR TREE HERE? I MEAN, MY POINT IS WE NEED A, A BASIS OF COMPARISON IS OUR SCOPE, RIGHT? 25,000 TREES SOUNDS LIKE A BIT MUCH.
AND, UH, I I'M JUST SAYING THERE NEEDS TO, IT NEEDS TO BE ANALYZED, UH, FOR, ARE WE DOING THE RIGHT THING AND THEN, AND THEN, UH, AND IT ALSO NEEDS TO BE WHAT I WOULD REFER TO AS EVALUATED.
THAT'S AN ACTION STEP, AN, UH, AN ACTION, UH, FOR EXAMPLE, UH, IS THE TREE TRIMMER DOING THE RIGHT JOB OR IS HE ACTUALLY DOING THE JOB? IS HE, DOES HE LOOK, ACTUALLY DEAL WITH ALL THE TREES? I DON'T KNOW.
AND THAT WAS, UH, RESPOND TO THAT, THAT, THAT IS BASICALLY WHY THAT ITEM WITH CONTINUED BECAUSE WE'RE DOING EXACTLY ALL OF THAT, RIGHT.
I'M JUST SAYING IT SHOULD BE ON THIS FORUM.
THAT'S ALL I'M TRYING TO SAY RIGHT NOW.
I'M NOT TALKING ABOUT WHETHER THE CITIES HAS BEEN DOING IT OR IS DOING IT.
I'VE TRIED TO TRY TO SAY IT NEEDS TO BE ON THIS FARM AS A, AS AN ACTION STEP.
THAT WAS, THAT WAS MY POINT IN MY TALK.
POINT TAKEN, I WILL SECOND EVERYTHING JEN SAID, IT REALLY WHATEVER'S ON THE REPORTING AND REFLECTED PROPERLY.
I'M NOT, ESPECIALLY IN NUMBER TWO.
AND, UM, JUST TO ASK STEREO FOR THE CURRENT PROCESS, DO WE USE LIKE A CONTRACTOR EVALUATION FORM TO DOCUMENT? WELL, THAT'S ONE THING THAT WE'RE TALKING TO THE CONTRACTORS ABOUT IT, HOW, HOW WE CAN GO ABOUT ENFORCING THE CONTRACT AND GETTING A GOOD SCORE CARD IF YOU WILL, FROM THEM.
SO IN ESSENCE, YEAH, THAT'S WHAT WE'RE WE WANT TO CALL IT THAT WE CAN CALL IT UP.
THAT'S IF YOU NEED A TEMPLATE, I HAVE SURE, ABSOLUTELY.
THROUGH THE CHAIR I HANDED OVER, PLEASE CALL IT TEMPLATE.
IF YOU HAVE ONE WORD MACHO, MAY I REQUEST YOU TO, UM, SHARE YOUR TEMPLATE WITH US? ALL RIGHT.
SHALL WE MOVE ON TO ITEM NUMBER THREE? CAN I SUMMARIZE WHAT I THINK I'VE HEARD? UM, WE WANT TO REFLECT MORE FULLY ALL OF THE SUGGESTIONS OR THE STATE AUDIT ON YOUR CONTRACT, VALUATION YOU'RE MONITORING.
AND WE WANT TO ADD, UM, THE THOUGHT OF, UM, PERFORMANCE EVALUATION, OR WERE THERE OTHER THINGS THAT I'M IN? I SUGGESTED A COMPETITIVE BIDDING THING, I, WHICH IS PART OF WHAT THE AUDITOR SAID, UH, AND CONTRACT LANGUAGE.
THAT'S USUALLY REQUESTS FOR PROPOSAL, WHICH IS THE PROCESS WE FOLLOW WHAT YOU WANT US TO ARTICULATE THAT HERE.
CAUSE I, I KNOW THERE'S SOME, I KNOW THERE'S CONTRACTS THAT THAT JUST DOESN'T HAPPEN.
AND THEY, THEY AUDITOR IS SPECIFICALLY CALLED OUT THE ATHENS CONTRACT AS AN ISSUE.
AND JIM, JUST SO YOU KNOW, THAT THAT IS SOMETHING THAT THE ENTIRE COUNCIL HAS BEEN.
UM, THEY COULD LET YOU KNOW THIS TOO, THAT WE'VE BEEN VERY VOCAL ABOUT MAKING SURE THAT GOING FORWARD, WE'RE BEING CUT THROAT COMPETITIVE.
UM, SO YEAH, DEFINITELY THAT'S ONE OF THE THINGS I BEEN TO MAKE SURE OF IS THAT WHEN WE'RE NEGOTIATING IN ANY WAY, SHAPE OR FORM WITH ANYONE THAT WE'RE REALLY GOING FULL THROTTLE TO GET THE BEST DEAL FOR THE CITY.
UM, AND AS FAR AS THE ATHENS CONTRACT, I KNOW IT GETS REFERENCED IN THE AUDIT, BUT I DON'T KNOW IF YOU RECALL, UH, THE PREVIOUS COUNCIL TRIED TO, UM, DISMANTLE THAT CONTRACT, BUT DECIDED AGAINST IT DUE TO THE REPERCUSSIONS THAT COME FROM THAT.
[00:55:02]
THAT AS THE LESSON GOING FORWARD, UM, HOW TO NEGOTIATE BETTER CONTRACTS, BUT CONTINUED TO, OR ANYTHING ELSE ON THAT? WELL, NO, I, I, AS I SAID EARLIER IS JUST A POINT OF GETTING THAT LANGUAGE ON THIS DOCUMENT.AND WE, UH, WE'RE GOING TO MAKE SURE WE WERE REALLY CUT THROAT.
SO NUMBER THREE, WHICH IS TO SET ASIDE AND THEN SALE REVENUE TO COMPENSATE FOR ANY SHORTFALL IN REVENUE THAT THE CITY EXPERIENCES, AS A RESULT OF THE EFFECTS OF THE PANDEMIC ON THE 2022, 21 BUDGET, DOES ANYONE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OR SUGGESTIONS FOR THIS ONE? I JUST HAVE A COMMENT TO REMIND EVERYBODY ON THIS ONE THAT, UM, THE LAND HELD FOR RESALE IS FOR THE BKK LAND.
AND THERE'S A STIPULATION THAT I HAVE BEEN TOLD BY THAT WAS MADE BY THE CITY COUNCIL THAT, UM, WHEN THAT BOND PROCEEDS OR THAT SALE OF THAT LAND COMES IN WHERE TO PAY OFF PROCEEDS OF THE, UM, 2004 BONDS, WHICH HAVE NOW BEEN COMBINED WITH THE 2018 BONDS ABOUT $9 MILLION.
I THINK YOU WROTE THAT ON THIS ONE THING TOO, WHICH IS TO PROACTIVELY MITIGATE RISK AND EXPOSURE AND LITIGATION THROUGH TRAINING AND IMPLEMENTATION OF BEST PRACTICES.
WE LIVE WITH THE RISK MANAGEMENT, ANY QUESTIONS ON THIS ONE? UH, I, AGAIN, I WOULD WANT TO ENRICH THE ACTION PLAN MOST TIME WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT A RISK, THERE IS USUALLY A S UH, IN MY PREVIOUS LIFE, IT WAS USUALLY CALLED SAFETY MEETINGS, BUT THERE WAS, UM, I DON'T KNOW IF THIS WHAT THE CITY HAS, BUT THERE WAS NO INDICATION OF ANY FORMALIZED PROCESS HERE FOR THE CITY STAFF TO EVALUATE A POTENTIAL RISK FACTORS IN THE CITY'S, UH, ENVIRONMENT.
UM, WE DO HAVE, IT'S A GOOD QUESTION.
WE, WE, WE, UM, RECENTLY JOINED J T I A, ARE YOU FAMILIAR WITH THEM? YES.
YEAH, IT ISN'T ON THE DOCUMENT.
THAT WAS ALL I WAS TRYING TO SAY.
ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE HAVE DONE TO, TO THAT POINT IS JOINED J T I A, AND THEY ARE GETTING CAUGHT UP WITH THAT ASSESSING ALL KINDS OF HUMAN RESOURCES AND OTHER RISKS.
AND AS FAR AS THE LITIGATION, ONE THING THAT I'VE BEEN WORKING ON ACTUALLY HAD A MEETING EARLIER TODAY ABOUT THIS.
I DO MONTHLY LITIGATION MEETINGS WHERE WE GET TOGETHER AND DISCUSS ALL THE CASES GOING ON IN THE CITY AND ANALYZE HOW AND WHY THEY, THEY GOT STARTED, YOU KNOW, BACK, YOU KNOW, WHENEVER IT WAS AND TRY TO PUT SYSTEMS IN PLACE TO AVOID THAT KIND OF FAILURE TOO, FROM OCCURRING AGAIN IN THE FUTURE.
SO IT IS SOMETHING THAT WE'RE DOING AND CONSTANTLY TRYING TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO DO IT BETTER ANYWAY.
ANY, ANY, ANY SUGGESTIONS ARE WELCOME.
SO CONTINUE, WELL THEN I'M GOING TO, UH, THAT WAS THE FRONT END OF THE, UH, ISSUE.
AND THE BACK END OF THE ISSUE WAS SOMETHING THAT THE AUDITOR MENTIONED, WHICH IS, UH, EACH YEAR WE BUDGET X AMOUNT OF MONEY EACH YEAR, WE SPEND MORE THAN X AMOUNT OF MONEY.
AND PERHAPS THAT SHOULD BE HERE AS AN ACTION THAT IN THE FUTURE WE WILL SPEND, WE WILL BUDGET, UH, BASED ON OUR HISTORICAL EXPERIENCE.
WELL, I MEAN, DEFINITELY OUR FORECAST SHOULD COME AS CLOSE AS POSSIBLE TO WHAT ACTUALLY HAPPENS.
SO WE'LL DEFINITELY WORK ON THAT.
SORRY, GO BACK TO YOUR MEETINGS.
