[00:00:04]
WE'RE GONNA GO AHEAD AND CALL THIS MEETING TO ORDER.
CAN I HAVE A ROLL CALL PLEASE? MAYOR? PARDON? HERE.
VICE MAYOR GORE? CAN YOU HEAR US? VICEMAN GORE STILL SHOWING OR MUTED? YEAH.
THAT'S, I'M HERE, BUT I DIDN'T HEAR ANYTHING FROM Y'ALL.
SO ARE YOU CALLING ME THROUGH SOMETHING? THIS IS JUST ATTENDANCE.
UM, YOU HAVE TO UNMUTE YOURSELF SO WE CAN HEAR YOU.
I COULDN'T, WE DIDN'T HEAR YOU SPEAKING.
UM, AT THIS TIME, DO WE HAVE A MOTION TO ALLOW COUNCILLORS, PELLUM AND VICE MAYOR GORE INTO CLOSED SESSION? SO MOVED.
OR EXCUSE ME, TO PARTICIPATE REMOTELY.
UH, MOTION'S BEEN MADE BY COUNCILOR HOLLOWAY AND SECONDED BY VICE, OR EXCUSE ME.
UM, COUNCILOR JOYNER AT THIS TIME, VICE MAYOR GORE, CAN YOU STATE WHY YOU ARE REQUESTING TO PARTICIPATE REMOTELY? YEAH, SURE.
UM, I'M OUT OF THE CITY ON A WORK, MANDATORY WORK TRIP.
UM, SO I CAN'T BE HERE PRESENTLY IN PERSON.
CAN YOU STATE WHERE YOU'RE CONDUCTING THE MEETING FROM? UH, STATON, VIRGINIA.
UH, SAME THING FOR YOU, MS. PELHAM? YES.
UM, I'M AT MY HOME RESIDENCE IN WARD SIX AND, UH, UH, MEDICAL? MEDICAL? YES.
ALRIGHT, IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION? ALRIGHT, SEEING NONE, ROLL CALL PLEASE.
[CLOSED MEETING]
A MOTION TO GO INTO CLOSED MEETING FOR PURSUANT TO VIRGINIA CODE SECTION 2.2 DASH 3 7 11 A ONE TO DISCUSS AND CONSIDER PERSONNEL MATTERS, INCLUDING BOARD AND COMMISSIONER APPOINTMENTS, THE ASSIGNMENT AND PERFORMANCE OF SPECIFIC EMPLOYEES AND EMPLOYEES OF CITY COUNCIL AND VIRGINIA CODE SECTION 2.2 DASH 3 7 11 A 30.DISCUSSION OFFERS AND, UH, DISCUSSION OF THE TERMS OR SCOPE OF SUCH CONTRACT WHERE DISCUSSION IN AN OPEN SESSION WOULD ADVERSELY AFFECT THE BARGAINING POSITION OR NEGOTIATING STRATEGY OF THE PUBLIC BODY.
AND TO THE EXTENT SUCH DISCUSSION WILL BE AIDED, THEREBY.
UH, MOTION'S BEEN MADE BY COUNCILLOR DENTON.
IS THERE ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? SEEING NO LIGHTS ROLL CALL PLEASE.
[RECONVENE OPEN MEETING]
MOTION.MOTION'S BEEN MADE BY COUNCILLOR HOLLOWAY, SECONDED BY COUNCILLOR JOINER.
IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION SEEING NO LIGHTS? ROLL CALL PLEASE.
[Additional Item]
UH, FIRST ITEM OF BUSINESS IS TO APPOINT, WE HAVE TO RE-CERTIFICATION.THESE ARE ACTIONS COMING AT CLOSED SESSION.
UH, THE FIRST IS TO APPOINT, UH, JASMINE GORE AS THE, UM, INTERIM MEMBER OF THE PLANNING COMMISSION.
MOTION'S BEEN MADE BY COUNCILOR DENTON, SECONDED BY COUNCILLOR HARRIS.
IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION SEEING NO LIGHTS? ROLL CALL PLEASE.
[00:05:01]
UH, IS THERE A MOTION TO DIRECT THE CITY MANAGER TO RESTRICT ALL P CARDS, UH, TO DIRECTORS? UH, UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE.SECOND MOTION'S BEEN MADE BY COUNCILLOR HOLLOWAY, SECONDED BY COUNCILLOR HARRIS.
RESTRICT THE P CARDS TO DIRECTORS ONLY UNTIL, YEAH.
IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION SEEING YOUR LIGHTS ROLL CALL PLEASE.
IS THERE A MOTION TO, UH, DIRECT THE CITY MANAGER TO PUT THE HR POLICY ON THE NEXT REGULAR MEETING AGENDA? SO MOVE.
IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION SEEING NO LIGHTS ROLL CALL PLEASE.
IS THERE A, A MOTION TO, UH, PUT THE REVISED PCARD AND RECONCILIATION POLICIES ON THE FIN NEXT FINANCE COMMITTEE MEETING FOR APPROVAL? YES.
UH, MOTION'S BEEN MADE BY COUNCILLOR HOLLOWAY AND SECONDED BY COUNCILLOR JOINER.
IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION? UH, SEEING NO LIGHTS? ROLL CALL PLEASE.
IS THERE A MOTION TO DIRECT THE CITY MANAGER TO PUT OUT AN RFP FOR A FORENSIC AUDIT OF ALL P CARDS, GAS CARDS, AND OPEN CREDIT LINES FROM 2019 TO PRESENT FOR PAST AND PRESENT, UH, CITY EMPLOYEES? SO MOVED.
MOTION'S BEEN MADE BY COUNCILLOR HOLLOWAY AND SECONDED BY COUNCILOR JOINER.
IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION? DOES THAT INCLUDE CITY COUNCIL AS WELL? WE DON'T HAVE P CARDS.
WE DON'T HAVE JUST WELL, CREDIT CARDS.
YEAH, WE DON'T, WE DON'T HAVE ANY.
UH, SEEING NO LIGHTS ROLL CALL PLEASE.
CERTIFICATION PURSUANT TO VIRGINIA CODE SECTION 2.2 DASH, I'M SORRY, 2.2 DASH THREE SEVEN 2D.
WERE ONLY PUBLIC BUSINESS MATTERS.
LAWFULLY EXEMPTED FROM OPEN MEETING REQUIREMENTS AND TWO IDENTIFIED ENCLOSED MEETING.
UH, WE ARE GOING TO POSTPONE, UH, TONIGHT'S WORK SESSION ITEM TO THE NOVEMBER MEETING.
UM, WE'RE GOING TO MOVE DIRECTLY INTO OUR REGULAR MEETING AGENDA.
UH, COUNCILOR HOLLOWAY, UH, WITH THIS, WITH US PUTTING THAT POLICY, UH, IN, ON THE NEXT AGENDA.
THAT'S NOTHING THAT REQUIRES A SECOND READING OR ANYTHING OF THAT NATURE, IS IT? NO.
[REGULAR MEETING]
WE'RE GONNA CALL THE REGULAR MEETING TO ORDER.UH, I WANNA THANK ALL THE CITIZENS FOR COMING OUT TO TONIGHT'S CITY COUNCIL MEETING.
UM, AT THIS TIME WE'RE GOING TO, UH, DO OUR PRAYER.
UM, I DON'T BELIEVE PASTOR HART'S IN THE AUDIENCE.
UH, SO, UM, COUNCILLOR HOLLOWAY SAID THAT HE WOULD DO IT, FOLLOWED BY THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG.
UH, MR. BENNETT, WOULD YOU LIKE TO LEAD US IN OUR OPENING PRAYER? ALRIGHT.
IF, IF, IF I COULD, IF WE COULD HAVE A MOMENT OF SILENCE FOR THE, UH, FOR THE FAMILY OF, OF, UM,
[00:10:02]
UM, A CITIZEN, UH, WHO DISAPPEARED ON FRIDAY MORNING, UH, BEFORE WE PRAY, THAT WOULD BE GREAT.YOU FATHER LORD, WE COME TO YOU TONIGHT AND WE ASK FOR WISDOM, AND WE ASK FOR YOUR PRESENCE TO BE WITH US AS THE COUNCIL DOES THE HARD WORK OF LEADING THE CITY TONIGHT.
LORD, GIVE EVERYONE UNDERSTANDING AND, UH, GIVE US WISDOM AS WE MOVE FORWARD.
WE ASK THESE THINGS IN JESUS NAME.
I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND TO REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STANDS, ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE, WITH LIBERTY, LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL.
ALRIGHT, UH, IS THERE A MOTION TO AMEND THE REGULAR MEETING AGENDA TO INCLUDE R TWO? UH, THE ADOPTION OF PERSONAL PROPERTY TAX RELIEF RATE.
MOTION HAS BEEN MADE BY COUNCILOR DENTON AND SECONDED BY COUNCILOR HOLLOWAY.
IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION SEEING NO LIGHTS ROLL CALL PLEASE.
[CONSENT AGENDA]
AGENDA.UM, I'M GOING TO PERSONALLY, UH, ASK FOR THE, UH, CONSENT AGENDA TO BE AMENDED TO, UH, REMOVE THE MINUTES.
UM, I SAW A COUPLE, UH, ERRORS IN THERE.
UH, SO IS THERE A MOTION TO AMEND, UH, THE CONSENT AGENDA TO REMOVE C ONE MOVED SECOND.
UM, MOTION HAS BEEN MADE BY COUNCILOR JOINER, SECONDED BY COUNCILOR DENTON.
IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION SEEING NO LIGHTS ROLL CALL PLEASE.
UH, MOVING ON TO INFORMATION PRESENTATION,
[INFORMATION/PRESENTATIONS]
UH, MS. NESS FROM THE ROBERT BOB GROUP.ALRIGHT, HOW DO I MAKE IT THAT? ALL RIGHT.
SO TODAY'S PRESENTATION IS MEANT TO BE THE FINAL END CAP FOR OUR WORK THAT STARTED LAST AUGUST.
SO THE PRESENTATION TODAY IS GOING TO SERVE AS THE FINAL UPDATE FOR OUR CONTRACT.
WE'RE GONNA GO THROUGH WHAT OUR ORIGINAL ENGAGEMENT OBJECTIVES WERE, IS THAT ME? RIGHT? OUR ORIGINAL ENGAGEMENT OBJECTIVES WERE OUR CURRENT PROJECT STATUS, THE KEY ACCOMPLISHMENTS WE'VE HAD IN THE LAST YEAR, PLUS, UM, CONTINUING AREAS OF CONCERN THAT THE CITY NEEDS TO WATCH.
UM, SOME OPEN ITEMS THAT ARE LEFT OVER, AS WELL AS HOW TO MONITOR FOR FISCAL STABILITY MOVING FORWARD.
OUR AIM IS TO ENSURE A STABLE FINANCIAL FUTURE AS THIS ENGAGEMENT CONCLUDES.
AND THAT IS WHAT AND WHERE WE ARE COMING FROM AS WE MOVE THROUGH THIS PRESENTATION.
AND WE'RE GONNA START WITH THE ORIGINAL ENGAGEMENT OBJECTIVES.
THIS SHOULD LOOK VERY FAMILIAR WITH EVERYONE.
UH, WE WERE, UH, THE LAST AUDIT WITH AN UN UNMODIFIED OPINION FOR THE CITY OF FOOTBALL WAS ACTUALLY FISCAL YEAR 2014.
UM, THE LAST ANNUAL COMPREHENSIVE FINANCIAL REPORT IN FEDERAL SGA AUDIT WAS ISSUED IN 2019 JUST TO RECOUP.
UM, IN 2019, THERE WAS ACTUALLY NO OPINION OFFICIALLY ISSUED, UH, THAT ACTUALLY HAPPENED ABOUT THIS TIME LAST YEAR.
UM, AND WHICH POINT THE AUDIT OF PUBLIC ACCOUNTANTS WAS UNABLE TO EVALUATE THE FINANCIAL VITALITY OF THE CITY.
UM, ALVAREZ WAS ORIGINALLY CALLED IN, AND THEN AFTER THAT WE, UM, PROCEEDED TO HAVE TWO GOALS.
UM, OBJECTIVE ONE WAS THAT WAS THE ADDRESSING THE URGENT FINANCIAL DISTRESS.
SORRY, I KEEP HITTING THE WRONG BUTTON.
UM, AND THAT WAS TO ESTABLISH THE FISCAL PMO.
TO BE CLEAR, THAT WAS ONLY SUPPOSED TO BE FOUR MONTHS, AND THEN I WAS SUPPOSED TO DISAPPEAR, BUT HERE WE ARE, UH, A YEAR AND A QUARTER LATER, AND NOW I'M GOING TO DISAPPEAR
SO, UM, IT NEEDED A LITTLE BIT MORE THAN WAS ORIGINALLY, UM, MODIFIED IN THE ORIGINAL STATEMENT OF WORK.
UH, THE JOB OF THE FISCAL PMO WAS TO PLAN MONITORING AND TRANSITION ACTIVITIES, UM, WORK ON ACCOUNTABILITY REPORTING, RECONCILE THE GENERAL LEDGER, THE FINANCIAL POLICIES AND PROCEDURES, AND TO MANAGE THE
[00:15:01]
OBLIGATIONS FOR WASTEWATER.THERE WERE SOME KEY DELIVERABLES THAT ARE ALSO IDENTIFIED HERE, INCLUDING THE FACT THAT WE HAVE ACTUALLY ISSUED.
FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO ARE READING OUR 60 PLUS PAGE, UM, WORD, UH, OUR 60 PLUS PAGE WEEKLY REPORTS, WE'VE ISSUED 58 OF THEM.
I HAVE NOW SAT HERE IN FRONT OF YOU 10 TIMES.