UM, SO IT SEEMS LIKE IT'S MORE LIKE A LESSONS LEARNED APPROACH.
[01:00:01]
ANY LIKE ROOT CAUSES THAT ARE OBVIOUSLY, YOU'RE NOT GOING TO MENTION, BUT, UM, IS IT HELPFUL THAT YOU CAN IDENTIFY A ROOT CAUSE AND KIND OF MAYBE SEEING THE SAME ISSUE OVER AND OVER AND THEY CAN ADDRESS AN ACTION PLAN SPECIFICALLY TO THOSE CLASSES? UM, YEAH.I MEAN, TH THE, THE TYPES OF LAWSUITS THAT EXIST THERE, YOU KNOW, THEY THEY'RE ALL OVER THE PLACE.
THEY COULD RANGE FROM, YOU KNOW, SOMEBODY TRIPPING AND FALLING TOO.
SOMETIMES WE GET HIT WITH STUFF FROM SOMEONE'S JUST DRIVE INTO OUR CITY AND SOMETHING HAPPENED LIKE SOMETHING FLIES IN THE WINDOW.
SO IN THE CASES WHERE IT IS CORRECTABLE, ABSOLUTELY.
WE PUT WE'RE PUTTING SYSTEMS IN PLACE TO PREVENT THAT FROM HAPPENING, WHETHER IT'S RECORD KEEPING BETTER RECORD KEEPING IN THAT DEPARTMENT OR BETTER TRAINING.
I MEAN, THAT IS, THAT IS ONE THING THAT IN THE PAST, UM, WHEN BUDGETS WERE CUT IN THE PAST IN OUR DB, FOR EXAMPLE, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT SUFFERS FIRST IS, IS TRAINING.
SO WE'RE DOING OUR BEST TO NOT CUT CORNERS IN THAT REGARD, AND REALLY KEEP EVERYONE UP TO DATE AND TRAININGS IN EVERY DEPARTMENT THAT REDUCE THE LIABILITY OR REDUCE THE RISK OF LOSSES TO THE CITY.
UM, SO YEAH, DEFINITELY THOSE MEETINGS THAT I'M HAVING MONTHLY ARE, ARE FOR THAT PURPOSE, BUT ALSO FOR THE PURPOSE OF SOMETIMES MOVING CASES ALONG QUICKLY, IF IT'S JUST GOING TO BE, UM, KIND OF LIKE AN UNFORTUNATE BURN OF MONEY THAT JUST GETS DRAGGED ON AND ON AND ON LIKE TODAY I ASKED, EXCUSE ME, I ASKED, I ASKED THE ATTORNEYS TO FORWARD THREE OF THE CASES TO, UH, TO OUR CLOSED SESSION MEETINGS FOR, FOR DISCUSSION WITH THE COUNCIL, BECAUSE SOMETIMES IT'S JUST NOT WORTH SPENDING OUR WHEELS AND BURNING MONEY, BUT I'LL SAY THIS, THAT I'LL KNOCK ON WOOD.
WE HAVE SEEN SOMEWHAT OF A, OF AN IMPROVEMENT IN NOT GETTING THROUGH SO MUCH.
I HOPE I CONTINUE, BUT THAT'S OUR GOAL.
SOMETIMES IT'S UNPREDICTABLE BECAUSE YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN, SOMETIMES PEOPLE ARE JUST LOOKING FOR A QUICK PAYDAY AND THAT'S UNFORTUNATE, I THINK FOR THE BUDGET PERSPECTIVE.
UM, I AGREE WITH JIM THAT WHEN WE'RE AT OUR BUDGET TIME, AGAIN, WE'LL MAKE SURE TO NOTE THAT THAT BUDGET DOES LOOK MORE REALISTIC FOR IT THAN LEGAL FEES.
AND THEN WE'LL ALSO KIND OF KEEP AN EYE OUT FOR ANY TRAINING BY DEADLINE.
HAVE A QUESTION REGARDING SOME OF THE COMPLETION DATES.
SO I'VE NOTICED THAT, UM, SOME OF THE EXPECTED COMPLETION DATE GOES AS FAR AS DECEMBER, 2022.
SO I GUESS MY QUESTION IS, IS THAT SOMETHING THAT WE MAY HAVE ALREADY RUN BY THE STATE AUDITOR IS THIS ACCEPTABLE TO THEM ALL, BUT WE'LL NOT BE ABLE TO FIND OUT UNTIL JUNE 1ST AFTER WE SUBMIT THIS PLAN.
UM, I, I WOULD SAY, UM, ON THIS AREA WE'RE ACTIVE, WE MITIGATE RISK IN SPORT THROUGH LITIGATION FOR TRAINING PRACTICES.
UM, I WOULD REGARD THAT, UM, ACTION STEP NUMBER THREE, AS PRETTY AGGRESSIVE AND PRETTY OPTIMISTIC I SHARED WITH THE COMMITTEE IS, UM, INITIAL RISK MANAGEMENT EVALUATION IS COMPLETED WHEN WE JOINED THE CJP HAS GOT 63 THINGS THAT ARE NEEDING ATTENTION.
UM, EVERYTHING FROM LEAD BASED PAINT TO MOLD, TO THE LACK OF, UH, ADA TRANSITION PLAN, UM, GIVEN THE AMOUNT OF THINGS THAT ARE OUT OF FOCUS AND WRONG NEEDING CORRECTION, THIS COULD END UP BEING A MULTI-YEAR EFFORT IF WE STAYED REALLY FOCUSED, UM, AND GIVE YOU A COMPARATIVE EXAMPLE.
KNIGHT BECAME CITY MANAGER IN THE TOWN QUITE NEAR HERE IS THERE FOR FIVE YEARS AS YOUR MANAGER, THAT CITY WAS BEING KICKED OUT, DIPPED OUT THE JPI IS THEY HAVE A LIST OF JEWS, NOT AS BAD AS THIS, UM, THE END OF THE FIVE-YEAR RUN.
WE HAD EVERYTHING, UM, ADDRESSED AND ON A GOOD PATH AT CLAIMS DOWN TO ZERO AND
[01:05:01]
LAWSUITS HAD GONE AWAY AND CUT LITIGATION TO THE ABSOLUTE MINIMUM.BUT TO SAY THAT WE'RE GOING TO DO A HUNDRED PERCENT OF THESE CORRECTIVE ACTIONS BY THE END OF 2022 IS PRETTY AGGRESSIVE.
I DON'T, I DON'T FRANKLY KNOW THAT ANYONE'S OPINION ABOUT THAT IS NOT MAKE THAT DAY.
UH, DON'T GET ME WRONG ON THIS ONE.
I, I'M NOT NECESSARILY A POSTING TO THE ESTIMATED COMPLETION DATE HERE.
I GUESS MY FOCUS IS WHETHER THESE DAYS APPEAR ACCEPTABLE TO THE STATE AUDITOR, BECAUSE THE LAST THING WE WANT, INSTEAD, THEY CAN BEND NEXT TIME AND FIND OUT THAT, HEY, YOU SAID I'M STILL REMAIN.
BUT, BUT AGAIN, IF THE STATE DAY IS OKAY WITH THESE DAYS, THEN I HAVE NO FURTHER COMMENTS OR CONCERN.
PERHAPS YOUR, PERHAPS YOUR WRITTEN DOCUMENT COULD ALLUDE TO THAT REPORT THAT YOU JUST HELD UP IN THIS RECOVERY PLAN, BECAUSE WHEN YOU SAY 50% OF ACTIONS, YOU'RE REFERRING TO THE ACTIONS RECOMMENDED IN THAT REPORT, I THINK, YES.
YOU WANT TO REFER TO THAT INITIAL RISK MANAGEMENT? YEAH.
I PRESENTED THAT'S YOUR TEMPLATE.
WHAT YOU'RE GOING TO WORK FROM DID THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THAT LAST CAP ACTION PLAN, WHICH IS REFERENCED, BUT WE CAN REFER TO BOTH BECAUSE THAT, THAT RISK MANAGEMENT EVALUATION GAVE US THE UNIVERSE OF THINGS NEEDING ATTENTION.
AND THE LOSS CAT GAVE YOU THE TOP FIVE MOST CRITICAL PRIORITIES AND ALL OF THEM LISTED UNDERNEATH THAT AS WELL, BUT I CAN CERTAINLY REFER TO THEM.
AND PERHAPS YOU MIGHT ELUDE TO, UH, ESTABLISHING PRIORITIES, UH, IN THE DOCUMENT.
I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S ALREADY DONE OR NOT.
ANY OTHER COMMENTS ON THIS? GOOD SUGGESTIONS ALL AND THANK YOU FOR THEM.
WELL, I GUESS WE CAN MOVE ON TO ITEM NUMBER FIVE.
VERY, IF YOU DON'T MIND SCORING DOWN A LITTLE BIT FOR US, THAT'D BE GREAT.
UH, ADDRESSING THE EXCESSIVE COST CURRENTLY INCUR, PROVIDED FOR AN EMERGENCY MEDICAL SYNTHESIS.
WELL, I ALREADY ACTUALLY MADE THIS COMMENT.
I I'LL JUST SAY, UH, UH, I THINK DATA ANALYSIS IS NEEDED THE FIRE DEPARTMENT WORKLOAD.
UM, I'LL MAKE A SHORT VERSION OF IT THIS TIME.
AND I THINK I SENT IT ALL TO YOU.
HEY, LISTEN, NUMBER SIX, WHICH IS TO PREPARE FINANCIAL ANALYSIS AND EVALUATE BOTH THE SHORT TERM AND LONG TERM IMPLICATIONS OF SIGNIFICANT SPENDING DECISIONS.
I WAS HOPING OUR CITY MANAGER COULD ELABORATE ON THIS.
UM, THIS IS AN AREA WITHIN OUR BUDGET.
THAT IS PRETTY BIG PROBLEM NEEDED, MADE WORSE IN THIS YEAR BY A COUPLE OF FACTORS, REVENUES ARE OFF.