UH, WE'VE IMPLEMENTED POOLED CASH BANK RECONCILIATION, MA BANK RECONCILIATION MANAGER, UM, EMPLOYEE EXPENSE REIMBURSEMENT, ALTHOUGH WE'LL COVER PIECES OF THAT A LITTLE BIT LATER.
UM, ADVISED ON SEGREGATION OF DUTIES, LONG TERM AND SHORT TERM WORKFLOW ADJUSTMENTS WITHIN THE CI CITY.
UH, WE'VE COLLABORATED, UM, PROBABLY MORE THAN DR.
MANGER AND, UM, AS THE CITY MANAGER TO OVERSEE THE DEVELOPMENT OF THIS TRANSITION PLAN.
UH, WE'VE DELIVERED 22 SOP WORD DOCUMENTS AND ADDITIONAL 22 SOP VISIO FLOW CHARTS, 24 AND COUNTING TRAINING SESSIONS.
AND I SAY AND COUNTING BECAUSE CHRISTIE'S SITTING HERE TO MY RIGHT TO DELIVER THE FINAL TRAINING SESSIONS OVER THE NEXT THREE DAYS.
UM, WE HAVE PERFORMED RECONCILIATIONS AND WE'VE DEVELOPED A TRUET PROCESS FOR THE INDUSTRIES.
UH, TO REFRESH YOUR MEMORY THERE, I BELIEVE THE LAST RECONCILIATION PRIOR TO COMING ON SITE WAS 2017.
SO THAT WAS QUITE A BIT OF INDUSTRY RECONCILIATION WORK THAT HAS BEEN DONE.
UH, WE'VE MET, UH, ALSO WITH BERRY AND PUSHED THAT ALONG AND, UM, MOVED TO INCORPORATE THOSE FINDINGS AS WELL AS THE STAFFING FINDING, UM, WITH THE INDUSTRY PARTNERS MOVING FORWARD.
OBJECTIVE TWO WAS THE ACCOUNTING REMEDIATION SERVICES.
THIS WAS THE PART WHERE WE WORKED THROUGH, UM, EVERY SINGLE DETAIL OF THE BACKLOG OF RECONCILIATIONS AND THOSE CASH RECONCILIATIONS INTO, AGAIN, TO REFRESH YOUR MEMORY, THAT WENT FROM BANK, UH, STATEMENTS ON UP HAVE BEEN COMPLETED THROUGH FISCAL YEAR 2024.
UH, WE'VE ISSUED NEW FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND THOSE HAVE BEEN SUBMITTED TO THE EXTERNAL AUDITORS THROUGH 2023.
AGAIN, 2024 WON'T BE SUBMITTED UNTIL THEY GET THE BALANCE, THE YEAR END BALANCE OF 2023.
UM, WE HAVE COMPLETED THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS THROUGH 2024, BUT THEY ARE NOT FINAL UNTIL THEN.
AND WE HAVE ALSO DEVELOPED A CON COMPREHENSIVE ERP WORK PLAN TO ADDRESS THAT MOVING FORWARD.
UH, WE HAVE ALSO DONE THE MONTHLY FUND RECONCILIATIONS, AND THOSE HAVE BEEN COMPLETED THROUGH FISCAL YEAR 24, AND WE'VE OPTIMIZED TECHNOLOGY AS PART OF THAT.
AND THAT INCLUDES, UM, THE A CFR IMPLEMENTATION, UH, WHICH IS READY TO GO AND WILL BE USED AS FAR, UM, USED IN DECEMBER OF THIS YEAR.
UM, AND THEN REIGNITING THE DISCUSSION REGARDING SOCRATA REPORTING.
THAT IS ONE OF THE ITEMS WE'LL TALK ABOUT IS ITEMS TO BE CONTINUED THAT WILL BE CONTINUED, UM, TO BE IMPLEMENTED BY THE CITY, UH, MOVING FORWARD AS PART OF OUR DELIVERY PROCESS.
UM, OTHER THAN OF COURSE, THE STATUS REPORTING AND THE CITY COUNCIL PRESENTATIONS, WE'VE ALSO ADDRESSED, UH, 44 ISSUES AND WE'VE RESOLVED 14 OF THE PAST AUDIT FINDINGS.
WE HAVE ALSO MITIGATED 18 KEY RISKS, PUTTING THE CITY TOWARDS A PATH TOWARDS STRONGER FINANCIAL INTEGRITY.
NOW I'M GONNA MOVE THROUGH OUR CURRENT PROCESS.
THIS IS WHAT WE ARE I NORMALLY PRESENT ON, WHICH IS WHAT OUR CURRENT PROJECT STATUS IS FOR AUDIT REMEDIATION.
UH, FOR ROBINSON FARMER AND COX.
WE HAVE BEEN WORKING CLOSELY WITH THEM.
OUR UNDERSTANDING IS THAT THEY ARE GETTING VERY CLOSE TO ISSUING AN OPINION THAT WILL BE FAVORABLE.
UM, OUR, OUR UNDERSTANDING IS ALSO THAT ALL OUTSTANDING QUERIES HAVE BEEN ADDRESSED AND ANSWERED BY EITHER US OR THE CITY FOR RECONCILIATIONS.
UM, WE'VE COMPLETED, COMPLETED THE CITY'S BANK AND FIXED ASSET RECONCILIATIONS FOR FISCAL 21 THROUGH FISCAL 24 ESTIMATES PENDING AUDITOR REVIEW.
SO AGAIN, 20 HAS GONE IN FOR THE AUDIT.
THEN WHAT HAPPENS IS, IS ONCE THEY OPINE ON 20, WE THEN REFRESH 21 WHEN THEY OPINE ON 21, WE THEN REFRESH FOR 22.
SO WHEN GUESTS IN THAT PARTICULAR SITUATION, WHILE THE PMO IS NOW CLOSING DOWN, OF COURSE JACK AND HIS TEAM WILL STILL BE ACTIVELY THERE TO RESPOND TO ALL OF THE AUDITOR QUESTIONS AS THEY GO THROUGH AND TO REFRESH THOSE, UM, PRIOR YEAR BALANCES TO FINALIZE FOR THE CURRENT YEAR THAT IS UNDER AUDIT.
SO THEY WILL STILL BE AVAILABLE FOR THAT.
UM, ADDITIONALLY, REGARDING THE ERP CASH BALANCES FOR POOLED CASH ARE ALSO POSTED AND REVIEWED, UM, FURTHER STRENGTHENING
[00:20:01]
THE CITY'S FINANCIAL HEALTH.THIS IS JUST EVERYTHING GRAPHICALLY THAT I JUST SAID.
UM, IT SHOWS WHERE WE ARE FOR THE AUDIT RECONCILIATION STATUS.
UM, WHAT IS NEW HERE IS THIS PIECE HERE ON SCHOOLS.
UH, 20 HAS ALSO BEEN SUBMITTED FOR SCHOOLS.
UH, 21 WAS SUBMITTED LAST WEEK.
22 AND 23 ARE UNDER FINAL REVIEW PRIOR TO SUBMISSION.
AND 24 ESTIMATES, UM, HAVE BEEN COMPLETE AS WELL FOR THE SCHOOL ACCOUNTS, SCHOOL PAYROLL AND SCHOOL CAFE PREPAY.
OUR PRIORITY IS TO IDENTIFY AND RESOLVE ANY DISCREPANCIES THAT ARE FOUND FROM THIS POINT FORWARD QUICKLY TO MAINTAIN CLEAR AND ACCURATE FINANCIAL RECORDS ACROSS THE BOARD.
NOW TO GO THROUGH WHERE WE ARE ON THE SYSTEMS WORK, UM, AGAIN, POOLED CASH AND BANK RECONCILIATION MANAGER ARE PRETTY MUCH PUT TO BED.
SO WE'RE GONNA MOVE FORWARD WITH THE ITEMS THAT WERE OPEN.
UM, THE EMPLOYEE EXPENSE MODULE, WE HAD PREVIOUSLY REPORTED THAT IT WAS GOING TO BE IN USE ON THE 17TH, HOWEVER, THAT HAS BEEN DELAYED TILL OCTOBER 31ST.
UM, JUST TO REFRESH EVERYONE'S MEMORY, IT WAS SUPPOSED TO GO OCTOBER ONE, THEN WE DECIDED THE 17TH FOR A PHASE ROLLOUT.
UM, TO BE CLEAR, WHAT IS HAPPENING RIGHT NOW IS THAT EMPLOYEES ARE ENTERING THEIR EXPENSES IN THE NEW EMPLOYEE EXPENSE MODEL MODULE, EXCUSE ME.
HOWEVER, DUE TO SOME CITY, UH, WIDE COMMUNICATIONS AND OTHER ISSUES, THE OCTOBER 17TH PAYROLL REIMBURSEMENT WAS MISSED.
AND SO THOSE ITEMS WILL NOW BE PUT IN THE OCTOBER 31ST.
SO THE FIRST, FIRST OFFICIAL TEST OF THE PRODUCTION LIVE WILL BE FOR THE OCTOBER 31ST PAY RUN.
WHEN I CHECKED YESTERDAY, THERE HAVE BEEN TWO EXPENSE REPORTS PUT IN.
ONE THAT WAS LAST WEEK AND ONE THAT WAS THIS WEEK.
I'M NOT SURE WHAT ELSE WILL HAPPEN BEFORE THE, UM, EVERYTHING GOES LIVE ON THE 31ST.
REGARDING THE ANNUAL COMPREHENSIVE FINANCIAL REPORT, EVERYTHING HAS BEEN PUT UP IN THE SYSTEM.
THERE WAS TRAINING THAT WAS PROVIDED OCTOBER 2ND AND SYSTEM ACCESS WAS SET UP AND CONFIRMED.
HOWEVER, THERE ARE GOING TO BE ADDITIONAL TRAININGS AND A FOLLOW-UP SESSION WITH TYLER IN DECEMBER.
UM, SO THAT WHEN IT IS TIME TO, UM, WORK THROUGH AND USE THAT FINANCIAL MODEL, IT IS FRESH AND IT WILL BE USED STARTING IN DECEMBER.
SO AGAIN, THIS IS KIND OF LIKE EMPLOYEE EXPENSE REIMBURSEMENT.
IT'S IN PLACE, BUT IT IS NOT QUITE BEING USED IN THIS PARTICULAR SITUATION.
IT IS THAT WE WANTED ONE MORE SET OF TYLER TRAININGS TO MAKE SURE EVERYONE WAS SET UP CORRECTLY, UM, AND EVERYONE FULLY UNDERSTAND WHAT THEY HAD IT TO DO.
THIS, OF COURSE, THE ANNUAL CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL REPORTS ARE THE REPORTS THAT GET AUTOMATED THROUGH THE SYSTEM AND DELIVERED TO YOUR EXTERNAL FINANCIAL STATEMENT.
THE LAST TWO HERE, UM, ARE THE LONG TERM SECURITY AND WORKFLOW UPDATES.
AGAIN, TO REFRESH YOUR MEMORY, WE HAD SHORT TERM SECURITY AND WORKFLOW UPDATES THAT WERE PUT INTO PRODUCTION OVER THE SUMMER.
THE SECURITY UPDATES WERE ACTUALLY BACKED OUT.
WE TALKED ABOUT THAT LAST TIME I WAS HERE.
SO THOSE HAVE TO BE RE-IMPLEMENTED, AND THEN YOU HAVE TO GET TO YOUR LONG-TERM SECURITY AND, AND WORKFLOW UPDATES.
OUR TEAM HAS MADE OUR RECOMMENDATIONS.
THERE ARE ALSO DEPARTMENTAL MEETINGS FOR SECURITY UPDATES.
UM, AND THE CITY ALONG WITH RBG, OUR TEAM IS UPDATING THE SECURITY ROLES IN THE TEST ENVIRONMENT CURRENTLY TO BE CON TO BE FINISHED SHORTLY.
WHAT THE CITY HAS TO DO IS TO TEST THOSE UPDATES PRIOR TO DECEMBER, PUTTING THEM LIVE.
IT'S CRUCIAL TO ADDRESSING THE AUDIT RISKS AND STRENGTHENING OUR INTERNAL CONTROLS.
IF YOU RECALL, WE HAD REALLY HOPED THAT THESE WERE GOING TO BE IN BY JULY ONE.
THE REASON WHY IS WE WOULD REALLY, WOULD HAVE LIKED FOR THE SYSTEM TO BE YOUR AUDIT SYSTEM OF RECORD FOR ROBINSON FARMER, COX, OR WHOEVER DOES YOUR FISCAL YEAR 25 STATEMENT.
IF THESE CONTROLS WERE TO BE IN PLACE FOR GREATER THAN 50% OF THE YEAR, THEY COULD RELY ON THE SYSTEM.
UM, SO THAT DECEMBER DATE IS REALLY KEY.
UM, WHATEVER LIMITS THEIR MANUAL PROCEDURES IS WHAT IS GOING TO MAKE THE AUDIT MORE EFFICIENT, MORE EFFECTIVE, MORE RELIABLE.
REMOVE YOUR MATERIAL WEAKNESSES.
I CAN CONTINUE TO GO ON AND ON HERE.
THERE IS AN ENTIRE SECTION ON MAINTAINING SUSTAINABLE MOMENTUM HERE, BUT THIS IS ONE I REALLY WANNA CALL ATTENTION TO RIGHT NOW.
TELL 'EM ONCE, TELL 'EM TWICE.
THIS IS ONE OF THOSE THINGS THAT REALLY HAS TO BE DONE BECAUSE WITHOUT THE SEGREGATION OF DUTIES IN PLACE, WITHOUT THE APPROPRIATE WORKFLOWS IN PLACE, YOU'RE SEEING DUPLICATE ENTRIES.
[00:25:01]
SEEING PEOPLE WITH ACCESS TO THINGS THAT SHOULDN'T HAVE ACCESS.SO WHILE WE HAVE MANUALLY CLEANED UP THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS THROUGH 24 STARTING JULY ONE OF THIS YEAR, WE HAVEN'T MANUALLY DONE ANYTHING.
WE ARE COMPLETELY RELIANT ON THE SYSTEM.
AND WHAT I'M TELLING YOU IS, UNTIL THIS IS DONE, THIS SYSTEM IS UNRELIABLE.
SO I JUST WANNA BE REALLY CLEAR THERE, AND WE'LL COVER THIS IN THE NEXT SECTION TWO, BUT THIS, I WANT TO SAY THAT FIRST HERE.
UM, IN TERMS OF THE BANK RECONCILIATION MANAGER BANK RECONCI RECONCILIATION IS ACTIVE.
THE RECONCILIATIONS ARE NOW COMPLETE FOR JULY 24 AND AUGUST 24 RECONCILIATIONS ARE UNDERWAY.
UM, COMPLETE RECONCILIATIONS BY TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 19TH, AND PRESENT RESULTS FOR THE NOVEMBER FINANCE COMMITTEE MEETING.
AGAIN, I'M GOING TO LEAVE YOU WITH SOME THINGS THAT YOU GUYS SHOULD WATCH AS YOU MOVE THROUGH THIS, AND THAT IS YOUR FIRST TRIGGER.
AGAIN, I'LL SUMMARIZE THESE AT THE END, BUT PLEASE MAKE SURE THAT THE NEXT RECONCILIATIONS THAT ARE DONE BY BANK RECONCILIATION MANAGER DON'T DROP AND THAT THEY ARE COMPLETE BY YOUR NOVEMBER FINANCE COMMITTEE MEETING, WHICH IS COMING UP IN A COUPLE OF WEEKS.
THIS, AGAIN, IS JUST A VISIBLE SUMMARY OF EVERYTHING I JUST WENT THROUGH IN THE INTEREST OF TIME.
I'M JUST GONNA CONTINUE TO MOVE.
HERE'S WHERE WE ARE ON SOPS IN TRAINING, EVERYTHING HAS BEEN DOCUMENTED.
THE VIRTUAL SOPS IN TRAINING HAVE BEEN COMPLETED BY EVERYTHING ON THE LEFT ONSITE TRAINING HAS BEEN COMPLETED BY EVERYTHING IN THE MIDDLE AND DOCUMENTATION HAS BEEN COMPLETED FOR EVERYTHING.
THAT BEING SAID, WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE STATUS REPORT THAT WE JUST SENT OVER TODAY, THAT WILL BE, I THINK IT GOES LIVE ON FRIDAY ON THE WEBSITE, THERE ARE A COUPLE OF ITEMS THAT HAVE TO BE UPDATED POST TRAINING THAT CHRISTINE AND HER TEAM ARE WORKING ON THAT WILL BE DELIVERED TO THE CITY OR THE END OF THE WEEK.
UM, THE ONES FROM LAST WEEK, BELIEVE WE AT THE END OF THIS WEEK, THINGS FROM TRAINING THIS WEEK WILL BE DELIVERED BY THE 31ST.
ALL RIGHT, WHEN LAST WE, UM, LEFT OFF, WE TALKED ABOUT THE, UM, AGREEMENT FOR THE HOPEWELL WASTEWATER COMMISSION.
IT WAS UNDER REVIEW AND IT'S BEEN IN THIS RED LINE PROCESS SINCE JULY.
AND, UH, ADVANCE IS SORT OF MANAGING THAT PROCESS.
UM, I DID SPEAK WITH THEM FINALLY LAST WEEK BECAUSE I WANTED TO MAKE SURE THIS WAS PUT TO BED BEFORE WE GOT OUT.
UM, WHAT IS HAPPENING IS WITH EVERY UPDATE THAT GETS MADE BY OUR HOPEWELL WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANT, THERE IS AN INDUSTRY PARTNER THAT IS PUTTING NEW CAVEATS INTO THE AGREEMENT.
AND EVERY TIME THERE IS NEW MATERIAL PUT INTO THE AGREEMENT, IT KIND OF GOES BACK THROUGH THE REVIEW PROCESS.
SO THIS IS WHAT IS TRIGGERING THIS CURRENT REVIEW.
UH, WHAT HAPPENED, UH, AT THE FINANCE COMMITTEE MEETING, WHICH I BELIEVE WAS LAST WEEK, IS THAT THERE WAS A $2.1 MILLION, UM, FOR LACK OF A BETTER WORD, WE'RE GONNA CALL IT A BILL THAT WAS RECONCILED AND SENT BACK OUT TO THE INDUSTRY PARTNERS TO CLOSE UP FISCAL YEAR 24.
THAT WAS NOT IN THEIR ORIGINAL FORECAST.
AND THAT GAVE THE INDUSTRY PARTNERS PAUSE.
UM, WE HAVE SPOKEN TO THE INDUSTRY PARTNERS ABOUT IT, EXPLAINED WHY IT'S THERE, BUT THERE NEEDS TO BE A CHANGE TO THE WAY THAT HOPEWELL WASTE.
WHEN, WHEN WE TALKED TO THE WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLAN ABOUT IT, THEY SAID, WELL, THAT'S THE WAY WE'VE DONE IT IN PRIOR YEARS.
YOU CANNOT SURPRISE THE INDUSTRY PARTNERS WITH THAT.
YOU HAVE TO AT LEAST GIVE A FORECAST OF WHAT YOUR ESTIMATES ARE BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, THROUGH THE END OF THE YEAR, BECAUSE IT IS THE INDUSTRY PARTNERS NEED TO UNDERSTAND AND KNOW WHAT THEY'RE GOING TO BE, UM, ALLOCATED AND WHAT THEY'RE GOING TO HAVE TO PAY IN YEAR AFTER YEAR BECAUSE THEY THEN GO BACK TO THEIR LEADERSHIP AND REQUEST THAT DOLLAR VALUE TO PAY THE CITY.
AND IT DOESN'T LOOK GOOD FOR THEM IF THEY'RE GOING BACK ONCE OR TWICE OR THREE TIMES IN THIS PARTICULAR CASE.
SO WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE KEEPING CLEAR, OPEN, AND TRANSPARENT COMMUNICATION WITH OUR INDUSTRY PARTNERS AND GIVING ACCURATE, UM, ESTIMATES AND FORECASTS AND WE'RE NOT SURPRISING THEM.
I THINK ONE OF THE THINGS THAT REALLY IRRITATED THEM DURING THE FINANCE COMMITTEE MEETING IS THAT THAT WAS THE FIRST TIME THAT THEY HEARD ABOUT THE ADDITIONAL $2.1 MILLION.
THEY HADN'T YET BEEN NOTIFIED, UM, BUT IT WAS GOING PUBLIC HERE TO THE FINANCE COMMITTEE MEETING, UM, AND IT WAS FOR FISCAL YEAR 24.
SO THAT'S GOING TO TRIGGER CHANGES TO THE AGREEMENT.
AND SO THAT RED LINE VERSION IS NOW GOING BACK THROUGH, RUSS IS STILL CONTINUING TO MANAGE THAT AD HOC AND HE WILL DO SO THROUGH DECEMBER TO MAKE SURE THAT GETS THROUGH.
UM, BUT AGAIN, IT'S SOMETHING TO KEEP A LOT, KEEP AN, UM, KEEP AN EYE ON NEXT THE TRANSITION PLAN.
I BELIEVE AT THE LAST HOPEWELL CITY COUNCIL MEETING, DR.
[00:30:01]
TRANSITION PLAN, UM, FOR EACH FINANCIAL DEPARTMENT TO CITY COUNCIL.THE PLAN OUTLINED RESPONSIBILITIES FOR CRITICAL FUNCTIONS, UM, EMPLOYEE TRAINING, SOP UPDATES, MANAGING AUDIT ISSUES TO ENSURE CONTINUITY.
THE CURRENT CHALLENGE THAT WE NEED, THAT THE CITY IS GOING TO HAVE IS WHILE THE TRANSITION PLAN HAS BEEN PRESENTED TO CITY COUNCIL, WE STILL NEED TO MAINTAIN STATUS TRACKING OF ITS IMPLEMENTATION ACROSS DEPARTMENTS.
AND CURRENTLY WE'RE STILL HERE.
SO WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT MOVING OUT, THAT THIS IS BEING TRACKED IN THAT THERE'S A SMOOTH TRANSFER OF RESPONSIBILITIES IN CONTINUING OPERATIONS.
JUST YESTERDAY IN OUR STATUS MEETING WITH DR.
MANGER, WE TALKED ABOUT A STRATEGY FOR SOPS, UH, REGARDING WHO'S GOING TO BE RESPONSIBLE FOR REVIEWS AND WHO'S GONNA MANAGE THE OVERALL PROCESS.
THE CITY NEEDS TO ANNUALLY REVIEW ALL SOPS, EVEN IF THERE'S NO CHANGES, RECERTIFY THEM, REACH BACK OUT TO THE DEPARTMENTS THAT ARE IMPACTED.
I DO FEEL COMFORTABLE WITH WHAT DR.
MANGER PRESENTED YESTERDAY AS PART OF THAT STRATEGY, BUT AGAIN, WE WON'T BE HERE WHEN IT GETS IMPLEMENTED.
THIS IS ONE OF THE REASONS WE WANTED TO HAVE THIS DONE IN JULY SO THAT WE CAN MONITOR THE IMPLEMENTATION AND FEEL GOOD WHEN WE STEPPED OUT.
BUT NOW WE ARE JUST GETTING TO THIS POINT AND WE ARE LEAVING ON THE 31ST.
SO IT IS SOMETHING FOR US TO MOVE FORWARD WITH, UM, AS A CITY JUST TO MAKE SURE THAT THAT TRACKING SYSTEM IS IMPLEMENTED AND THAT THERE'S PROGRESS, PROGRESS ACROSS ALL DEPARTMENTS AND THAT EVERYONE IS HELD ACCOUNTABLE.
ALL RIGHT, NOW WE GET TO THE FUN PART, WHICH IS THE KEY ACCOMPLISHMENTS, WHICH IS QUITE A BIT IN THE LAST YEAR AND A QUARTER FOR PROJECT PLANNING.
WE'VE MADE SIGNIFICANT STRIDES, PERSONNEL ASSESSMENTS, FINANCIAL PROCESSES, IMPROVEMENTS FROM DELIVERING DETAILED ERP WORK PLANS TO ONBOARDING AND NEW CFO AND FINALIZING KEY FINANCIAL DOCUMENTATION AND TRAINING.
THESE EFFORTS ARE SETTING A STRONG FOUNDATION FOR THE CITY'S LONG-TERM FINANCIAL HEALTH.
ADDITIONALLY, WE HAVE IMPLEMENTED A FRAUD RISK MATRIX, PROVIDED ESSENTIAL RECOMMENDATIONS TO TIGHTEN INTERNAL CONTROLS AND ENSURE GREATER TRANSPARENCY AND ACCOUNTABILITY.
I WILL SAY, ACTUALLY, I'M GOING TO EVEN CHANGE MY WORDING TO HELP ENSURE GREATER TRANSPARENCY AND ACCOUNTABILITY.
YOU CAN LEAD THE HORSE TO WATER, BUT YOU CAN'T MAKE THE WATER DRINK MAKE, CAN'T MAKE THE HORSE DRINK.
I'M VERY TIRED AND WE HAVE A LONG PRESENTATION IN THERE.
UM, BUT ALL THAT TO SAY, WE CAN SET UP INFRASTRUCTURE FOR THE CITY.
WE CAN LEAVE YOU WITH GOOD STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES.
WE CAN LEAVE YOU WITH FULLY TRAINED EMPLOYEES.
WE CAN EVEN LEAVE YOU WITH RECOMMENDATIONS AND NEW IMPLEMENTED POOL CASH MODELS AND BANK RECONCILIATION MANAGERS.
AND WE CAN GET YOU UP TO DATE WITH YOUR FISCAL YEAR 24.
I AM FAIRLY CONFIDENT THAT YOUR OPINIONS FROM NOW THROUGH FISCAL YEAR 24 ARE GOING TO BE OKAY.
BUT THEN YOU GET TO THE TOUGH STUFF AND THE TOUGH STUFF IS CLEARING THOSE MATERIAL WEAKNESSES, WHICH IS WHAT ALL THIS WORK HAS MEANT TO DO.
IF YOU DON'T SUSTAIN THE WORK THAT WE PUT IN PLACE MOVING FORWARD THROUGH FISCAL YEAR 25 ONTO FISCAL YEAR 26, ET CETERA, YOU ARE GOING TO START SLIPPING AGAIN.
SO MAKING SURE THAT PEOPLE ARE HELD ACCOUNTABLE, MAKING SURE THAT THOSE SOPS AND TRAININGS ARE REVIEWED.
EMPLOYEES NEED TO BE RETRAINED EVERY YEAR.
NEW EMPLOYEES COMING ON BOARD NEED TO BE TRAINED.
COMMUNICATION BETWEEN DEPARTMENTS NEEDS TO CONTINUE.
AND I'M NOT JUST TALKING ABOUT THE DEPARTMENTS THAT RUN UNDER DR.
MANKO, I'M ALSO TALKING ABOUT CORE TREASURY AREAS THAT ARE ALSO CONSTITUTIONAL OFFICES.
EVERYONE HAS TO BE TO THE SAME DRUMBEAT AND KEEPING THEIR EYE, I MEAN, WE INSTITUTED SOMETHING WHERE WE'RE LOOKING AT DAILY, UM, BANK STATEMENTS.
HOW MUCH DOES THE, HOW MUCH MONEY DOES THE CITY CURRENTLY HAVE IN THE BANK? UM, WHAT ARE YOU DOING WITH IT EVERY DAY? WE HAVE BEEN LOOKING AT THAT.