UM, AND, UM, THE EXPENDITURES ARE WAY UP IN THIS AREA ARE NORMAL, UM, RESPONSES FOR EMS, NORMAL CALLS FOR SERVICES IN THE RAIN POINT OF YOUR 21 CALLS PER SHIFT DURING THE PANDEMIC, WHEN IT PEAKS, WE'VE BEEN RUNNING, UM, NORTH 40 CALLS PER SHIFT.
AND JUST TO KEEP UP WITH DEMAND, YOU CALL NINE 11 WE'VE COME IN.
WE'VE HAD TO LET SOME, UM, FAREWELL SUPPORT STRUCTURES IN EMERGENCY CONTRACT WITH AMBULANCE TO DOUBLE OUR RESOURCES IN THAT AREA.
SO WHERE WE NORMALLY RUN THREE RESCUE AMBULANCES, WE'VE BEEN RUNNING, UM, TOTAL OF SIX COUNCIL RATIFIED A CONTRACT FOR PURE AMBULANCE TO PROVIDE TWO MORE, UM, AMBULANCE STUDENTS.
AND WE'VE BEEN RUNNING UP FOURTH
[01:10:01]
OUT OF CITY.THE OVERTIME RATE IS, UM, DURING THE PANDEMIC IS SKY-HIGH.
I THINK WE'RE ON ITEM NUMBER SIX.
WELL, I THOUGHT WE WERE ON FIRE.
AM I WRONG? YEAH, WE HAVE MOVED ON TO A LOT, BUT THANK YOU FOR THE GREAT, HUH.
I WAS GOING TO TELL YOU ABOUT THE LEBARON STUDY AND WE'RE DOING ONE JUST LIKE IT, AND I HAVEN'T, BUT SORRY GUYS.
I, DAVE, I JUST SAID I WASN'T GOING TO REPEAT EVERYTHING I SAID EARLIER ON THE SUBJECT.
I'M GONNA LET SOMEBODY ELSE SPEAK ABOUT THEIR, UM, SUGGESTIONS ON NUMBER SIX.
WELL, I WANTED TO HEAR YOUR THOUGHTS PRESENTED WHAT IT MEANT.
I WASN'T REALLY SURE WHAT WELL, WHEN WE TALKED TO THE STATE AUDITORS, THEY WANTED TO MAKE SURE WHEN DECISIONS ARE MADE AT THE CITY COUNCIL LEVEL, THAT WE'RE NOT JUST LOOKING AT NEXT WEEK OR NEXT MONTH, BUT WE'RE LOOKING AT LONG-TERM.
UM, MOST OF OUR EXPENDITURES ARE IN SERVICES OR IN PUBLIC SAFETY SERVICES.
SO THEY WERE ESPECIALLY, UM, AWARE AND CRITICAL OF EXPENDITURES, FINANCIAL LIMITATIONS, AND SPENDING DECISIONS FOR LABOR CONTRACTS.
UM, BUT IT, IT APPLIES TO EVERYTHING THAT WE DO.
UM, THEY WANTED US TO DO A BETTER JOB OF, UM, EVALUATED, UM, IMPACT.
SO, UM, HERE WE SAY, WE'RE GOING TO COME UP WITH A TEMPLATE.
WE'RE GOING TO DO SOME STAFF TRAINING AROUND THAT, AND WE'LL INCLUDE THAT, THAT TEMPLATE IN THAT ANALYSIS IN ALL CITY COUNCIL REPORTS OUT, UM, FINANCIAL EDUCATION OUT OF CURIOSITY, UM, HOW DID WE COME TO THE WRESTLE? 75,000 IS SET BASED ON SOME SORT OF POLICY SOMEWHERE.
UM, I DON'T THINK THE STATE WAS FOCUSED ON THE SMALL THINGS GROWING A COUPLE OF CASES THEY WEREN'T, BUT, UM, MAINLY THEY WERE INTERESTED IN THAT THE HIGH DOLLAR CONTRACTS GIVEN THE POSITION OF THE CITY.
UM, I MENTIONED, YOU KNOW, WITH REVENUES BEING DOWN AND EXPENDITURES BEING UP, WE THINK HEADING INTO THE NEXT FISCAL YEAR, WE'LL BE FINE THIS YEAR.
UM, IT WILL REALLY, HOPEFULLY WE GET A LOT OF, UM, STATE AND FEDERAL REIMBURSEMENT, BUT PROBABLY EVEN ONCE YOU THE ROLL OVER BUDGET, YOU'RE GOING TO BE LOOKING AT A DEFICIT OF THREE OR $4 MILLION.
SO THEY WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT ON THE BIG ONES, WE DON'T MAKE ANY STATES
UH, SO MOVING FORWARD WHEN WE SEE AN AGENDA REPORT, UM, FOR AN ITEM COMING UP TO THE CITY COUNCIL, WILL WE EXPECT TO SEE THE FINANCIAL ANALYSIS AND SUMMARY AND THAT AGENDA REPORT? YES WE'LL WE'LL WE'LL WE'LL.
AND I SAY HERE WE'LL HAVE AN EVALUATION TEMPLATE AND THAT'LL BECOME A PART OF THAT STAFF REPORT PROCESS.
THEY THOUGHT WE WEREN'T DOING A GOOD ENOUGH JOB.
ANY COMMENTS? WELL, ITEM NUMBER SIX, YOU WANT TO TALK ABOUT THE FIRE AGAIN? BECAUSE THAT WAS ALL SPUN UP ON THERE.
NUMBER SEVEN NOW, UH, IMPLEMENT A FORMAL PROCESS FOR DEVELOPMENT OF REASONABLE BUDGET PROJECTION.
WELL, I, YOU HAVE A QUESTION ON THIS ONE.
UH, HOW ARE WE PLANNING TO DO IT MORE REASONABLE PROJECTION FOR THE BUDGET? SO MORE SPECIFICALLY IN WHAT ARE WE, WELL, WHAT ARE WE GOING TO DILUTE DIFFERENTLY FROM, FROM IN THE PAST? I THINK, UM, LET ME, LET ME START BY SAYING THAT I THINK OUR BUDGET PROJECTIONS HAVE BEEN ON THE REVENUE SIDE.
I THINK ROBIN HAS DONE A REALLY EXCELLENT JOB IN THIS AREA.
UM, I KNOW, UM, THE STATE IS BIG ON WANTING US TO ARTICULATE WHAT GOES INTO THE THINKING.
UM, WE RECENTLY GOT A PRETTY THOROUGH REPORT ABOUT THE PROPERTY TAX PRESS RELEASE ABOUT HOW IT'S UP BY 3%.
COUNTYWIDE IS 6% THAT THEY WANT US TO PROVIDE MORE BACKUP, MORE DETAIL,
[01:15:01]
MORE EXPLANATIONS, UM, WHAT GOES BEHIND THE DOG'S NUMBERS.SO, UM, WE'RE, WE'RE OWNING THAT ONE AND SAYING WE WILL REVIEW THE ACT, THE ACCURACY OF OUR PROJECTIONS.
UM, I GUESS, EXPLAIN WHAT'S BEHIND THE NUMBERS AND HOW DO WE COME UP WITH ASKING COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR TO BE THE SUPPORT? UM, WE'RE NOT THINKING ABOUT GETTING AN ACTUAL FINANCE POSITION THAT'S FOR THE BUDGET.
YEAH, A LOT OF THESE, UM, REVENUES AND THAT ONE REFERRED ON THE SUPPORT SIDE TO HOW ARE WE TRACKING BUILDING AND PLANNING ACTIVITY.
WE JUST TOOK A SNAPSHOT OF HOW WE DID ALL 2020 AND, UM, BUILDING ACTIVITIES NOW, THANKS TO THE FEES BEING RAISED.
WE'VE MOVED FROM BEING A COST CENTER TO A, MORE OF A PROFIT CENTER, BUT THEY WANT TO HAVE ALL THE DEPARTMENTS MORE DIRECTLY INVOLVED IN, UM, TRACKING BUILDING PERMIT ACTIVITY THAT FEEDS INTO THE GENERAL FUND REVENUES.
UH, I WAS HOPING THAT THERE WOULD BE SOMETHING HERE ABOUT, UH, THERE WOULD BE A REPORT TO THE CITY COUNCIL AND THE GOOD OLD DAYS.
WE USED TO HAVE SOMETHING LIKE A SECOND QUARTER REPORT THAT WOULD SAY OUR ORIGINAL BUDGET PROJECTIONS FOR REVENUE AND EXPENDITURE WERE X.
AND NOW WE BELIEVE THAT, UH, THERE ARE GOING TO BE Y UH, AND MAYBE A THIRD QUARTER REPORT THAT WAS KIND OF TRADITIONAL.
AND WE HAVEN'T BEEN NECESSARILY SEEING THAT SORT OF THING.
UH, AND THAT THIS WOULD BE THE TIME, FOR EXAMPLE, FOR THE SECOND QUARTER REPORT.
UH, AND THAT, THAT SHOULD BE PART OF WHAT I CALL THE ACTION STEPS.
WELL, WE WOULD HERE IN THE ACTION STEPS, WE TALK ABOUT ANNUAL AND MID-YEAR, I WANT LOOK INTO QUARTERLY.
SO THANKS FOR THAT SUGGESTION.
I DON'T, I DON'T HAVE MORE OF AN ANSWER NOW, BUT ALL I'LL LOOK INTO HERE BECAUSE THERE'S ALWAYS AN ADJUSTMENT PROCESS THAT NEEDS TO TAKE PLACE IN DURING THE YEAR, THE REPORT THAT YOU'RE REFERRING TO IT THAT SECOND QUARTER RECORD AND IS WHAT I ALWAYS REFER TO AS THE MID-YEAR BUDGET ADJUSTMENT.
I'M JUST SAYING IT NEEDS TO BE HERE AS PART OF THE ACTION PLAN, FORMAL PROCESS.