YOU NEED TO CONTINUE TO DO THAT SO THAT YOU CAN CONTINUE TO PAY EVERYTHING ON TIME.
ADDITIONAL ACCOMPLISHMENTS, CONDUCTING A FIT GAP AND ASSESSMENT OF YOUR ERP SYSTEM.
REVIEWING THE TYLER TECHNOLOGIES CONTRACT FOR CLARITY, WE ESTABLISHED FI FISCAL BENCHMARKS AND INITIATED THE FIVE FIVE-YEAR BUDGET FORECAST MODEL.
UM, CREATED DELINQUENT COLLECTION PROCEDURES, UM, FOR THE REVENUE PROCESSES AND RESPONSIBILITIES BETWEEN FINANCE AND THE TREASURER'S OFFICE.
WERE CLARIFIED, IF I COULD AGAIN, REFRESH YOUR MEMORY ON DAY ONE, WE BROUGHT THE CONSTITUTIONAL OFFICES AND CITY LEADERSHIP INTO A ROOM TO SAY, OKAY, TELL US HOW THINGS MOVE THROUGH THE CITY.
CRICKETS, NO ONE COULD TELL US WHERE THE MONEY COMES IN AND WHERE THE MONEY GOES OUT.
AND I AM CONFIDENT THAT RIGHT NOW EVERYONE UNDERSTANDS HOW THE MONEY IS MOVING THROUGH THE CITY.
FURTHERMORE, HOW THE MONEY IS CONTROLLED THROUGH THE CITY, BUT AGAIN, WE CAN ONLY SET UP THOSE POLICIES.
WE HAVE BEEN THE WATCHDOGS AND THE REMINDERS AND DID YOU DO THIS? DID YOU DO THAT? ET CETERA, ET CETERA.
AND WE WILL CONTINUE TO DO THAT THROUGH OCTOBER 31ST.
BUT ONCE WE STEP OUT, THE CITY'S GOING TO HAVE TO
[00:35:01]
DO THAT ON THEIR OWN, UM, IN ORDER TO TRY TO ASSIST THE CITY IN MOVING FORWARD.WE HAVE NOW, UM, WORKED WITH THE CFO TO INITIATE A FIVE, SORRY, IT'S A BUG.
A FIVE YEAR BUDGET FORECAST MODEL SO THAT YOU CAN WORK ON LONG-TERM FINANCIAL PLANNING.
I KNOW THAT STACY'S COMING BACK TO YOU WITH, UM, RECOMMENDATIONS FOR WHAT CAN GO BACK INTO SURPLUS ACCOUNTS AND THOSE KINDS OF THINGS AS PART OF YOUR FINANCE COMMITTEE MEETING, WHICH BY THE WAY IS NOW ATTENDED.
FOR OUR RECOMMENDATION, WHICH WE FEEL REALLY GOOD ABOUT, UM, WE'VE INITIATED ACTUAL TAX COLLECTIONS AGAINST BUDGETED FIGURES TO ENSURE SPENDING ADJUSTMENTS, INCORPORATED DELINQUENT COLLECTION PROCEDURES AND REVENUE RELATED STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES FOR THE CITY.
UM, AND ALSO ESTABLISH THAT MOA FOR THE TREASURER.
I KNOW I SAW THREE MORE MOAS COME ACROSS YESTERDAY.
SO THAT, THAT ABILITY TO DO THAT, THAT PROCESS THAT IS SET UP SO THAT, YOU KNOW, JUST AGAIN, AN MOA IS BASICALLY SAYING DEPARTMENT A, THIS IS HOW WE'RE COMMUNICATING WITH DEPARTMENT B.
IT'S ESPECIALLY EFFECTIVE WHEN YOU'VE GOT A CONSTITUTIONAL OFFICE VERSUS A CITY DEPARTMENT, SO EVERYONE KNOWS WHO'S ON FIRST.
YOU'VE ALSO MADE SIGNIFICANT PROGRESS IN FINANCIAL RECONCILIATIONS, COMPLETING RECONCILIATION ON CITY ACCOUNTS FROM FISCAL YEAR 2020 THROUGH FISCAL YEAR 23, UM, INCLUDING PUBLIC SCHOOLS ACTUALLY THAT SHOULD SAY FISCAL YEAR 24, INCLUDING PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
UM, AGAIN, BANK STATEMENTS ON UP.
WE RELIED NOT AT ALL ON THE SYSTEM, SO EVERYTHING WAS REBUILT.
SO YOU HAVE BRAND NEW REBUILT FINANCIAL STATEMENTS THAT WILL EVENTUALLY BE ENTERED INTO THE MUNI SYSTEM AT ONCE.
THE FISCAL YEAR 24 AUDIT HAS BEEN OPINED ON.
AND YOUR CONTROL ENVIRONMENT, ASSUMING YOU MAKE THOSE RECOMMENDATIONS THAT WE TAKE FOR SEGREGATION DUTIES AND WORK PLAN SHOULD BE RELATIVELY CONTROLLED WITHIN YOUR SYSTEM.
UM, WE HAVE AND WILL CONTINUE TO PROVIDE CONTINUED SUPPORT FOR RFC OR WHOEVER YOUR EXTERNAL AUDIT IS.
UM, I'M VERY HOPEFUL THAT IN THE NEXT COUPLE OF WEEKS WE WILL FIND A FINAL OPINION ON THE 2020 AUDIT.
WE'VE ALSO DEVELOPED CASH FLOW FORECAST FOR THE HOPEWELL WATER RENEWAL.
WE JUST TALKED ABOUT THOSE AND THE SLIGHT GAP THAT HAS TO BE CLOSED THERE REGARDING, UM, FORECASTING, UM, FOR ESTIMATES, UM, AND THEN ALSO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL ACCOUNTS, UM, ENABLING THOSE TRANSITIONS FOR FUTURE FINANCIAL PERIODS.
FINALLY, WE UPDATED THE CHART OF ACCOUNTS, ENSURING ACCURATE UTILIZATION BY MAPPING THE APPROPRIATE GL ACCOUNTS TO CORRECT PHYSICAL BANK ACCOUNTS.
TO REFRESH YOUR MEMORY, THAT HAD TO BE DONE AS PART OF THE POOLED CASH IMPLEMENTATION IN UNITS.
S KEY MILESTONES HAVE BEEN, UH, REACHED IN OPTIMIZING THE CITY'S ERP SYSTEM BY REASSESSING SECURITY PROTOCOLS AND IMPLEMENTING CRITICAL MODULES, CONTRACT MANAGEMENT, BID MANAGEMENT, BANK RECONCILIATION MANAGER, AND NOW EMPLOYEE EXPENSE REIMBURSEMENT.
UM, AND WE'VE ALSO OF COURSE SET UP THE, UM, ANNUAL WELL CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL REPORT MODULE AS WELL.
THEY'VE IMPROVED FINANCIAL OVERSIGHT OR REPORTING WHILE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE POOLED CASH FUND HAS STREAMLINED CASH MANAGEMENT.
ALSO, YOU, UH, UM, US CITY COUNCIL OR THE CITY IS ITSELF SHOULD BE ABLE TO TELL AT ANY GIVEN DAY HOW MUCH MONEY YOU'VE GOT IN YOUR BANK AND WHAT THAT MONEY IS ALLOCATED TO.
IF YOU RECALL WHEN WE FIRST CAME IN, WE COULD SAY, HEY, THERE'S $5 MILLION IN THE BANK, BUT NO ONE KNOW, KNEW AT THAT TIME WHAT THAT $5 MILLION HAD BEEN SET ASIDE FOR, IF ANYTHING.
SO WHERE THE CITY STARTED TO LOSE GROUND AND FOOTING IS WHEN THERE WAS MONEY THAT WAS SPENT FOR THE HOPE WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANT THAT HAD NOT BEEN BUDGETED FOR, THAT WAS STILL BEING SPENT AND THERE WERE OTHER ITEMS THAT HAD BEEN ALLOCATED FOR THAT MONEY.
AND SO THAT'S WHEN THINGS STARTED TO SLIP.
UH, WE ALSO LED THE CREATION OF THE MILESTONE CALENDAR, UM, SO THAT THE ERP ADMINISTRATOR CAN MOVE TO MORE PROACTIVE PLANNING SO THAT THEY UNDERSTAND AT EVERY GIVEN MONTH AND MILE, UM, WHAT ACTUALLY SHOULD BE DONE.
SO WE'VE SET UP FOR THIS MONTH, THERE SHOULD BE THIS FOR THIS MONTH, THERE SHOULD BE THIS.
AND WE'VE SET THAT UP ALL THE WAY THROUGH THE REMAINDER OF THE ERP MODULES, UM, THAT HAVE TO BE DONE.
UM, WE'VE HELD, I WOULD SAY, MULTIPLE WEEKLY MEETINGS, THE ERP ADMINISTRATION TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY'RE STAYING ON THAT SCHEDULE.
THERE HAVE BEEN MANY TIMES WHERE THOSE HAVE SLIPPED, WHERE WE HAVE HAD TO GET THAT BACK ON TRACK.
UM, THE ERP, UM, EMPLOYEE EXPENSE REIMBURSEMENT IS ACTUALLY THE MOST RECENT EXAMPLE, UM, WHERE WE HAVE SPENT A GOOD FINANCIAL, A GOOD AMOUNT OF TIME THIS WEEK, ADRIANNE AND HER TEAM, MAKING SURE THAT EVERYTHING IS NOW RESET FOR THAT OCTOBER 31ST DATE ALONGSIDE, UM, THE IT TEAM AS WELL AS YOUR CFO.
[00:40:01]
IS THE INDUSTRY ENGAGEMENT.UH, WE HAD TO WORK VERY CLOSELY WITH THE INDUSTRY PARTNERS TO MAKE SURE THAT THAT TRUEUP PROCESS WAS FINALIZED, THAT EVERYONE KNEW WHERE THEY WERE.
WE ALSO HAD TO DO QUITE A BIT.
WE, I WANT TO GIVE THE INDUSTRY PARTNERS, UM, SOME CREDIT FOR COMPROMISING WITH THE CITY.
UM, AS WE MOVED THROUGH THAT PROCESS, I THINK EVERYONE SORT OF PLAYED NICE IN THAT SANDBOX AS WE MOVE THROUGH THAT.
UM, FINANCIAL TRANSPARENCY, UM, AND LONG-TERM FINANCIAL SUSTAINABILITY PROCESS.
AGAIN, NOTHING HAD BEEN DONE SINCE 2017 'CAUSE YOU DIDN'T HAVE AN OPINION ON THE AUDIT FROM 2017.
IN A WAY, THE ORIGINAL WASTEWATER COMMISSION WAS MET.
NO RECONCILIATIONS WERE TO BE DONE UNTIL THE AUDIT WAS COMPLETE.
SO THE CITY NEVER DID THE AUDITS.
SO YOU HAD QUITE A FEW YEARS, SEVEN TO BE EXACT, TO CATCH UP ON.
UM, AND THE INDUSTRY PARTNERS WERE GOOD PARTNERS WITH THE CITY AND WORKING THROUGH THAT.
LAST PIECE OF THIS IS THE DEBERRY REPORT.
THERE'S ALSO A STAFFING REPORT THAT WAS DONE BY THE CITY.
UM, WE DID GET INVOLVED WITH THE DEBERRY REPORT.
UM, THE INDUSTRY PARTNERS WERE NOT INCLUDED IN THE ORIGINAL WORK.
AND THE REALITY IS, IF THE DEBERRY REPORT IS GOING TO, UH, BETWEEN THAT AND THE STAFFING STUDY GOING TO INFORM FUTURE EXPENDITURES REGARDING THE WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANT AND THE INDUSTRY PARTNERS OR FOUR OF THE FIVE PARTIES FUNDING THOSE FUTURE IMPLEMENTATIONS OR IMPROVEMENTS, THEY NEED TO HAVE A SAY IN HOW, IN WHAT THAT REPORT IS TOUCHING.
SO WE WORKED WITH THE INDUSTRY PARTNERS TO MAKE SURE THAT THAT WAS DONE.
WE HAD ADDITIONAL MEETINGS WITH INDUSTRY PARTNERS IN BERRY.
UH, EVERYONE WAS BRIEFED ON THE FINAL REPORT.
I THINK ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I'M GONNA SPEAK A LITTLE OUT OF TURN HERE FRUSTRATES BOB AND MYSELF, IS THAT WE DON'T REALLY HAVE A LOT OF EVIDENCE THAT THE STAFFING AND THE BURY CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PLAN REPORTS, UM, THAT WE THINK WERE BOTH REALLY GOOD WORKS HAVE BEEN FULLY INCORPORATED IN THE PLANS FOR THE HOPEWELL WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLAN MOVING FORWARD.
UM, I THINK THERE IS AN, THERE'S STILL MULTIPLE SPREADSHEETS.
THEY'RE NOT SINGING OFF ONE SH ONE ONE SHEET OF MUSIC.
UM, AND, UM, I, I DO THINK THAT THOSE ITEMS NEED TO BE FINALIZED AND TIED UP WITH A BOW.
UM, AND I THINK THERE WAS SOME MOMENTUM THAT WAS LOST WITH THE TRANSITION OVER FROM THE OLD DIRECTOR TO THE NEW DIRECTOR.
AND THAT PROBABLY SHOULD BE FOLLOWED UP ON, AND THAT IS A NICE PLACE TO LEAD ME INTO AREAS OF CONCERN.
SO WE'VE BEEN TALKING OUR STATUS REPORTS AROUND THESE 800 PLUS, UM, PRIOR TO SIX 30.
SO, YOU KNOW, BASICALLY THE BEGINNING OF FISCAL YEAR 25 BACK, UM, DATING BACK AS FAR AS 7 1 21 THAT WERE UNRECONCILED.