IT DOES SAY MID-YEAR, UM, BUT MAYBE WE NEED TO EXPAND ON THAT AND YOU USED THE WORD BOARD, SO I'M GOING TO LOOK AT THAT'S TRUE.
UH, SO LET'S MOVE ON TO ITEM NUMBER EIGHT, WHICH IS THE MEET AND CONFER REGARDING THE CAUTIOUS OF EMPLOYEES WITH GUNS.
THIS ONE LOOKS LIKE WE FORGOT TO FINISH OUR THOUGHT.
IT JUST SAYS BEGIN MEET AND CONFER PROCESS WITHOUT LABOR GROUPS AND THEN BLEND.
SO WE NEED A LITTLE MORE MEAT IN HERE.
AS MUCH AS IS ALLOWABLE, GIVEN THE SENSITIVE NATURE OF THE INFORMATION.
WELL, THE STATE DID SAY THAT OUR BENEFITS WERE GENEROUS.
UM, MAYBE WE COULD QUOTE FROM THE STATE AUDIT.
UM, WE ARE NOW UNDER CONTRACT WITH EIGHT OUT OF NINE, WHICH IS A BIG STEP FOR THE CITY THAT'S MAJOR PROGRESS, WHICH ARE DELIBERATELY NATIONS.
UM, AND WE HAVE BEGUN TO HAVE THE UNIONS IN COUNCILS GIVEN DIRECTION ALREADY THAT OVERSEES THE OTHER SEVEN.
SO WE'RE, UH, WE'RE UNDERWAY ON THAT.
I'LL SAY WHAT I CAN SAY IN THIS REPORT ABOUT, UM, SOME OF THE CITY'S INTEREST IN THAT NEGOTIATION PROCESS.
WE'RE NOT ABLE TO SAY HERE, WE'RE GOING TO SLASH PAYING BENEFITS, BUT WE DIDN'T TALK ABOUT SOME OF THOSE BEING OVER THE JANITOR.
IF WE COULD, MAYBE YOU MENTIONED IT, THE REPORT TALKED ABOUT COMPARING US WITH OTHERS, USING DATA OF OTHER CITIES.
SO, UM, MAYBE JUST KIND OF PUT THAT AS A BULLET POINT THAT WE'RE GOING TO DO THAT STEP GOOD POINT.
ANYONE ELSE, IF NOT, WE ARE MOVING ON
[01:20:01]
TO THE LAST BUT NOT LEAST, WHICH IS TO IMPROVE THE INTERNAL PURCHASING SLASH ENFORCEMENT TO REDUCE SUSCEPTIBILITY TO WASTE FRAUD.UM, SO WITHIN THE STATE AUDIT REPORT, UM, UM, MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT IT APPEARS THAT, UM, THERE WERE SOME INSTANCES WHERE SUPERVISORS MAY HAVE APPROVED THE SHOW THEM EXPENDITURES, UH, WITH OUR DOCUMENTATION.
UM, MR. COMEDY WOULD SHOU ELABORATE A LITTLE BIT ON THAT OBSERVATION AND THE REPORT.
YEAH, THEY, THEY LOOKED AT A NUMBER OF PURCHASES.
THEY CAME FORWARD WITH, UM, A COUPLE OF THINGS THAT I THINK, UM, MADE THE POINT.
UM, ONE OF THEM PERTAINED TO A CREDIT CARD THAT HAD BEEN INCREASED TO $7,500, UM, THAT THE VENDOR THAT WAS DOING THE RECURRENCE DIDN'T WANT THE CITY'S PURCHASE ORDER.
SO WE NEED TO CRANK TO GET THE VEHICLE REPAIR, BUT IT DIDN'T COMPLY IN THE WAY THAT IT WAS HANDLED.
UM, DID HE COMPLY WITH THE POLICY OF THE CITY THAT IT WAS RAISED, BUT IT WASN'T JUST RAISED TEMPORARILY WAS RAISED PERMANENT.
THE OTHER ONE WAS A PURCHASE OF FIVE LAPTOP COMPUTERS AT THE START OF THE BANDANA.
HE WENT TO BEST BUY AND GOT THOSE.
THEY DON'T, THEY'RE BIG ON WANTING EVERYTHING TO BE BAD.
AND SO WE DECIDED TO STEP BACK FROM IT AND REVIEW ALL OF THE CITY'S PURCHASING POLICY, PROBABLY GOING TO NEED TO DO SOME WORK AROUND THOSE.
AND THEN THE SECOND PART, WHICH IS SEPARATE FROM THE REVIEW OF WALLET, PURCHASING POLICIES, IT'S A BUSINESS OF USING THE CALIFORNIA UNIFORM PUBLIC INSTRUCTION, COSTA COUNTY, WHICH WILL ENABLE US TO SPEED UP PROJECT DELIVERY AND WE'LL ADJUST SOME OF THE LIMITATIONS THAT THEY'VE BEEN.
SO IT SOUNDS LIKE, UM, IT SOUNDS LIKE IT'S, IT'S MORE OF AN ISSUE OF HAVING SOME GRAY AREAS WITHIN THE EXISTING PURCHASING POLICY, AS OPPOSED TO EMPLOYEES NOT FOLLOWING THE POLICY.
IS THAT CORRECT? ROBIN, CAN YOU SPEAK TO THAT? I'M NOT SURE THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT MATERIAL.
UM, BUT I WANT, I WANT ROBIN TO TALK TO THAT FOR A MINUTE.
IT WASN'T A MATERIAL ITEM THAT THEY LOOKED AT, BUT THERE WAS AN INSTANCE WHERE THEY ASKED, WE HAVE A FORM THAT'S FILLED OUT WHEN WE INCREASED THE CREDIT CARDS FOR AN INDIVIDUAL, AND WE COULD NOT LOCATE THE SIGNED COPY, EVEN THOUGH WE BELIEVE THAT IT WAS SIGNED, BUT WE COULDN'T PRODUCE THE DOCUMENTS.
SO SOMEHOW IT GOT MISFILED OR, UM, LOST SOMEWHERE.
AND, UM, SO THAT WAS THEIR MAIN ISSUE.
AND, AND, YOU KNOW, I, SOME OF THAT STUFF JUST HAPPENS FROM TIME TO TIME.
UM, BUT THAT'S NO EXCUSE WE'RE GOING THROUGH.
I'M HAVING AN AS YOU GUYS KNOW I'VE BEEN WITHOUT A PURCHASING MANAGER FOR OVER A YEAR.
NOW, WE JUST FILLED THAT POSITION RECENTLY.
AND I'M HAVING OUR NEW PURCHASING MANAGER GO THROUGH ALL OF THE CREDIT CARDS I'M REVIEWING, WHO HAS A CREDIT CARD.
IF THEY, IF THEY REALLY NEED A CREDIT CARD, WE'RE TRYING TO REDUCE THE NUMBER OF CREDIT CARDS SO WE CAN GET A BETTER HANDLE ON IT.
I'M HAVING THE POLICY SENT OUT TO ALL OF THOSE CARD HOLDERS AND I'M DEVISING A, UM, A SHEET THAT THEY'RE GOING TO SIGN AND SEND BACK TO FINANCING.
I HAVE RECEIVED AND HAVE READ THIS POLICY AND I AM RESPONSIBLE FOR FOLLOWING IT.
AND THAT WILL, UM, GO INTO THIS FOLDER THAT WE HAVE, UM, FOR THE CREDIT CARDS.
HOW MANY CREDIT CARDS DO WE HAVE CURRENTLY OUT FOR STAFF OR DEPARTMENT HEADS, ET CETERA? I DON'T KNOW THE EXACT NUMBER.
I THINK IT'S PROBABLY LESS THAN 20.
DO ALL DEPARTMENT HEADS OR YOU DON'T KNOW HAVE CREDIT CARDS? NOT ALL THE DEPARTMENT HEADS DO HAVE CREDIT CARDS.
SO IN YOUR PLANNING OF, IS THERE A, LET ME REPHRASE THIS, IS THERE A LIST OF DO'S AND DON'TS AS TO WHAT YOU CAN USE THE CREDIT CARD FOR VERSUS NOT, AND WHILE EACH SENDING OUT FOR THEM TO REREAD AND REFRESH AND MAKE SURE THAT EVERYBODY WHO HAS A CREDIT CARD KNOWS WHAT THE POLICY IS, UM, FINDS A SHEET THING THEY'RE RESPONSIBLE FOR IT.
SO THAT'LL BE ACCOUNTABILITY OVER THE YEARS, I'VE LOOKED INTO THE CREDIT CARD USE,
[01:25:01]
AND I'VE ALSO, I'VE ASKED FOR A PUBLIC RECORD REQUESTS.AND SOME, I KNOW THAT SOME FOLKS HAVE HIGHER LIMITS THAN OTHERS.
I THINK ONE PERSON HAS ABOUT 25,000 AS A LIMIT WHERE OTHERS MAY HAVE 2,500, ET CETERA.
HOW DO YOU DETERMINE WHO IS GOING TO GET THOSE HIGH LIMITS? SO IT DEPENDS ON THE POSITION THAT THEY'RE IN.
FOR EXAMPLE, UM, FLEET IS ONE OF THEM THAT I DON'T KNOW OF ANYBODY WHO HAS 25,000.
I'M NOT SAYING THERE'S NOT, BUT I'M NOT AWARE OF IT, BUT THE HIGHER LIMITS, LIKE IF YOU'RE, UM, GETTING A FIRE VEHICLE, SOMETIMES WE HAVE EMERGENCIES WITH POLICE VEHICLES BY YOUR VEHICLES.
WE NEED TO GET THEM BACK IN SERVICE AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE.
THEY WILL SOMETIMES USE THE CREDIT CARD TO PURCHASE PARTS, UM, YOU KNOW, OR TAKE IT TO A VENDOR AND GET THOSE THINGS REPAIRED BECAUSE OF THE NEED.
SO IT'S DETERMINED IN THAT MANNER.