WE DID, UM, WORK WITH STACY AND HAVE SOME DISCUSSIONS REGARDING THAT WITH THE EXTERNAL AUDITORS.
AND BASICALLY AT THIS POINT, THE ONLY ITEMS THAT HAVE TO BE URGENTLY RECONCILED ARE THOSE FOR JULY, 2024 FORWARD.
SO ANYTHING THAT WOULD AFFECT THE FISCAL YEAR 25 AUDIT, WHILE THE OTHER THINGS ARE OUTSTANDING, THEY WILL JUST BE LEFT OFF BECAUSE ALL OF THE AUDIT REPORTS THAT WERE SUBMITTED TO THE FINANCIAL AUDITORS WERE MANUAL.
SO WE'RE NOT REALLY RELYING ON THE SYSTEM.
EVENTUALLY IT DOES NEED TO BE CLEANED UP, BUT FOR FISCAL YEAR 25, THE ONES THAT ARE URGENT TO BE CLEANED UP ARE THE ONES FOR FISCAL FOR JANUARY, 2024 ON FORWARD.
UM, AGAIN, WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THE SECURITY AND WORKFLOW DELAYS AND BACK OUTS.
THAT IS ONE OF THE BIGGEST THINGS I WOULD IDENTIFY AS YOUR RISK TO FINANCIAL ACCURACY DUE TO THE CONTINUING DELAYS THERE.
WE HAVE SPOKE IN COUNCIL MEETINGS OF THE PAST REGARDING LACK OF STAFFING IN YOUR IT DEPARTMENT WITH THE ONE ERP ADMINISTRATOR AND THE BACKUP BEING THE IT DIRECTOR HIMSELF.
THERE'S A LOT ON THEIR PLATES AND THERE ARE A LOT OF UPDATES THAT NEED TO BE DONE.
UM, I WILL PLEA ONE MORE TIME FOR YOU TO PLEASE CONSIDER IN THE BUDGET FOR ADDING AN ADDITIONAL HEADCOUNT THERE.
UM, THE NEXT PIECE HERE IS THE CASH RESERVE CRISIS.
WE ARE COMING OUT OF A CASH RESERVE CRISIS.
WHEN I WAS SPEAKING TO YOU IN OCTOBER, I THINK WE HAD ABOUT, WE ACTUALLY, I THINK WE HAD BOUNCED FIVE CHECKS.
UM, AND WE HAD ON A, THIS TIME LAST YEAR, $2 MILLION IN THE BANK.
UH, WE ARE IN QUITE A BETTER POSITION AS WE MOVE THROUGH THIS TIME OF YEAR BECAUSE EVERYONE, WE'VE TAKEN SOME MONEY OUT OF OUR RESERVES.
WE'VE ALSO BEEN SMARTER ABOUT HOW WE'RE SPENDING MONEY AND GOTTEN BETTER VISIBILITY AROUND THINGS.
BUT LET'S BE CLEAR, THE 10 MILLION OR SO DOLLARS THAT YOU'VE GOT IN THE BANK RIGHT NOW IS NOT ENOUGH FOR A RAINY DAY.
IF SOMETHING CATASTROPHIC HAPPENS WITH A HOPE WASTE FOR OUR TREATMENT PLANT RIGHT NOW, YOU'RE NOT IN A POSITION TO MANAGE THROUGH THAT.
IF THERE'S ANOTHER COVID, UM, YOU'RE NOT IN A POSITION TO MANAGE THROUGH THAT IN THE SHORT TERM UNTIL YOU'VE GOT FEDERAL FUNDS.
[00:45:01]
TO BUILD THAT CASH RESERVE I THINK ISN'T GONNA BE VERY IMPORTANT.UM, THE LA THE SECOND OR LAST PIECE ON THIS IS, UM, WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THE HELPFUL PUBLIC SCHOOLS ERP IMPLEMENTATION.
WE'VE PROVIDED YOU WITH SOME WAYS TO OVERSEE THAT.
UM, KEEP AN EYE ON THAT 'CAUSE THAT COULD ADVERSELY ALSO AFFECT THE FINANCIALS.
SO AS WE'RE MOVING THROUGH AND WE'VE CLEANED UP THE CITY, THIS IS GOING TO BE AN INPUT TOO.
AND ONE OF THE THINGS WE'VE DISCOVERED AS WE'VE HAD ONGOING CONVERSATIONS WITH THE HOPEWELL SCHOOL SYSTEM, WHICH AGAIN HAS BEEN VERY COLLABORATIVE IN WORKING WITH US, UM, VERY PROACTIVE, UM, VERY OPEN TO SOME ASSISTANCE AND, AND OPEN TO FEEDBACK.
UM, YOU KNOW, YOU HAVE TO BE LOOKING AT FUNDS AND DOLLARS AND YOU'VE GOTTA BE TALKING APPLES TO APPLES.
SO EVERYTHING HAS TO BE, YOU KNOW, IF THE SYSTEMS ARE GOING TO INTERACT OR IF THE OUTPUTS FROM THE MUNI SYSTEM IN SCHOOLS ARE EVENTUALLY GOING TO BE PART OF YOUR FINANCIALS, YOU HAVE TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU'VE GOT THE SAME CONTROL ENVIRONMENT.
THE LAST SLIDE HERE OF AREAS CONCERN.
WE DO BELIEVE THAT THE CITY STILL HAS SOME WISH CAPS, UM, THAT HAVE NOT, WE DO NOT BELIEVE THAT THE CITY IS IN A PLACE RIGHT NOW TO TAKE ACCOUNTABILITY FOR THE TURNAROUND.
WE ARE VERY CONCERNED EVEN WITH THE TRANSITION PLAN, THAT MOVING OUT WITHOUT A CONSTANT OVERSIGHT AND WITHOUT THAT ONE-TO-ONE CLEAR TRANSITION.
WHAT WE LIKE TO DO IS WE LIKE TO TRANSITION, THEN WE LIKE TO WATCH AND WE LIKE TO BE PART OF THE PROCESS FOR THREE MONTHS.
AND THEN WE LIKE TO STEP OUT AND WE KNOW THE MACHINE IS WORKING.
WE HAVEN'T HAD THAT TIME, SO WE'RE STILL VERY UNEASY REGARDING THOSE LEADERSHIP GAPS.
WE ALSO HAVE SOME DEPARTMENTS, NOT NECESSARILY SOME WITH THE CITY, BUT ALSO IN THE CONSTITUTIONAL OFFICES THAT HAVE MANY UNSTAFFED POSITIONS THAT NEED TO BE ALSO HANDLED IN ORDER TO CARRY THIS WORKLOAD FORWARD.
THE SECOND PIECE HERE, OF COURSE, IS THE, UM, INDICTMENT OF THE TREASURER AND ANY IMPACT THAT MAY HAVE ON FINANCIAL OPERATIONS.
AS I SAID, I SAW THREE MOAS COME ACROSS YESTERDAY, SO I KNOW THAT THE CITY IS DEALING WITH IT, BUT WE DON'T KNOW WHAT WE DON'T KNOW YET.
SO THAT'S SOMETHING TO KEEP AN EYE ON.
THE ER SYSTEM OPTIMIZATION, UM, THE, A NUMBER OF THE IMPLEMENTATION ITEMS THAT WE HAVE PUT IN THE MODULES THAT WE HAVE PUT IN ARE NOT FULLY UTILIZED FOR FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT TO DATE.
WE'VE PUT THEM IN, BUT NO ONE'S USING THEM.
EMPLOYEE EXPENSE REIMBURSEMENT, IT'S IN, BUT IT'S NOT GOING LIVE UNTIL THE 31ST.
SO IF THERE'S A PROBLEM IN THAT, THAT RUN ON THE 31ST, YOU GUYS ARE ON YOUR OWN.
SO JUST TO KEEP AN EYE ON THAT, MAKE SURE THAT THERE'S NO PROBLEMS MOVING FORWARD.
UH, THE FUTURE OF THE WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLAN, INCLUDING AND I SPOKE TO THIS, UH, WITH BOB AND MYSELF, INCLUSION OF THE DEBERRY AND THE STAFFING REPORTS, PLEASE MAKE SURE THAT KEY ELEMENTS ARE INTEGRATED AND THAT THERE IS A FULL EVALUATION AND ACTION PLAN I HAVE NOT SEEN SINCE THE TRANSITION.
I ASKED FOR IT AT THE VERY END OF THE HOPEWELL WASTEWATER DIRECTOR'S TENURE BEFORE.
THERE'S A TRANSITION OVER A FULLY INCORPORATED ONE SHEET OF MUSIC THAT THE HOPEWELL WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLAN IS OPERATING OFF OF WITH BOTH OPERATIONAL AND CAPITAL EXPENDITURES, AS WELL AS A FULL FUTURE, YOU KNOW, A STRATEGIC PLAN PER SE FOR THE HOPEWELL WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLAN.
MAKE SURE YOU'RE STILL HOLDING THEM ACCOUNTABLE TO GET THAT.
UM, AND THE LAST PIECE HERE IS FUTURE.
AND THIS IS GOOD NEWS, RIGHT? STRONG ECONOMIC PLANNING.
SO IT'S NOT JUST THE INDUSTRY PARTNERS AND THE HOPEWELL WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLAN AND TAXES AND, YOU KNOW, RESIDENTS OF THE CITY THAT ARE GONNA BE DRIVING FINANCIAL AND FISCAL SUSTAINABILITY MOVING FORWARD.
YOU HAVE THIS BEAUTIFUL PARCEL OF LAND, UH, WITH A LOT OF OPPORTUNITY AND YOU HAVE NOT PUT A LOT OF FOCUS ON ECONOMIC PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT MOVING FORWARD.
NOW, I KNOW PRO BONO THAT BOB AND AND US ARE GOING TO WORK WITH YOU GUYS IN THE STATE, UM, YOU KNOW, TO IDENTIFY SOME OF THOSE OPPORTUNITIES.
AND OF COURSE YOU'RE DIRECTOR OF ECONOMIC PLANNING.
BUT PLEASE WORK FORWARD ON YOUR FUTURE PLANS FOR THE CITY NOW THAT YOU'RE IN A GOOD SPOT AND WILL CON AND WILL BE IN A GOOD SPOT.
HOW ARE YOU GOING TO, UM, IN THE FUTURE HAVE FINANCIAL SUCCESS? THE ANSWER IS TAKING ADVANTAGE OF SOME OF THE ASSETS THAT YOU'VE GOT THAT ARE NOT CURRENTLY BEING USED.
SO WORK ON THAT, YOU KNOW, ESTABLISH FUTURE INDUSTRY PARTNER GROWTH, ESTABLISH HOSPITALITY ALONG THE RIVER, ET CETERA, ET CETERA.
NOW, I'VE COVERED MOST OF THIS IN MY LAST COUPLE OF SLIDES, SO I'M GONNA QUICKLY GO THROUGH THIS.
BUT YOU HAVE THE ECFR STATEMENT BUILDER.
AGAIN, IT'S SET UP, BUT TRAINING IS STILL HAPPENING IN DECEMBER.
UM, PLEASE MAKE SURE IT'S FULLY OPERATIONAL FOR FISCAL YEAR 2025 FINANCIAL STATEMENTS TOWARDS THE END OF THAT YEAR.
SO, CROWDER REPORTING WAS PUT ON HOLD BECAUSE THE CITY COUNCIL NEEDS TO IDENTIFY AND UNDERSTAND TWO THINGS.
ONE, THE AUDITS HAVE TO BE COMPLETE, RIGHT? YOU'VE GOT NOTHING TO POST RIGHT NOW BECAUSE YOUR AUDITS AREN'T COMPLETE.
[00:50:01]
BUT ONCE THE AUDITS ARE COMPLETE AND YOU HAVE NUMBERS THAT YOU MAY, YOU CAN SHARE WITH THE PUBLIC, YOU GUYS HAVE TO MAKE A DECISION AS TO WHETHER OR NOT YOU WANT TO SHARE THAT WITH THE PUBLIC, WHICH WE WOULD HIGHLY RECOMMEND.AND GO AHEAD AND TURN ON THAT SOCRATA REPORTING TOOL.
UM, ALSO RELATING TO THE SYSTEM, THE LONG AND SHORT TERM SECURITY AND WORKFLOW RECOMMENDATIONS.
WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THAT AD NAUM, SO I'M GONNA SKIP THROUGH THAT.
THE WASTEWATER COMMISSION AGREEMENT THAT IS STILL BEING RE-READ LINED, UM, THAT'S GOTTA, UM, BE SUBMITTED ONCE IT'S REDLINED AND IT'S GOING TO HAVE TO GO THROUGH YOUR LEGAL REVIEW AND THEN BACK TO THE INDUSTRY PARTNERS AND THEN TO THE COMMISSION FOR SIGNING.
SO I DO ANTICIPATE THERE'LL BE SOME BACK AND FORTH.
THEY'RE GONNA GIVE YOU THOSE 10, THOSE UPDATES.
IT'S GONNA HAVE TO GO TO YOUR LEGAL COUNSEL FOR REVIEW.
YOU MAY COUNTER, THERE MAY BE SOME BACK AND FORTH BEFORE IT GOES TO VOTE.
SO KEEP AN EYE ON THAT WHOLE PROCESS AND MAKE SURE IT COMES TO COMPLETION.
'CAUSE THAT IS A HUNDRED PERCENT VERY IMPORTANT TO THE SU SUSTAINABILITY OF THE CITY.
YOU CANNOT LET THAT AGREEMENT DROP AND IT ENDS IN FISCAL YEAR 25.
SO MAKE SURE THAT THAT GOES, UM, THE FINAL RECONCILIATIONS FOR 24, UM, AGAIN, PENDING COMPLETION TO ALIGN WITH THE UPCOMING AUDIT.