SO IN REVIEWING THE FINANCIALS, I NOTICED THAT, WELL, THERE'S BEEN A COUPLE OF DIFFERENT WAYS THAT WE'VE USED THE CREDIT CARD PAYMENT, AND NOW IT'S AUTOMATICALLY DEDUCTED FROM THE WELLS FARGO.
THERE'S AN AUTO-PAY THAT COMES THROUGH.
AND LAST MONTH, LAST TIME I CHECKED, IT WAS ABOUT $11,000.
BUT ON THAT REPORT, IT DOESN'T SAY WHAT CARD IT'S JUST A LUMP SUM.
AND THAT WAS ONE THING THAT I QUESTIONED WHEN THEY STARTED DOING THE AUTO-PAY.
THIS WAS BEFORE YOU IS HOW DO YOU KNOW THAT THE PROPER DOCUMENTATION HAS BEEN RECEIVED AND THAT IT WAS EVEN APPROVED? BECAUSE LET'S SAY I PUT IN A CHARGE ON THE 20TH OF JANUARY AND THE CUTOFF IS THE 25TH FOR PAYMENT.
AND IT GETS LUMPED IN THAT PAYMENT.
AND THE APPROVAL OF THAT MIGHT NOT HAVE BEEN RECEIVED BY YOU OR WHOEVER PURCHASING MANAGER, WHOEVER DOES THAT.
SO THAT WAS ALWAYS A CONCERN WITH THE CHECKS AND BALANCES THAT I HAD FOR THE CREDIT CARDS, WITH THE AUTO PAY EVERY MONTH, UM, BOTH CREDIT CARD STATEMENTS FOR EACH INDIVIDUAL AND MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE ALL THE APPROPRIATE DOCUMENTATION TO THE TIMING OF WHEN THE CR I'M NOT AWARE THAT THE CREDIT CARD IS PAID.
WE'RE TRYING TO GET SUGGESTIONS FROM EVERYBODY.
SO I APPRECIATE THAT ONE, BUT IF WE SAY HERE, WE'RE GOING TO REVIEW CURRENT PURCHASING POLICIES TO DETERMINE COMPLIANCE WITH BEST PRACTICES AND B I COULD ADD THE THOUGHT OF CREDIT CARD, USE CURRENT PURCHASING POLICIES, INCLUDING CREDIT CARD UTILIZATION.
ONE OF THE THINGS WE ARE DAVE AND I ARE DISCUSSING IS GETTING RID OF THE CREDIT CARDS, SOLVES THE PROBLEM.
I KNOW, I, I, I CAN TELL YOU, I DON'T HAVE ONE.
THIS IS AN AREA WHERE CITIES, UM, GET INTO TROUBLE.
AND SO, UM, YOU NEED TO JUST MAKE REALLY SURE WE'RE, UM, NOT A PROBLEM.
IS IT POSSIBLE TO HAVE LIMITS LIKE TRANSACTION LIMITS OR DAILY LIMITS YOU DO? OKAY.
BECAUSE THEY THINK, UM, YOU KNOW, THIS IS JUST BECAUSE JUST BASED ON EXPERIENCE, ESPECIALLY DURING THE PANDEMIC, IT'S SO NECESSARY TO HAVE THOSE CARDS AVAILABLE BECAUSE THERE ARE SO MANY EMERGENCY PURCHASES AND I DON'T WANT TO CALL THEM ALL THAT, BUT IT'S LIKE, OH MY GOD, YOU KNOW, WE NEED ANOTHER TENT OR, OH MY GOD, WE NEED SOMETHING BECAUSE YOU KNOW, WE'RE GOING TO HELP SOMEONE WITH VACCINE ROLLOUTS OR WHATEVER TESTING, WHAT IT WAS, SOMETHING'S ALWAYS HAPPENING.
AND, UM, YOU KNOW, OBVIOUSLY I'M NOT AN EXPERT ON THE DAY-TO-DAY OF THE CITY EXPENSES, BUT IT'S, IT SEEMS LIKE WE WILL PROBABLY MEET TO KEEP AT LEAST A COUPLE AROUND.
BUT, UM, YEAH, I, I REALLY DON'T THINK THIS POLICY I WASN'T TOO WORRIED ABOUT, BECAUSE I REMEMBER WHEN WE REVIEWED THE PURCHASING POLICY, THE LAST TIME IT WAS UPDATED AND IT THINK IT WAS PRETTY GOOD.
UM, YOUR LAST PURCHASING MANAGER DID A GOOD JOB WITH THAT.
AND SO IT'S JUST KIND OF ENFORCING AGAIN THAT WE PRACTICE WHAT WE PREACH.
IF IT'S WRITTEN DOWN THE AUDITOR EXPECTS TO SEE IT IN PRACTICE AND STUFF, AGAIN, IT JUST GOES TO HAVING THE SUPPORT, THE STAFF AVAILABLE TO MAKE SURE THAT THAT HAPPENS, THAT THE PAPERWORK IS THERE, ET CETERA.
AND ONE OF THE, ONE OF THE HEAVY USERS OF THE CREDIT CARD IS OUR IT MANAGER.
OFTENTIMES HE GETS, UM, JUST EITHER PURCHASES, WHICH HE WOULDN'T GET IF HE DIDN'T PAY WITH A CREDIT.
ONE OF OUR BIG, UM, WE HAVE THAT ISSUE TOO, IN OUR AGENCY WITH IT, ESPECIALLY, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE
[01:30:01]
ALWAYS ANY CABLES AND STUFF.I OPENED A BUSINESS AMAZON ACCOUNT, AND THAT WAY IT STILL GOES BECAUSE IT HAS WORKFLOWS BUILT INTO IT AND IT'S FREE.
SO, YOU KNOW, YOU ASSIGN THEM AN ACCOUNT AND, YOU KNOW, IT'S LINKED TO A CREDIT CARD, BUT EVERYTHING'S ALREADY IN THE SYSTEM, THE RECEIPTS IN THERE, THE ORDER OF THE APPROVALS, IT'S ALL EMBARRASSED.
SO WHEREVER IT NEEDS TO SEE WHATEVER YOU JUST LOG IN AS THE ADMINISTRATOR AND BOOM, THERE YOU GO.
COST CENTERS, PRO YOU KNOW, GL CODES.
IT'S BEAUTIFUL AND FREE SHIPPING.
UH, MY, MY COMMENT ON THIS ONE IS UNFORTUNATELY, SOMETHING I BRING UP EVERY YEAR, WHICH IS, I THINK WE NEED AN ACTION PLAN TO MAKE SURE THAT THE PURCHASES ARE WITHIN BUDGET.
UH, THERE'S, THERE'S ALWAYS A BUNCH OF ACCOUNTS AT THE END OF THE YEAR THAT ARE WAY OVER BUDGET.
UH, AND I WAS TOLD IN PREVIOUS AUDIT COMMITTEES, THIS IS PROBABLY BEFORE YOUR TIME, ROBIN, THAT THERE WAS CONTROLS IN THE COMPUTER TO STOP IT WELL THAT ISN'T WORKING BECAUSE WELL, CONTROLS IN THE COMPUTER, JIM WE'RE WE'RE REQUIRED NOT TO GO OVER IN THE, IN THE MAINTENANCE AND OPERATIONS OF A BUDGET.
SO IT EXCLUDES PERSONNEL, UM, BECAUSE PAID PEOPLE, BUT IN THE MAINTENANCE AND OPERATIONS, THE SYSTEM IS SET TO NOT GO OVER BUDGET AT, NOT AT THE LINE ITEM LEVEL IT'S IN TOTAL BECAUSE WE CAN GO OVER IN ONE LINE OR THE OTHER AND STILL STAY WITHIN BUDGET.
AND I KNOW SOMETIMES YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT IT'S GONE OVER IN TOTAL AND, AND THEY HAVE, YOU KNOW, THEY TOLD ME IN THE PAST THAT THEY GET ON LOCK THOSE ACCOUNTS.
UM, WE WERE MAKING PEOPLE GO BACK TO COUNCIL AND GET APPROPRIATION AND ADD TO PURCHASE ORDERS, UM, THOUGH, AND WE ADDED TO OUR FUND BALANCE THIS YEAR.
WELL, AT LEAST WHEN I LOOKED AT THE YEAR END REPORT FROM LAST FISCAL YEAR, WHICH IS MY SOURCE DATA, THERE WAS QUITE A FEW ACCOUNTS.
AND I'M TALKING ABOUT IN TOTAL, NOT THIS SPECIFIC LINE ITEMS WHERE THERE WAS, THERE WAS MORE SPENDING, NOT SALARIES.
SO THE OTHER THING THAT YOU HAVE TO UNDERSTAND IS BY THE TIME IT GETS TO FINANCE, WE'RE BOUND TO PAY THOSE BILLS.
I KNOW THAT I'M, I'M TALKING ABOUT THIS SHOULD BE ON THE ACTION PLAN TO PUT IN A SYSTEM TO DEAL WITH IT.
THANK YOU, JIM MARCIA AND COLLEEN.
UM, SO BASED ON WHAT I WAS HEARING, CAN I MAKE A SUGGESTION TO UPDATE THE ACTUAL PLAN? NUMBER ONE, UH, IN ADDITION TO JUST REVIEWING THE CURRENT PURCHASING POLICY, CAN WE POSSIBLY REVISE IT TO REBUILD CURRENT PURCHASING POLICY AND CREDIT CARD USE POLICY AND ENSURE THAT, UH, ALL THE CITY STAFF, UH, CLOSELY ABIDING BY IT, WE CAN PROBABLY UNDERWAY.
AND, UH, I I'M SURE THAT THE PURCHASING POLICY, UM, YOU KNOW, THAT, LIKE I SAID, IT WAS A FLUKE, IT WAS JUST, WE COULDN'T FIND THE FINE DOCUMENT, BUT I'M STILL UPDATING ALL OF THE THINGS LOOKING CLOSELY AT WHO HAS CREDIT CARDS AND WHAT THEIR LIMITS ARE.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS FOR THEM? WELL, YOU'VE NOT DONE THAT.