MAKE SURE EVERY AUDIT YEAR, YOU KNOW, WHEN THE AUDIT COMES, AND I KNOW STACY'S ON THIS AND WE'LL WORK WITH HER AS SHE NEEDS TO HAVE QUESTIONS, BUT LET'S JUST MAKE SURE WHEN THE 2020 AUDIT COMES IN AND THAT FINAL BALANCE IS, IS SUBMITTED BY THE AUDITORS.
AND AGAIN, WE'VE WORKED WITH THEM TO MAKE SURE EVERYTHING HAS BEEN CURRENT WHILE THEY'VE BEEN HERE.
SO THEY'VE COME WITH FEEDBACK, WE'VE BEEN UPDATING THINGS.
SO MAKE SURE THAT THAT FINAL BALANCE FOR FISCAL YEAR 20 IS THE SAME FINAL BALANCE FOR FISCAL YEAR 21.
SO THAT FINAL BALANCE FOR 20 SHOULD BE YOUR START BALANCE FOR 21, AND THEN YOUR 21 SHOULD BE ROLLING THROUGH.
THAT BEING SAID, AS WE'VE BEEN HAVING THE BACK AND FORTH, AND THE REASON WHY THIS IS TAKING SO LONG AS IS THE EXTERNAL AUDITOR'S PURVIEW WHEN THEY HAVE ADJUSTMENTS FOR 20, WE HAVE BEEN MAKING THEM FOR 21.
WE'VE BEEN CARRYING FORWARD THOSE RULES FOR 21, 22, 23, 24.
SO I DON'T ANTICIPATE A LOT OF BACK AND FORTH ONCE THE AUDIT OPINION FOR 20 IS ISSUED, BUT THOSE, THOSE BALANCES STILL NEED TO BE UPDATED.
THERE MAY BE SOME SLIGHT ADJUSTMENTS HERE AND THERE.
UM, TREASURER COURT, MS. MS BEFORE YOU GO ANY FURTHER.
YEAH, UH, WE'RE GETTING CLOSE TO THE THREE HOUR RULE.
UM, SO DO I HAVE A MOTION TO EXTEND THE MEETING UNTIL WE FINISH R TWO? SO MOVE.
IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION SEEING NO LIGHTS ROLL CALL PLEASE.
UM, WHERE WAS I? UH, TREASURE REPORT TRAINING AND DESKTOP PROCEDURES.
ACTUALLY, I DID NOT CHANGE THIS TODAY.
SO THIS IS THE STATEMENT OF TREASURER'S ACCOUNTABILITY.
UH, WE COMPLETED THAT FOR THE TREASURER.
IT WAS ACTUALLY DUE SEPTEMBER 30TH.
WHAT WASN'T COMPLETE WAS THE TREASURER PROCEDURES.
UM, WE THEN BACKTRACKED THOSE PROCEDURES WITH HOW WE DID THAT SO THAT THEY HAD THOSE DESKTOP PROCEDURES AS YOU REMI.
UM, AS A REMINDER, THAT WAS ONE OF THE ADDITIONAL AMENDMENTS THAT WE HAD TO MAKE SURE THAT WE DID THOSE PROCEDURES ON TOP OF ACTUALLY HELPING THEM SUBMIT THE REPORTS.
AND THEN THE LAST PIECE HERE, WHICH WILL BE EXPECTED TO END BY THE END OF THIS MONTH, IS THE FINAL SOP TRAINING.
YES, WE HAVE FULL PLANS TO COMPLETE THAT BY THE END OF THIS WEEK.
WE HAD SOME ISSUES, AS YOU GUYS KNOW, THE LAST COUPLE WEEKS THAT WE'VE BEEN DELIVERING TRAINING WITH PARTICULAR DEPARTMENTS, NOT SHOWING.
I CANNOT GUARANTEE THAT FOLKS ARE GONNA BE THERE TOMORROW, THURSDAY, AND FRIDAY, WHICH IS WHY THAT'S HERE TO POTENTIALLY STILL BE OPEN.
THAT BEING SAID, WE WILL BE IN CONTACT WITH DR.
MAN IF WE HAVE ANY ISSUES AND WE WILL RESOLVE THEM TOGETHER.
THE LAST PIECE HERE, AND THESE ACTIONS AND TRIGGERS SHOULD NOT LOOK FOREIGN TO YOU BECAUSE THEY HAVE BEEN IN THE TRANSITION REPORT.
BUT I WANTED TO REMIND YOU, THESE ARE THE TRIGGERS THAT BY THE WAY, HAVE NOT ONLY BEEN PUT IN DR.
MANGER'S REPORT, BUT BEEN SHARED WITH THE COMMONWEALTH, UM, SECRETARY OF FINANCE.
THESE ARE THE ITEMS TO TAKE A LOOK AT.
SO THESE ARE THE THINGS THAT IF THESE THINGS DON'T HAPPEN, ALL THE BELLS AND WHISTLES AND COUNSEL SHOULD BE GOING OFF.
SO IF YOU ARE LOOKING IN YOUR ROLE AS OVERSIGHT, UM, PLEASE MONITOR THESE ITEMS. RIGHT.
CASH ACCOUNTS RECONCILED WITHIN 45 DAYS.
ACTUALLY, IT REALLY SHOULD BE 30 DAYS, BUT RIGHT NOW WE'RE AT 45 DAYS, WHICH IS A LOT BETTER THAN OVER A YEAR.
SO, BUT AT LEAST 45 DAYS, YOUR GOAL SHOULD BE 30 DAYS.
ADJUST PERFORMANCE INDICATORS TO MEET NEW BENCHMARKS.
UM, FOR THE CITY MANAGER, AND I'M ACTUALLY GONNA ADD IN HERE IN ALL DEPARTMENT, LEAD GOALS ADHERE TO FUND RESERVE POLICIES TO ENSURE FINANCIAL RESPONSIBILITIES.
JUST BECAUSE THE MONEY IS IN THERE, IT DOESN'T MEAN IT HAS TO BE SPENT.
MONITOR BUDGET SURPLUS AT THE END OF THE YEAR FOR FUTURE PLANNING.
IF THERE IS SURPLUS, IT SHOULD BE PUT INTO YOUR SURPLUS ACCOUNTS.
[00:55:01]
DEBT PAYMENTS TO MAINTAIN THE CITY'S CREDIT WORTHINESS.UM, TIMELY PAYROLL AND PRO UH, PAYROLL PROCESSING TO AVOID EMPLOYEE DIS SATISFACTION AND DISRUPTIONS.
OF COURSE, WE NEVER WANNA BE CALLED INTO A JURISDICTION WHEN THEY CAN'T MAKE PAYROLL.
IMPLEMENT AN ACTION PLAN FOR COLLECTING DELINQUENT ACCOUNTS FROM THE CITY RESIDENTS IN THE BUSINESS.
AGAIN, WE CAME UP WITH A PLAN.
YOU'VE GOTTA NOW IMPLEMENT IT.
ENSURE REAL ESTATE BILLS ARE SENT OUT ON TIME TO SECURE REVENUE COLLECTION.
I'M ALSO GOING TO ADD PROCESS ON TIME AS WELL TO THAT.
WORK WITH FINANCE TO RECONCILE ACCOUNTS EVERY MONTH AND COMPLETE DAILY DEPOSITS FOR ALL REVENUE STREAMS FOR THE WATER RENEWAL.
ENSURE THE WATER TREATMENT BILLS GO OUT WITHIN 30 DAYS.
WE'VE HAD A COUPLE TIMES WE'VE SEEN MONTHS AND MONTHS OF DELAYS.
MONITOR MONTHLY AND ANNUAL ENTERPRISE FUND RECONCILIATIONS TO COMPLY WITH THE A PA GAP AND GFOA STANDARDS REVIEW.
THE CURRENT DATA INTEGRATORS CONTRACT AND PERFORM AN AUDIT OVER THE LAST FIVE YEARS WITH DATA INTEGRATORS.
WE RECENTLY, UM, FOUND OUT THAT DATA INTEGRATORS WAS BEING PAID AN ADDITIONAL $24,000 ON SOME HANDSHAKE DEAL THAT WAS, YOU KNOW, PUT IN MANY YEARS AGO.
AND THAT WAS PART OF THE, UH, PART OF THE FINDINGS THAT WE'VE RECENTLY HAD.
WE'RE WORKING THROUGH IT WITH STACY, BUT THAT'S ANOTHER REASON TO GO AHEAD AND DO THAT AUDIT OVER THAT CONTRACT AND MAKE SURE YOU'RE MONITORING IT AND SOMEONE IS TAKING A LOOK AT THOSE NUMBERS EVERY MONTH.
FOR HUMAN RESOURCES, CRITICAL POSITIONS ARE FILLED PROMPTLY.
I JUST SPOKE ABOUT THE FACT THAT WE HAVE A LOT OF POSITIONS THAT ARE STILL NOT FILLED.
THERE SHOULD BE BIWEEKLY UPDATES AND RECRUITING EFFORTS UNTIL THOSE POSITIONS ARE CLOSED.
AND AGAIN, I ALWAYS LIKE TO PLUG THIS, INCLUDING WHAT WE ARE CALLING ERP ADMINISTRATOR, TWO
PLEASE HOLD MONTHLY FINANCIAL COMMITTEE MEETINGS WITH THE CFO TO TRACK THE CITY'S FINANCIAL PROGRESS.
UM, MONITOR PROJECT DOCUMENTATION THROUGH ESSENTIAL REPOSITORY, WHICH HAS NOW BEEN SET UP, UM, FOR UPDATES AND STATUS REPORTS ON SOPS AND CORRECTIVE ACTIONS.
AGAIN, WE'RE STEPPING OUT NOW, SO WE'RE NOT GONNA BE THE ONES DOING THE STATUS REPORT.
NEXT WEEK WILL BE OUR LAST STATUS REPORT.
SOMEONE IS GOING TO HAVE TO CONTINUE TO MONITOR THE PROGRESS ON THE THINGS THAT WE'VE BEEN REPORTING ON FOR PROCUREMENT.
ENSURE VENDOR CONTRACTS AND PAYMENTS ARE TIMELY TO MAINTAIN SERVICE CONTINUITY.
THAT IS ACTUALLY SOMETHING THAT PROCUREMENT AND FINANCE ARE EXCELLENT AT.
UM, OVERSEE CONTRACT COMPLIANCE AUDITS FOR HIGH PRIORITY VENDORS.
MONITOR BIDS AND RFPS FOR TIMELY DELIVERY FOR THE COMMISSIONER OF REVENUE.
IMPLEMENT SYSTEMS FOR MONITORING, COLLECTING AND ADDRESSING DELINQUENT ACCOUNTS, TIMELY PROCESSING OF PERSONAL PROPERTY, BUSINESS LICENSE, AND REAL ESTATE TAX BILLS.
PREPARE MONTHLY REAL ESTATE AND PERSONAL PROPERTY TAX RECONCILIATIONS WITH THE GENERAL LEDGER FOR THE IT DEPARTMENT.
IMPLEMENT AND FINALIZED SECURITY AND WORKFLOW UPDATES TO MITIGATE RISKS AND IMPROVE EFFICIENCY.
TRACK THE PROCESS OF THE ERP SYSTEM, LONG TERM SECURITY ROLE UPDATES AND SHORT TERM, WHICH HAVE TO BE RE-PUT IN FOR VARIOUS DEPARTMENTS AND PERSONNEL.
AND FOR GRANTS, TIMELY SUBMISSION AND TRACKING OF FINANCIAL AND GRANT RELATED DOCUMENTATION.
THIS IS NOT JUST FINANCIAL TRACKING.
THERE ARE A NUMBER OF GRANTS THAT HAVE PERFORMANCE MEASURES THAT ALSO HAVE TO BE INCLUDED.
UM, MONITOR CFA AND A PA CARDINAL REPORTING FOR COMPLIANCE AND TIMELY SUBMISSION ENSURE ACCURATE DRAWDOWNS FROM FEDERAL GRANTS AND FINANCE AND TIMELY REPORTING.
SO THERE ARE A NUMBER OF GRANTS THAT NOT ONLY DO YOU HAVE TO MONITOR FINANCIAL AND UM, ACTIONS ON THOSE GRANTS, YOU ALSO HAVE TO FILE BY A CERTAIN TIME IN ORDER TO GET THAT MONEY DRAWN DOWN.
SO KEEP AN EYE ON ALL OF THAT.
I WILL SAY THE FOLLOWING, EVERYTHING THAT I HAVE JUST SAID IS VERY POSITIVE IN HERE.
THINGS THAT ARE NOW HAPPENING THAT SHOULD CONTINUE TO HAPPEN, BUT THE TRIGGER TO YOU SHOULD BE MONITORING THESE ITEMS. AND IF THESE THINGS AREN'T HAPPENING AS A CITY COUNCIL, ALL SORTS OF BELLS AND WHISTLES SHOULD GO UP.
SO MY ADVICE AND GUIDANCE TO YOU AS I AM, AS WE ARE MOVING OUTTA THE FIELD AS RBG TEAM IS MOVING OUTTA THE FIELD, CREATE SOME FORM OF DASHBOARD OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT THAT GETS PRESENTED BY DR.
MAN OR SOMEONE OF THE, LIKE TO CITY COUNCIL AT LEAST ONCE A MONTH THAT MONITORS ALL THOSE THINGS AND REPORTS ON THEM EVERY MONTH SO THAT YOU GUYS ARE KEPT AWARE OF THE PROGRESS OF ALL OF THESE ITEMS. AND SO IF SOMETHING SLIPS, YOU'RE AWARE OF IT.
AND WITH THAT, BOB HAS APPARENTLY SOME COMMENTS, BUT FROM ME PERSONALLY, I'D LIKE TO SAY THANK YOU FOR ALLOWING US THE ABILITY TO WORK WITH YOU OVER THE LAST YEAR AND A QUARTER.