I GUESS WE CAN, UM, UH, WE'RE DONE WITH THIS.
LET'S REPEAT WHAT YOUR, WHAT THIS LAB, UH, DO WE HAVE ANY OTHER NEW BUSINESS ON THE AGENDA, OUR FINANCIAL AUDIT STATUS? SO I CAN SPEAK TO THAT.
UM, I RECEIVED A DRAFT OF THE FINANCIAL AUDIT REPORT YESTERDAY.
UM, AND I'M IN THE PROCESS RIGHT NOW OF WRITING THE MANAGEMENT DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS AND DOING THE TRANSMITTAL LETTER, GETTING THE COVERS AND FINALIZING THAT REPORT.
THE SINGLE AUDIT HAS NOT BEEN COMPLETED YET.
UM, THEY'RE WORKING ON IT AND IT'LL, IT'S, IT'S DUE ON MARCH 31ST, WHICH IS, UM, USUALLY THEY GET IT TO WITH SHORTLY BEFORE THAT.
SO, UM, IT'S ALMOST DONE ANY ISSUES WHEN IT SHOULD BE AWARE OF AT THIS TIME.
SO THERE'S A LOT OF, UM, MANAGEMENT LETTER, UM, THAT ARE GOING TO BE IN THIS CURRENT YEAR'S AUDIT.
[01:35:01]
THE AUDITORS HAVE LOOKED VERY CLOSELY AT THE STATE AUDIT AND ARE MIMICKING THEIR FINDINGS.SO YOU'LL SEE IT IN BOTH PLACES.
ROBIN, I HAVE A QUESTION, UH, WHAT ARE THE MEETINGS THAT WE HAD PREVIOUSLY? I HAD BROUGHT UP THE CONTRACT WITH RAMS, RIGHT.
AND I'M SORRY, I HAD TO GO ADDRESS SOMETHING REALLY QUICK.
I DON'T KNOW IF YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT THAT RIGHT NOW.
UM, BUT ISN'T IT UP FOR RENEWAL AND IF SO, ARE WE GOING TO SEND OUT RFPS FOR OTHER, SO I HAVE THE RFP SITTING ON MY DESK AND, UH, IT'S JUST A MATTER OF WHAT, WHICH THING I JUGGLE RIGHT NOW.
UM, I'M TRYING TO GET THE FINANCIAL AUDIT DONE FOR WANT TO BE DONE WITH 1920.
WHEN IS THEIR CONTRACT UP? WAS IT JANUARY OR JUNE? I LOVE TRUMP.
IT'S TECHNICALLY A JUNE, BUT THAT'S FOR THAT AUDIT YEAR.
SO THEY HAVE BEEN HERE THIS YEAR DOING THE 1920 AUDITS.
SO IT'S KIND OF A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT THAN OTHER CONTRACTS THAT EXPIRE ON A CERTAIN THAT THIS WAS A FIVE-YEAR CONTRACT TO DO FIVE YEARS OF AUDITS.
THIS IS THE FIFTH AUDIT THEY'VE DONE.
EVEN THOUGH IN THEORY, IT EXPIRED IN JUNE.
THEY'RE JUST COMPLETING CONTRACTUALLY CONTRACT.
THEY ARE CONTRACTED TO DO FIVE YEARS OF AUDIT, NO MATTER WHEN THAT IS.
YEAH, YOU CAN'T DO THE JUNE 30, 20 AUDIT UNTIL THE FOLLOWING FISCAL YEAR, IF IT'S DIFFERENT THAN OTHER CONTRACTS, BECAUSE OF THAT, THAT TIMELINE, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE TO CLOSE THE BOOKS, WE HAVE TO GET READY FOR THE AUDIT AND THEN THEY DO THEIR WORK AND WE GO BACK AND FORTH.
SO WHEN WE DID GOING BACK TO I'VE MADE HAVE BEEN 2016 WHEN WE DID THIS, WHEN WE REVIEWED OR LOOKED AT FIRMS. UM, I DON'T KNOW IF WE HAD AN AUDIT COMMITTEE THEN, BUT I KNOW THAT WE DID HAVE A COMMITTEE THAT SAT ON THE INTERVIEW PROCESS.
I KNOW I WAS ON THERE AND I THINK A COUPLE OF COUNCIL MEMBERS WERE ON THERE AND THEN A COUPLE OF FINANCE PEOPLE, UH, COMMUNITY PEOPLE WERE THERE.
WELL, WE DO SOMETHING LIKE THAT AGAIN, WHEN WE'RE CHOOSING AN AUDIT FIRM.
I HADN'T THOUGHT THAT FAR AHEAD, ACTUALLY.
JUST, JUST, JUST A QUESTION, JUST A THOUGHT.
AND YOU KNOW, WHEN I, I WAS THINKING ABOUT RAMS AND IN SOME OF THESE COMMENTS THAT THE STATE AUDITOR MADE, ESPECIALLY WHERE IT SAID CONTROL WEAKNESSES ARE NOT SURE THE PROPER VERBIAGE.
OFTENTIMES WHEN THEY DO THE TESTING RAMS, THE TESTING, YOU KNOW, THEY PICK A CERTAIN SUBJECT AND THEY TEST IT TO SEE IF IT'S SECURE.
UM, I'M SURPRISED, OR IS THIS NOT COMMON THAT THEY DIDN'T PICK UP ON SOME OF THE FINDINGS OF THE STATE AUDITOR? I DON'T KNOW THAT I CAN SPEAK TO THAT.
WELL, LET ME JUST SAY THEY, THEY BASICALLY WAITED UNTIL THE STATE FINISHED THEIRS AND THEN, UM, ECHOED ALL THE THINGS THAT THE STATE FOUND.
THEY'VE BEEN HERE FOR FIVE YEARS, BUT THIS IS THE FIRST YEAR OF THOSE THINGS HAVE APPEARED SO WELL, THAT'S, THAT'S KINDA NOT WRONG FOR THEM TO DO THIS.
AND THEY LOOK AT DIFFERENT THINGS EVERY TIME THEY COME, BUT I'M NOT ALL THAT IMPRESSED.
WELL, THAT WAS KIND OF MY QUESTION ASSESSMENT IS THAT IF THIS STUFF, IF THESE THINGS POPPED UP, IT SEEMED LIKE IN PREVIOUS MEETINGS WITH THEM, WITH ALL DUE RESPECT, IT WAS KIND OF NONCHALANT.
LIKE, YEAH, WE DIDN'T FIND ANYTHING.
AND THEN YOU GET AN AUDIT LIKE THIS, THAT KIND OF HITS YOU IN THE FACE AND SAYS, WAIT A MINUTE.
IF I'M, IF I'M GOING TO BE COMPLETELY CANDID WITH YOU GUYS.
UM, I THINK THAT MOST OF THE STUFF, THE STATE FOUND WAS NOT VERY SERIOUS.
BUT YOU KNOW, THEY'RE THERE BENEFIT THAT COMES FROM THE MOVE THING AND SOME OF THE THINGS WE ALREADY KNEW AND WERE WORKING ON, BUT I, I AGREE WITH YOU ROBIN.
AND, AND WE'VE BEEN WORKING ON THINGS, YOU KNOW, SINCE WE GOT HERE AND THE CONSOLE BEEN VERY SUPPORTIVE IN, IN HELPING US GET A LOT OF THOSE THINGS AS, BUT WE DIDN'T GET HERE OVERNIGHT AND WE'RE NOT GOING TO GET OUT OF THIS OVERNIGHT.
AS YOU'RE THINKING AHEAD, ROBIN, UM, SHE REMEMBER MY COMMENT ABOUT, HOPEFULLY THIS YEAR, THE
[01:40:01]
AUDIT COMMITTEE WILL GET THE REPORT BEFORE THE CITY COUNCIL.UH, I LIKE TO BE SPECIFIC ABOUT THAT.
UH, THIS COMMITTEE SHOULD SEE THAT BEFORE IT'S FINALIZED, THAT WAS TRADITIONALLY DONE.
UM, I DON'T HAVE AN ISSUE GIVING YOU GUYS A DRAFT COPY, BUT I CAN TELL YOU THAT THEY'RE NOT GOING TO CHANGE ANYTHING IN IT.
YOU GUYS CAN'T CHANGE NUMBERS OR ANYTHING.
YOU CAN, YOU KNOW, THE AUDIT IS THE AUDIT.
I DON'T HAVE AN ISSUE WITH IT, BUT, UH, YEAH, I ACTUALLY HAD QUITE AN ARGUMENT WITH RAMS BEFORE YOU WERE HERE ABOUT SOMETHING THAT WAS, UH, I THINK FACTUALLY WRONG IN THE AUDIT.
AND IT ENDED UP WITH THE PARTNER QUITTING.
I, UH, CAUSE WAS REALLY UNHAPPY ABOUT IT.
SO I, THAT'S WHY I'M PUSHING ABOUT, UH, THIS PARTICULAR ISSUE.
COLLEEN AND I THINK ARE REALLY GOOD AT FINDING OUT THE ACCIDENTAL, SPELLED SPELLING ERRORS WHEN YOU STARE AT IT TOO LONG.
AND, YOU KNOW, CAUSE THIS IS A PUBLIC DOCUMENT AND IT GETS POSTED ON THE WEBSITE, FEDERAL CLEARINGHOUSE.
WE WANT TO PRESENT OUR BEST FOOT FORWARD HERE AT ODOT.
AND JUST BASED ON EXPERIENCE AGAIN, IT'S ALWAYS BEEN CUSTOMARY.
IT GOES TO THE AUDIT COMMITTEE FIRST, AND THEN IT'S PRESENTED TO SAY, THAT'S FINE, BUT THEN I WILL PROBABLY PUSH IT PAST MARCH TO GO TO THE CITY COUNCIL.
THAT'LL BE THE LATEST, I THINK THAT WE'VE EVER BEEN, UNLESS YEAH, UNLESS WE WOULD SCHEDULE A SPECIAL MEETING JUST TO GET THE PRESENTATION ON THAT.