UM, SHE MAY MAYOR AND MEMBERS OF CITY COUNCIL, UH, ON BEHALF OF THE MEMBERS OF THE ROBERT BOB GROUP AND ALSO OUR BACK OFFICE TEAM THAT YOU HAVE NOT SEEN.
UH, I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR GIVING US THIS OPPORTUNITY TO SERVE THE CITY OF HOPEWELL.
[01:00:01]
ENGAGEMENT, BUT IT ALSO HAS BEEN, UH, REWARDING.UH, THE, I ALSO WANT TO THANK, YOU KNOW, WHEN WE PUT TOGETHER OUR TEAM, HEATHER AND I, UH, WHEN WE WERE REVIEWING THE RFP TO SUBMIT, UH, WE GAVE GREAT CONSIDERATION TO THE TYPE OF TEAM AND THAT WE WANTED TO BRING WITH US.
AND I WANT TO THANK, UH, UHY, OUR ACCOUNTING AND CONSULTING FIRM.
THEY'RE AT THE TOP OF THE FOOD CHAIN IN TERMS OF ACCOUNTING IN IN THE COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA.
THEY'RE AN INTERNATIONAL FIRM AS WELL, AS WELL AS PERSONAL LEGENDS.
OUR, OUR IMMUNE EXPERTS ARE EITHER INDIVIDUALS WHO GREW UP INM SYSTEM AND YOU WOULD NOT HAVE, WE COULD NOT HAVE BROUGHT A BETTER TEAM OF EXPERTS, UH, FROM ADRIANA LUNA AND HER TEAM, AND ALSO CHRISTIE, WHO WILL BE WITH US, BE WITH YOU FOR THE NEXT, UH, FEW WEEKS, UH, AND LAYERS.
AND THEN PATRICK, BOB WITH OUR, UM, CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER, BUT ALSO OUR RISK MANAGEMENT BECAUSE EACH ONE OF OUR ENGAGEMENT COMES WITH SIGNIFICANT RISKS.
AND WE HAVE TO MANAGE THE RISK OUTSIDE OF WHAT YOU SEE AS WE, UH, CONDUCT OUR WORK AND THE WORK THAT WE BRING TO YOU.
I THINK IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT FOR THE CITY IN TERMS OF TO IMPLEMENT THE THINGS THAT WE ARE, THAT THE STRATEGIES THAT WE HAVE PUT FORWARD.
AND IT'S GONNA REQUIRE BOTH ON THE CITY ADMINISTRATION SIDE AS WELL AS ON THE CITY COUNCIL SIDE, CONSIDERABLE AMOUNT OF DILIGENCE.
I MEAN, I'VE WORKED WITH CITIES, SEVERAL CITIES THAT ARE IN CHAPTER NINE BANKRUPTCY.
AND OF COURSE YOU CANNOT HAVE A CHAPTER NINE HERE IN THE COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA, BUT WERE YOU IN A CHAPTER NINE SIT YOU, YOU'RE, YOU HAVE ALL OF THE MAKINGS OF A MUNICIPALITY THAT WE'RE IN CHAPTER NINE.
BUT IF YOU WERE IN A CHAPTER NINE BANKRUPTCY, THE CITY COUNCIL WOULD BE SITTING ON THE SIDELINES AND TEAMS LIKE THE ROBERT BOB GROUP, WE WOULD BE ACTUALLY MANAGING YOUR CITY.
AND THAT'S A PLACE WHERE YOU NEVER WANT TO BE.
UH, AND UH, IT'S GOOD THAT WE DON'T HAVE A CHAPTER NINE LEGISLATION IN THE CITY, IN THE COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA, BUT YOU'RE VERY CLOSE, UH, IN TERMS OF THE LEGISLATION THAT WAS ADOPT WAS PASSED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY LAST, LAST SESSION.
AND YOU DON'T WANT TO BE IN THAT SITUATION AT ALL.
UH, GOING FORWARD, ONE OF MY, UH, RECOMMENDATIONS IS THAT ONE OF THE RECOMMENDATIONS WE'RE REALLY PROUD OF IS THE RECOMMENDATION WHEREIN THE CITY FULL CITY COUNCIL ARE MEMBERS OF THE FINANCE COMMITTEE.
UH, IT'S, I'VE ONLY, I'M ONLY KNOW OF ONE OTHER JURISDICTION WHERE THAT, UH, OCCURRED.
AND THAT'S THE CITY OF, UH, THAT'S THE COMMON, I MEAN, THAT'S THE, UH, WASHINGTON DC WHERE THE CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS ARE THE FINANCE COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE.
AND I THINK IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT HERE IS BECAUSE IT BRINGS EVERY MEMBER OF CITY COUNCIL INTO THE CONVERSATION WITH RESPECT TO THE SHORT AND LONG TERM FINANCES OF THE CITY.
I WOULD ALSO, UH, NOT TO EXPAND ON YOUR WORK AT THE FINANCE COMMITTEE, BUT I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT IF THE, IF IT DOESN'T HAPPEN AT THE FINANCE COMMITTEE, THE CITY COUNCIL REALLY DOES NEED TO HAVE A TRANSITION COMMITTEE.
I MEAN, THE WORK THAT WE'VE DONE IS BEING, HAS BEEN TRANS, IS BEING TRANSITIONED, UH, TO THE CITY.
UH, AND THE CITY COUNCIL ARE OUTSIDE OF YOUR PO I MEAN, YOU HAVE THE SIGNIFICANT POLICY RESPONSIBILITY TO SEE THAT THE TRANSITION, THAT TEAM OR PROCESS THAT THE CITY MANAGERS PLACE BEFORE YOU, THAT THAT PROCESS TAKES PLACE AND THAT IT'S REALLY IMPLEMENTED BECAUSE THE TRANSITION PLAN HAS A LOT TO DO WITH THE WORK THAT WE'VE DONE.
UH, AND SO I WOULD RECOMMEND THAT GOING FORWARD, THAT THE CITY COUNCIL INCORPORATE AS PART OF ITS FINANCE COMMITTEE, NOT THAT YOU WANT TO HAVE A SEPARATE ANOTHER MEETING, BUT THE TRANSITION REPORT AND THE STATUS OF HOW THE CITY MANAGERS IMPLEMENTING, UH, THE TRANSITION PLAN.
AND THEN MY FINAL, UH, COMMENT IS
[01:05:01]
YOU REALLY NEED TO EXPAND THE OFFICE OF THE DEPARTMENT OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT.I KNOW THAT THERE ARE SERIOUS CHALLENGES IN TERMS OF THE THINGS THAT THE CITY REALLY NEEDS TO FINANCE, BUT IF WE DON'T FIND A WAY TO GROW OUR ECONOMY, THEN WE'RE ALWAYS GONNA BE SCRAPING AT THE BOTTOM OF THE BARREL TO LOOK FOR WAYS IN WHICH WE CAN, WE NEED TO, WE CAN FINANCE THOSE IMPORTANT SERVICES THAT WE HAVE.
AND IN EVERY URBAN CITY THERE, THERE ARE SIGNIFICANT, UH, THERE ARE SIGNIFICANT CHALLENGES, PARTICULARLY HUMAN SERVICES CHALLENGES AND FINANCE CHALLENGES.
BUT YOU REALLY NEED TO FIND A WAY TO ESCALATE AND TO GROW YOUR ECONOMY.
AND YOU HAVE A BEAUTIFUL CITY.
UH, THE TOUR THAT I TOOK OF THE CITY WITH, WITH THE DIRECTOR OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT IS, IS PRETTY AMAZING.
AND THEN WHEN YOU, AND FOR EVERY EMPLOYEE OF THE CITY, AND I'VE HAD THIS CONVERSATION WITH ONE OF YOUR MEMBERS, IF YOU HAVE EMPLOYEES WHO DO NOT LOVE YOUR CITY, I DON'T REALLY CARE HOW COMPETENT THEY ARE.
THEY DON'T NEED TO BE PART OF YOUR CITY, BECAUSE IF THEY DON'T LOVE YOUR CITY, THEN THEY DON'T SEE THE OPPORTUNITY THAT THEY ONLY SEE THE DOWNSIDE OF EVERYTHING IN YOUR CITY, AND THEY DON'T SEE THE OPPORTUNITIES THAT YOU SEE, THEN I JUST CAN'T IMAGINE HOW WELL THEY'RE GONNA PERFORM THE WORK THAT'S REQUIRED TO ADVANCE THE COMMUNITY.
WE WILL BE AROUND, UH, AND WE'LL ALWAYS BE AVAILABLE FOR ANY CONSULTATION THAT, THAT YOU ALL NEED.
UM, I SAW COUNCILLOR HOLLOWAY'S LIGHT, AND THEN, UH, I HAVE SOMETHING TO SAY.
I THINK YOU CLARIFIED THE POINT THAT I WAS ABOUT TO ASK WHEN YOU WERE LISTING ALL OF THOSE TRIGGERS.
I, I, I WAS TAKING THEM AS THINGS THAT YOU WERE SAYING WEREN'T IN PLACE.
AND I WAS A BIT CONFUSED BECAUSE ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I, UH, TREASURER WAS IN HERE ABOUT, FOR EXAMPLE, UH, WAS TELLING US JUST RECENTLY THE THINGS THAT SHE DID PUT INTO PLACE REGARDING SOME OF THE THINGS THAT YOU LISTED.
BUT YOU CAME BACK AND CLARIFIED THAT THOSE THINGS ARE IN PLACE.
JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE 'EM IN PLACE.
SO YOU ALREADY GAVE THAT CLARIFICATION.
UM, FIRST OFF, UM, I KNOW I CAN SPEAK ON BEHALF OF CITY COUNCIL WHEN I SAY THIS.
THANK YOU GUYS SO MUCH FOR THE WORK THAT YOU'VE DONE.
YOU'VE REALLY TAKEN, YOU KNOW, A MUNICIPALITY THAT HAS SUFFERED FROM 10 YEARS OF JUST POOR LEADERSHIP, POOR MANAGEMENT, AND YOU GUYS HAVE REALLY JUST GIVEN NEW BIRTH TO THIS CITY WHERE, YOU KNOW, WE'RE ACTUALLY ABLE TO HAVE A LEGITIMATE CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM AS OPPOSED TO, YOU KNOW, JUST A FEW LITTLE ANCILLARY ITEMS. YOU KNOW, WE'RE BUILDING UP RESERVES NOW.
WE'RE, YOU KNOW, ON TRACK AND, YOU KNOW, TAKING MODELS OF WHAT OTHER SUCCESSFUL LOCALITIES ARE DOING.
AND WE ARE IMPLEMENTING THEM HERE.
UM, WE HAVE A TON OF WORK YET THAT STILL NEEDS TO GO.
UM, BUT IF IT WAS NOT FOR YOU GUYS, UM, I, I DON'T KNOW WHERE THE CITY WOULD'VE BEEN.
UM, I CAN ONLY IMAGINE OF, YOU KNOW, HOW BAD ROCK BOTTOM WE COULD HAVE HIT.
UM, BUT WITH THAT BEING SAID, UM, YOUR REPORT RAISES A LOT OF CONCERNS THAT I HAVE.
UM, YOU KNOW, THE BIG ONE BEING, YOU KNOW, TALKING ABOUT THE TRANSITION PLAN, UM, THAT YOU GUYS DON'T HAVE, YOU KNOW, GOOD FEEL AND GOOD CONFIDENCE THAT A LOT OF THIS WORK, YOU KNOW, IS, YOU KNOW, GOING TO, YOU KNOW, CONTINUE.
AND, YOU KNOW, I KIND OF HAVE THAT, YOU KNOW, SIMILAR FEELING.
UM, I MEAN, WHEN WE HAVE, LET'S SEE, I COUNTED I SEVEN TARGET DATES MISSED JUST FROM THE ERP PROCESS AND THE SECURITY AND WORKFORCE MODULES ON PAGE 17 AND 18.
UM, THEY JUST KEEP GETTING PUSHED BACK FURTHER AND FURTHER IT LOOKS LIKE.
UM, I MEAN, THAT GIVES ME, YOU KNOW, A, A A LOT OF CONCERN, UH, A LOT OF CONCERN IN THE IT DEPARTMENT WITH THIS, A LOT OF CONCERN WITH MANAGEMENT, UH, BECAUSE I I, IN READING THIS, IT DOESN'T LOOK LIKE IT'S BEING TAKEN SERIOUSLY AND, YOU KNOW, WHEN I HAVE NINE MAJOR AREAS OF CONCERN, UM, THAT ARE OUTLINED.
[01:10:01]
AND I THOUGHT THAT THAT'S, YOU KNOW, THE REASON WHY, UM, YOU KNOW, WE WERE, YOU KNOW, WORKING HAND IN HAND, UM, WITH YOU GUYS.I MEAN, TO ME, AND THAT'S ALMOST AN INDICTMENT, UM, THAT, YOU KNOW, THE, THE MANAGEMENT IS JUST, IT'S, IT'S NOT, YOU KNOW, BEING EFFECTIVE.
UM, SO, YOU KNOW, FOR ME PERSONALLY, YOU KNOW, I'D LIKE TO SEE, YOU KNOW, SOME, YOU KNOW, QUOTES, YOU KNOW, FROM YOU GUYS, UM, YOU KNOW, WHAT A CONTINUED ARRANGEMENT COULD LOOK LIKE, CHECK IN MEETINGS, UM, YOU KNOW, WHAT WE COULD, YOU KNOW, LOOK LIKE WITH ADDITIONAL PROJECT MANAGEMENT SERVICES.
UM, I JUST, I REALLY HAVE A LOT OF CONCERNS WITH THESE ISSUES HERE THAT HAVE YET TO BE RESOLVED, ESPECIALLY WHEN WE KNOW WHEN THE TIMELINE HAS BEEN THAT YOU GUYS ARE GOING TO LEAVE, WE CONTINUE TO PUSH DATES BACK.