I THINK WE'VE DONE THAT BEFORE, LIKE THE WEEK BEFORE THE CITY COUNCIL MEETING.
WE'VE ACTUALLY DONE THAT BEFORE, BUT IT'S NOT COMPLETE RIGHT NOW WITH ALL THE PARTS IN IT.
WE'RE, WE'RE TALKING IN MARCH AND, AND THEN YOU WOULD PROBABLY HAVE TO GET THE SINGLE AUDIT AT A DIFFERENT DATE.
CAUSE I DOUBT THAT THEY'RE GOING TO GET TO MEAN MUCH BEFORE MARCH 31ST IN THAT WORLD THAT HAS TO BE, UM, TO THE CLEARING HOUSE BEFORE THAT DATE.
SO, AND THE OTHER, UH, IF WE DON'T SHOW IT COME UP WITH NO, UH, THERE WAS ONE OTHER ITEM ON THE AGENDA, WHICH WAS THE FINANCIAL REPORT, THE EXPENDITURES I MENTIONED TO EVERYBODY THAT THIS MEETING IS SUPPOSED TO END AT EIGHT AND BECAUSE IT'S A ZOOM MEETING, I'M NOT SURE HOW THAT WORKS.
I THOUGHT FOR THE LIVE FEE, OH, Y I SAW EIGHT 30, WHERE DID I SEE? EIGHT 30? WAS IT IN, THERE WAS A, OKAY.
UM, JUST EXPENDITURES JUST TO QUICK LITTLE 2 CENTS FROM ME.
AND I DIDN'T GO THROUGH EVERY SINGLE PAGE, JUST A QUICK LITTLE ANALOGY.
THERE ARE CERTAIN THINGS THAT ARE ALREADY OVER BUDGET AND WE'VE GOT ABOUT SEVEN MORE MONTHS OF THIS BUDGET.
AND AGAIN, IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE'VE ALREADY TALKED, TALKED ABOUT, BUT LITIGATION FEES ON PAGE FIVE, THAT WAS OVER ON PAGE 23, THERE WERE SOME LEGAL SERVICES OVER BUDGET, 245%.
THEY BUDGETED 25,000 FOR THAT PARTICULAR DEPARTMENT.
SO WE'VE REALLY GOT TO REEL THAT IN, BUT WE'VE ALREADY DONE TALK TO THE DEPARTMENT HEAD ABOUT THAT AND THERE'S THE MONEY IN SOME OTHER FUNDS.
AND WHEN I DO THE MID-YEAR, I'M GOING TO BE TRANSFERRING, BUT I HAVE TO GET COUNCIL APPROVAL TO DO THAT BECAUSE THERE'S A LINE ITEM BASICALLY.
AND, UM, SOME OF THE OTHER LITIGATION FUNDS, UM, IS PRETTY LOW AND I WILL, UM, ASK BECAUSE I'M NOT, I'VE BEEN VERY CAREFUL THIS TIME NOT TO INCREASE APPROPRIATIONS IN THE GENERAL FUND IN THAT LESS THERE'S A CORRESPONDING REVENUE OR SOME OTHER SAVINGS SOMEWHERE ELSE, BECAUSE THAT'S THE PROBLEM THAT WE'VE HAD OVER THE YEARS THAT HAS DECREASED OUR FUND BALANCE.
SO, I MEAN, I HAVE BEEN DILIGENT ABOUT IT TO MAKE SURE, UM, THAT WE'RE GOING TO COME OUT OF THIS YEAR BETTER THAN WE DID EVEN LAST YEAR.
THE OTHER ONE TO LOOK AT IS CAPITAL LEASE PAYMENTS.
THOSE INQUIRIES IN MANY DEPARTMENTS ARE OVER.
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THERE ARE ON PAGE 38, ITEM THREE, ONE, TWO, FIVE COMMUNITY ENHANCEMENT.THERE IS SOME EXPENDITURES ON THERE, BUT IT'S NOT BUDGETED.
SO, UM, BECAUSE THERE'S ONE PERSON IN THE POLICE DEPARTMENT THAT'S IN, UM, COMMUNITY ENHANCEMENT, I GUESS, IS WHAT IT'S CALLED.
UM, BUT IT GOT BUDGETED TOTALLY INTO WHERE, UM, MYLAN'S GROUP DID BUDGETED.
I NEED TO DO THAT ALSO LIKE BREAK THAT OUT AND, UM, MAKE SURE THAT WE TAKE CARE OF THAT.
THE MONEY WE'RE JUST REDISTRIBUTING.
YEAH, BECAUSE THAT HAD NO BUDGET WHATSOEVER, BUT THERE ARE NUMBERS THERE.
AND THEN SOMETHING THAT I SAW THAT'S OVER BUDGET ALSO IS VACATION BUYBACK AND QUITE A FEW OF THE DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS.
WE DON'T HAVE CONTROL OVER THAT COLEEN.
UNFORTUNATELY, IT'S VERY DIFFICULT TO BUDGET FOR THAT.
UM, BECAUSE NOT EVERYBODY TAKES IT, IT VARIES FROM YEAR TO YEAR.
UM, IT'S ONE OF THE BENEFITS HERE THAT HAVE BEEN NEGOTIATED OVER TIME AND IT'S IN THE PERSONNEL, UM, PART OF IT AND WITH ONE OF THE THINGS WE, I, I, I KNOW IT.
HR DEPARTMENT VACATION BUYBACK HAD A BUDGET OF 3000 AND IT'S CURRENTLY AT 7,134.
UM, THERE WAS A PART-TIME PART-TIME SALARIES ON PAGE 13, ITEM FIVE, ONE, ONE, TWO THAT'S SILVER BUDGET, 187%.
I'M NOT SURE IF THAT WAS PD, UM, BUDGETED 27,000 AND IT'S OVER BY $23,000 ON PAGE.
ARE YOU LOOKING AT, I WAS LOOKING AT THE EXPENSE REPORT FOR NOVEMBER AND THAT WAS PAGE 13.
I DON'T THINK YOU'D BE ABLE TO FIND IT.
I HAVE IT WRITTEN DOWN TOO ROBIN, SO I CAN SHOOT YOU THIS REAL QUICK.
AND THEN LEAGUE OF CITIES, ROBIN, YOU DID A GOOD JOB BECAUSE MOST OF THE OTHER DEPARTMENTS ARE WAY UNDER BUDGET.
I JUST HIGHLIGHTED THINGS THAT KIND OF STOOD OUT THAT WERE OVER.
I KNOW, AND THERE'S SEVEN MORE MONTHS TO GO.
SO IT'S LIKE, WHOA, WHAT ARE WE GOING TO DO? IF WE'RE AT 200, IN FACT, THIS ONE RIGHT HERE, SERVICE CONTRACTS ON PAGE 13.
UM, BUT IT'S BUDGETED 2100 AND WE'RE OVER 756% ON THAT ONE.
HOW THAT THE SMALL AMOUNT, THE PERCENTAGE IS REALLY HIGH.
SO THAT'S ALL GONNA, AND THEN LEAGUE OF CITIES, THIS IS INTERESTING.
AND MAYBE DAVE COULD ADD A LITTLE INPUT TO THIS.
THE BUDGET AMOUNT WAS 30,944, ALTHOUGH WE ONLY SPENT 1400.
WHY, WHY DID WE BUDGET SO MUCH FOR LEEKA CITIES? JUST OUT OF CURIOSITY, OR MAYBE YOU CAN ENLIGHTEN US.
W WHERE ARE YOU CALLING? UM, IT WAS ON PAGE TWO, ITEM NUMBER SIX, ZERO EIGHT, ONE LEAGUE OF CITIES, 30,944, I GUESS, NO MEETINGS, NO TRIPS, NO NOTHING FOR LEAGUE OF CITIES AND EXPENDITURES WAS 1,443.
SO WE'RE ONLY FOR 4% ABOUT USED BUDGET, WHICH IS GOOD.
I JUST WONDERED WHY THAT GETS BUDGETED SO MUCH.
WHAT ARE THE EXPENDITURES THAT COME OUT OF THAT 30,000, ALMOST 31 BIGGEST PORTION OF IT.
UM, LEAGUE IS PROBABLY THE PREEMINENT ORGANIZATION IN CALIFORNIA FOR, UM, LEGISLATIVE TRACKING SCREENING, ET CETERA.
IN TERMS OF THE OTHER LEAGUE, UH, CONFERENCES, WE TRY AND SEND, UH, FOR EXAMPLE, ONE OR TWO PLANNING COMMISSIONERS TO THE PLANNING COMMISSIONERS INSTITUTED EVERY YEAR, UM, AND TO AN, A DIRECTOR TO THEIR, THEIR CONFERENCE, THEIR RESPECTIVE CONFERENCE FOR THEIR DEPARTMENT POLICE OR FIRE CITY CLERKS OR WHATEVER, UM, THIS YEAR, UM, WE'VE, WE'VE PRETTY MUCH BEEN SHUT DOWN.
SO, UM, CONFERENCE SEASON CAME AND WENT WITHOUT US GOING CAUSE THEY WEREN'T HOLDING THEM.
SORRY TO HEAR THAT, BUT THAT IS GOOD NEWS THAT WE DIDN'T SPEND ALL OF IT.
WE'RE, WE'RE PRETTY AWARE OF WHO GOES TO WHAT
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TRIPS AND, UH, TRY AND KEEP THAT TO AN ABSOLUTE MINIMUM.WE LOOK AT THOSE PRETTY CAREFULLY AND THEN PD JUST HAD OVER TIME, UM, A LITTLE BIT TOO.
NO, NOT A LITTLE BIT BUDGETED WAS 47,000 AND IT'S AT 213%.
SO IT'S OVER 54,000 AND THAT'S ON, THAT'S ON PAGE 28 AND THEY HAVE TO FILL THEM WITH OVERTIME.
SO THE SALARIES WILL BE LOWER AND IN SALARIES AND BENEFITS AND YOU KNOW, THE OVERTIME, I, IT DIDN'T HAPPEN.
AGAIN, I'M JUST LOOKING AT THINGS THAT ARE KIND OF OUT OF CHARACTER AND ALREADY OVER BUDGET.
I'LL SHARE MY LIST WITH YOU IF YOU WOULD.
UM, MY, MY QUESTION HAS TO DO WITH UNFUNDED LIABILITIES IN PREVIOUS YEARS, THE BUDGET.
IN FACT, WHEN THE BUDGET WAS ADOPTED THIS YEAR, THE BUDGET FOR UNFUNDED LIABILITIES FOR PENSIONS WAS IN EACH DEPARTMENT.
UH, NOT MY DOG, UH, THEN, UH, UH, UH, THIS, THE LINE ITEMS SEEMED TO DISAPPEAR DISAPPEARED IN THE, UH, PRINTOUTS.
THERE IS, THERE IS ONE, UH, LINE ITEM LISTED UNDER FINANCE FOR LIKE 200 MILLION.
WELL, THE BIG 200 MILLION IS THE BONDS THAT WE ISSUED OR THE PENSION LIABILITY.
BUT THE OTHER LINE ITEM YOU'LL SEE THERE IS FOR THE UNFUNDED LIABILITY.
AND I DIDN'T WANT TO LEAVE THAT IN EVERY DEPARTMENT'S BUDGET BECAUSE I DIDN'T WANT THEM TO LOOK AT THE BOTTOM LINE AND SPEND THAT MONEY.
I UNDERSTAND, UH, WHY YOU WOULD NOT WANT THEM TO SPEND MONEY THAT WASN'T REALLY AVAILABLE FOR THEM TO SPEND.
BUT THE PART THAT STRUCK ME AS WEIRD AS THE ACCOUNT TOTALLY DISAPPEARED.
I THOUGHT WHEN THE, THE, UH, THE CITY COUNCIL ADOPTED A BUDGET THAT THE LINE ITEM WOULD REMAIN, EVEN IF THE BUDGET WAS ADJUSTED IN, TURNED INTO ZERO IS STILL WOULD REMAIN BECAUSE THE CITY COUNCIL DID ADJUST BUDGET.
AND I COULDN'T SEE ANY RECORD OF THE CITY COUNCIL BUDGETING, 280 MILLION, YOU KNOW, UH, IT, THAT PARDON ME, WE DID A BUDGET AMENDMENT FOR THAT.
I CAN, I CAN SHOOT IT TO YOU IN THAT TONIGHT, BUT I'LL GET IT TO YOU IF YOU WANT THAT.
UH, BUT THE ISSUE IS I WAS STILL THINK THE ORIGINAL LINE ITEM THAT WAS ADOPTED BY THE CITY COUNCIL WAS STILL BE LISTED, EVEN IF IT HAD BEEN ADJUSTED TO ZERO.
I MOVED IT TO CENTRAL SERVICES, AS I TOLD YOU, IT'S BECAUSE I DIDN'T WANT, IT'S 11 MILLION, 870,931.
I TOOK IT OUT OF EVERY DEPARTMENT'S BUDGET AND MOVED IT THERE.
AND YOU'LL SEE THAT THERE'S ZERO SPIN OUT OF THAT.
I DIDN'T WANT THEM TO BE ABLE TO SPEND THAT.
AND WE, WE CAN DO THAT BETWEEN DEPARTMENTS, AS LONG AS IT'S NOT INCREASING APPROPRIATION.
I, I GUESS I'M NOT BEING VERY ARTICULATE I'M I, I DON'T HAVE ANY ISSUE WITH YOU REDUCING THE BUDGET TO ZERO IN THE DEPARTMENTS.
THAT ISN'T WHAT I WAS TALKING ABOUT.
WHAT I WAS TALKING ABOUT IS THAT THE LINE ITEM COMPLETELY DISAPPEARED IN THE DEPARTMENT.
AND TO ME, IT STILL SHOULD BE SHOWN THERE, EVEN WITH A BUDGET OF ZERO, THERE NEEDS TO BE BASICALLY AN A, BECAUSE THE CITY COUNCIL ADOPTED IT WITH MONEY IN IT AND THE ACCOUNTANT DOESN'T DISAPPEAR JUST BECAUSE YOU REDUCED THE BUDGET TO ZERO, UM, AND, AND HAVE BEEN RUN WITH YOU, CLICK A BOX THAT SAYS SUPPRESSED ZERO BALANCE ACCOUNTS.
THAT'S WHY IT'S NOT LIKE IT DISAPPEARED.
WELL, I GUESS I MADE MY POINT.
I'M NOT GOING TO, I RUN THESE REPORTS WITHOUT CLICKING THE ONES THAT HAVE ZERO BALANCES FOR BOTH BUDGET AND ACTUAL.
IT'S GOING TO ADD THOUSANDS OF PAGES TO THIS.
AND I COULD DO THAT IF YOU'D LIKE, BUT I CAN SHOW YOU IN EVERY DEPARTMENT, IF, WHEN NEXT TIME YOU'RE IN CITY HALL, IF YOU WANT TO STOP BY, UM, OR I CAN SHOOT THEM TO YOU, I CAN SHOW YOU THAT THE, THE LINE ITEMS ARE STILL THERE.
THEY HAVEN'T DISAPPEARED FROM MY FINANCIAL SYSTEM.
THEY MAY NOT JUST BE ON THESE REPORTS BECAUSE OF WHAT I JUST EXPLAINED.
CAUSE IT'S REALLY HARD TO FIND, UH, THE, WHAT I REFER TO AS THE TRAIL.
[01:55:01]
UH, AND WHEN YOU COMPARE THE ADOPTED BUDGET BY THE CITY COUNCIL WITH WHAT APPEARS NOW, IT'S HARD TO TRACK ANYWAY, THAT'S IT.I'M NOT GOING TO KEEP REPEATING MYSELF JUST A LITTLE BIT COURTESY TIME CHECK WE'LL RIGHT AT 8:00 PM NOW.
SO IF THERE'S NO MORE QUESTIONS OR CONCERNS, I THINK WE SHOULD MOVE FORWARD IN SCHEDULING THE DATA, THE NEXT MEETING, IF NOBODY OPPOSES FAILING THE NEXT
UH, HOW ABOUT APRIL 28TH? I WOULD LIKE TO HAVE A MEETING SO THAT WE CAN LOOK AT THE DRAFT AUDIT REPORT AND I BELIEVE THE, UH, FINANCE DIRECTOR SAID IT WILL BE EARLIER THAN APRIL.
YOU WOULD LIKE TO LOOK AT WHAT, AGAIN, JEN, THE DRAFT AUDIT REPORT, OUR OFFICIAL AUDIT.
THIS I HAD TO BE SUBMITTED TO THE CITY COUNCIL ON THE STATE.
YOU MEAN THE RESPONSE? NO, THE ACTUAL, THE ANNUAL IT'S CALLED A COMPREHENSIVE ANNUAL FINANCIAL REPORT.
THAT'S THE OFFICIAL NAME OF THE DOC THAT, THAT THAT'S THE OFFICIAL FINANCIAL REPORT FOR THE CITY.
AND I BELIEVE THAT ORIGINALLY, THAT WAS THE ONLY REASON THE AUDIT COMMITTEE EXISTED WAS TO DEAL WITH THAT REPORT AND ITS DUTIES HAVE EXPANDED SINCE THEN, BUT STILL THAT'S A CORE DUTY.
AND IF WE DON'T EVER LOOK AT IT, IT'S KIND OF IMPORTANT REALLY FOR ME.
WHAT DOES THAT DO? WELL, I'M GOING TO BE WORKING ALL WEEKEND TO FINISH IT.
UM, AND THEN I HAVE TO SEND IT BACK TO THE AUDITORS AND YOU KNOW, THERE'S USUALLY A LITTLE BACK AND FORTH.
UM, THE SINGLE AUDIT WILL NOT BE READY, UM, PROBABLY UNTIL MARCH, BUT THE FINANCIAL AUDIT AND WE'RE, YOU KNOW, WE'RE ORDERING COVERS AND DOING ALL THE BINDING AND EVERYTHING.
UM, BUT I THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, I, I THINK THEY'RE, THEY'RE DONE WITH THEIR REVIEW AND, UM, BUT I'D LIKE TO GET ALL THE PIECES TOGETHER BEFORE I SEND YOU A DRAFT.
I, I, I TH I THINK THAT'S DOABLE.
UM, AND THEN AS SOON AS I GET IT, UM, I WILL SEND IT TO YOU.
SO YOU HAVE AMPLE TIME TO LOOK AT IT AND I'LL SEND IT ALONG WITH THEIR, THEIR LETTERS.
AND THAT'S WHAT I WAS THINKING.
THE 24TH, AS I LOOKED AT THE CALENDAR AT THE MEETING, UM, ARE YOU GOING TO WANT THE AUDITORS THERE? UH, USUALLY IF WE HAVE QUESTIONS ABOUT THEIR WORK, UH, THAT THEY NEED SOMEBODY WHO NEEDS TO BE HERE TO ANSWER THEM.
AND I'LL LET THEM KNOW WHAT THE DATE TOO.
SO MARCH 24TH AT 6:00 PM, OR WOULD YOU LIKE EARLIER SIX MONTHS AGO? YEAH.
SO THE NEXT MEETING WILL BE ON MARCH 6TH, ROBIN.
WILL YOU THINK ABOUT HOW WE'RE GOING TO INTERVIEW THE NEW AUDIT FIRM? YEAH, LET US KNOW.
FIRST I'M GOING TO GET THE RFP POSTED AND I'LL LET YOU GUYS KNOW WHEN THEY'LL BE IN AND, UH, WE CAN TALK ABOUT IT.
SO I GUESS I'LL MAKE A MOTION, A MOTION FOR WHAT YOU WANT TO END THE MEETING I VOTE.
THANK YOU GUYS FOR ALL YOUR TIME TONIGHT.