AND LIKE YOU SAID, YOU KNOW, IN PREVIOUS MEETINGS, IF WE DON'T TAKE CARE OF THESE ISSUES NOW, WE NOW PROLONG THE ABILITY TO GET A BOND RATING BACK ANOTHER YEAR, WHICH MEANS FUTURE CAPITAL INVESTMENT IS GONNA GET PUSHED BACK ANOTHER YEAR.
UM, SO I'LL SAVE YOU SOME OTHER COMMENTS, UM, LATER.
I THINK I SAW COUNCILOR JOYNER AND COUNCILOR DENTON.
DID YOU HAVE YOUR LIGHT ON? MM-HMM.
YEAH, I, I WOULD LIKE TO ECHO, UM, MAYOR PARTON'S COMMENTS ABOUT SOME QUOTES ON SERVICES TO, UM, A LITTLE BUG.
THE BUG IS, YEAH, IT WAS FLYING AROUND ME EARLIER, WHICH IS WHY I KEPT GOING LIKE THIS AND TRYING TO GRACEFULLY DO IT WITHOUT ANYONE SEEING IT
UM, BUT, UM, I, I, I WOULD ECHO HIS COMMENTS IN THAT I, I'M CONCERNED THAT WITHOUT SOME OVERSIGHT THAT WE ARE GOING TO MISS A LOT OF THESE TRIGGERS AND THAT WE ARE GOING TO REGRESS.
AND THAT'S THE LAST THING WE WANT TO DO.
UH, PARTICULARLY WHEN WE ARE STILL, WE STILL DON'T HAVE THAT 2020 AUDIT YET.
AND THERE'S SO MANY OTHER THINGS TO DO.
I MEAN, I'M VERY CONCERNED ABOUT OUR 2025 AUDIT WITH SOME OF THESE, YOU KNOW, IF WE DON'T MAKE THESE THESE DEADLINES BY DECEMBER, WHAT IS THAT GONNA DO TO OUR 2025 AUDIT? UM, SO I, I WOULD LIKE TO SEE SOME QUOTES FOR SOME SERVICES, SOME OVERSIGHT SERVICES.
UM, BUT I WANTED TO ALSO COMBINE A THANK YOU FOR ALL THAT YOU HAVE DONE BECAUSE YOU REALLY, WE WERE, WE WERE ON THE PRECIPICE AND, UH, YOU SAVED US FROM FALLING OFF THE CLIFF.
AND I WANNA SAY THANK YOU FOR ALL Y'ALL HAVE DONE.
UH, COUNCILOR DENTON, WELL, I HAVE TO SMILE WHEN MR. BOB SAID THERE HAS TO BE A LOT OF LOVE IN HOPEWELL, AND YES, THERE IS.
UM, I HAVE A LOT OF LOVE FOR THE CITY.
AND I REMEMBER A YEAR AGO WHEN YOU ALL CAME, AND I THINK AT THAT TIME I WAS THINKING, I CAN'T SPEAK FOR ANYBODY ELSE, BUT I WAS THINKING, OKAY, HERE COMES THE ARMY.
THEY'RE GOING TO COME IN HERE, GET THESE KRAS AND YOU KNOW, THE ANNUAL REPORTS THAT WE'RE BEHIND AND WE ARE GOING TO BE IN GREAT SHAPE.
WELL, I MADE A REMARK THAT NIGHT TO MR. REAGAN.
I DON'T KNOW IF HE REMEMBERS THAT REMARK OR NOT.
I SAID, IT SOUNDS KIND SIMPLE, BUT I DON'T KNOW WHERE THE GOOD STARTING POINT IS GOING TO BE BECAUSE WE WERE SO FAR BEHIND THAT WE HAD NO GOOD NUMBERS TO START WITH.
AND LO AND BEHOLD, AS SOON AS YOU ALL GOT STARTED, WE HAD AN AVALANCHE AND WE SAW WE HAD MORE THAN JUST THE CAPRA PROBLEM.
WE HAD A MAJOR PROBLEM FINANCES THROUGHOUT THE WHOLE CITY.
SO WHAT WE THOUGHT WAS GONNA BE A SIMPLE FIX, I DID.
I THOUGHT WE GOT THE, THE ARMY HERE, WE CAN GET THIS DONE.
TURNED OUT TO BE MUCH MORE COMPLICATED THAN I EVER THOUGHT IT WOULD BE.
I AM VERY THANKFUL FOR YOU ALL.
YOU'VE CAME IN, YOU HAVE HELPED US, ESPECIALLY WITH INDUSTRY.
I CANNOT THANK YOU ENOUGH BECAUSE THEY ARE VERY, VERY IMPORTANT TO OUR CITY AND WE RELY ON THEM AND HAVE FOR MANY YEARS.
[01:15:01]
HOPE THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE CITY AND INDUSTRY WILL CONTINUE TO GROW.I HOPE WE CAN SOLVE OUR DIFFICULTIES.
ONE OF THE THINGS I DID NOTICE, YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT THE AMENDMENT, THE AMENDMENT THAT WAS COMING UP OR WE HAD NOT GOTTEN YET, BUT WE DON'T, WE HAVE A CONTRACT THAT EXPIRES ON JUNE THE 30TH OF 2025.
WE DO THE AMENDMENT, WE HAVE GOTTEN A COPY OF.
SO WE NEGOTIATED THAT AMENDMENT AND IT'S JUST GOING THROUGH THE RED LINE PROCESS.
WHAT WAS CONCERNING TO ME IS THAT WE HAD SOME SILENCE THERE FOR A LITTLE WHILE.
SO I WAS HAPPY WHEN WE GOT THE PHONE CALL BACK THIS WEEK.
WHAT'S GOING ON NOW IS THE REDLINE PROCESS BACK AND FORTH, RIGHT? BUT LET'S SAY THAT ADVANCE X IS DOING THEIR JOB OF MOVING IT THROUGH THE REDLINE PROCESS WITHIN ALL THE INDUSTRY PARTNERS, AND IT COMES OVER TO THE CITY FOR THEIR REDLINE AND THERE'S NO LEGAL COUNSEL AND THAT KIND OF THUMPS, RIGHT? AND NO ONE'S FOLLOWING UP ON IT, IT CAN DIE THERE, RIGHT? SO WE JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE PROMPT AND WE'RE RESPONSIVE AND WE'RE GETTING BACK AND WE'RE MANAGING THAT PROCESS.
BECAUSE IF YOU LOOK AT IT, WHERE ARE WE? JUNE, JULY, AUGUST, SEPTEMBER, OCTOBER.
WE'RE FIVE, SORRY, FOUR MONTHS.
I STARTING IN JULY FROM WHEN WE HAD THE ORIGINAL MARKUP.
YOU ONLY HAVE THREE MORE LEFT BEFORE AS YOU ACCEPT, YOU KNOW, THE AGREEMENT EXPIRES.
SO I KNOW THAT SEEMS LIKE NINE MONTHS, NO BIG DEAL.
OKAY? BECAUSE THAT, THAT, THAT CONCERNS ME.
'CAUSE I THINK THEY'VE BEEN SORT OF AGREEABLE DURING ALL THIS, BUT WE ARE GONNA HAVE SOME, I THINK, TOUGH NEGOTIATIONS AND COMING UP AND GOING, AND IT'S GOING TO BE VERY IMPORTANT FOR OUR CITY, I THINK.
AND THIS IS JUST HEATHER NESS, OPINING THE THINGS THAT THEY'RE LOOKING AT DOING IS JUST PUTTING IN SOME CONTROL SO THAT THERE'S NO SURPRISES.
SO IF THAT MAINTAINS, I'M HOPEFUL THAT IT WILL BE AN EASY NEGOTIATION.
BUT THAT BEING SAID, WHEN THOSE CONTROLS ARE PUT IN PLACE, THE CITY ALSO HAS TO FOLLOW THROUGH ON THOSE PIECES.
OR THERE'S PROBABLY GOING TO BE SOME PENALTY TO THAT.
SO JUST, YOU KNOW, IT'S NOT ENOUGH TO SIGN THE AGREEMENT.
IT'S ALSO, IT'S JUST LIKE I'M SAYING TO YOU HERE AS WE PULL OUTTA THE FIELD, HERE'S YOUR TRIGGERS.
HERE ARE THE THINGS THAT HAVE TO BE ON YOUR MONITORING SPREADSHEET THAT, YOU KNOW, AS BOB CORRECTLY STATED, SHOULD BE IN YOUR FINANCIAL COMMITTEE MEETINGS.
SAME THING'S GOING ON WITH THE INDUSTRY.
SO ONCE THAT AMENDMENT IS NEGOTIATED, YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE SOME CONTROLS AND SOME REPERCUSSIONS.
SO JUST MAKE SURE THAT YOU'RE MEETING THOSE DEADLINES, THAT YOU'RE MEETING THOSE CONTROLS THAT ARE GOING TO BE NEGOTIATED.
'CAUSE YOU CAN'T HAVE THOSE SLIP.
WELL, UNFORTUNATELY I'M NOT GOING TO BE HERE TO, TO FOLLOW UP WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN, BUT, UM, I WILL BE WATCHING, BELIEVE ME, I WILL BE WATCHING, I KNOW MR. BOB KNOWS THAT I'M GONNA BE HAVING AN EYE ON THE CITY AND, UM, BECAUSE IT IS MY CITY, SO I'M, I TAKE IT PERSONAL.
SO I DO, AGAIN, THANK YOU ALL FOR WHAT YOU'VE DONE, AND I DID TALK TO ONE DIRECTOR OFF THE RECORD AND SAID, HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT US MOVING FORWARD WHEN THE BOB GROUP IS GONE? AND THE RESPONSE WAS, I THINK WE CAN DO IT IF WE ALL PULL TOGETHER AS A TEAM AND WORK TOGETHER, AND THAT INCLUDES COUNCIL, WE'VE GOT TO WORK TOGETHER AS A TEAM AND WE CAN DO WHAT YOU ALL HAVE LAID OUT FOR US TO DO.
ALRIGHT, ARE THERE ANY OTHER COMMENTS? UH, COUNCILOR PELLUM, I KNOW YOU'RE ONLINE.
UH, HEARING NONE, UM, IN GETTING, YOU KNOW, JUST HITTING BACK HOME ON SOME OF THE ITEMS. UM, I THINK TO ENSURE, YOU KNOW, THAT WE, YOU KNOW, THAT THE CITY MANAGER AND THE TEAM, YOU KNOW, ACTUALLY IMPLEMENTS THESE.
UM, DO I HAVE A MOTION TO DIRECT THE CITY MANAGER TO COMPLETE THE RECONCILIATION, UH, PROCESS BY NOVEMBER 19TH AND PRESENT THE RESULTS AT THE NOVEMBER FINANCE COMMITTEE AS PRESENTED ON PAGE 16 OF THE ROBERT BOB REPORT? EXCUSE ME, FOR THE BANK RECONCILIATION MANAGER IMPLEMENTATION
[01:20:03]
SUMMARY.UH, COUNCILLOR HOLLOWAY CLARIFICATION WITH THE CITY MANAGER.
THIS, WHAT'S THE QUESTION? I'M TRYING TO GET CLARIFICATION ALSO, IN YOUR OPINION.
UH, MAY I SPEAK TO MAYOR? YEAH.
RIGHT AFTER, UH, COUNCILOR HOLLOWAY.
IT'S TO MY UNDERSTANDING THAT THE CFO HAS INDICATED THAT, THAT THE, THE TREASURER IS ON TRACK WITH, UH, RECONCILING, UH, THE MASTER ACCOUNT.
THEY HAVE COMPLETED JULY, THEY'RE OFF THERE, THEY ARE WORKING ON AUGUST.
AND I THINK THAT WAS AN INTERNAL, UM, DATE OF NOVEMBER 19TH THAT THE CFO BELIEVED THAT IT COULD BE COMPLETED BY AND PRESENTED TO.
SO THAT IS THE DATE THAT I LEFT WITH THE ROBERT BOB GROUP AS OUR INTERNAL, UM, DATE THAT WE ARE SHOOTING FOR.
RIGHT? SO NOW THAT'S ASSUMING THAT THERE'S NO HICCUPS OR ANY ISSUES, BUT THAT'S WHAT WE BELIEVE WE COULD POSSIBLY HAVE EVERYTHING RECONCILED BY.
NOW, THIS PROCESS, DOES IT INCLUDE THE TREASURER'S OFFICE? YES, IT DOES.
SO HOW CAN WE LEAD A RESPONSIBILITY ON THE CITY MANAGER IF WE DON'T HAVE CONTROL OF THE TREASURER'S OFFICE? THE CFO HAS BEEN WORKING CLOSELY WITH THE TREASURER'S OFFICE SO FAR, BEEN ABLE TO RECONCILE JULY WITH NO PROBLEM.
BUT I DON'T, SO WE, WE EXPECT TO CONTINUE, BUT I, I REALLY CAN'T ANSWER IT.
SO I DON'T, I DON'T SEE WHY WE WOULD PUT A VOTING IN TO MAKE THE CITY MANAGER RESPONSIBLE OVER SOMETHING THAT, GOD FORBID, BUT THAT THE CITY TREASURER'S OFFICE ALSO HAS A RESPONSIBILITY OVER A FINANCIAL OFFICE.
COULD YOU HAVE AN EXPLANATION? I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE NOT TARGETING OUR RESPONSIBILITY SOLELY ON THE CITY MANAGER.
THAT'S A SPLIT DUTY BETWEEN, UM, THE TREASURER'S OFFICE THAT WE WON'T HAVE CONTROL OVER.
MEMBERS OF COUNCIL, SO THE TREASURER'S OFFICE AND MYSELF, UH, MS. SHANNON AND MS. NIKA, WE HAVE BEEN WORKING VERY CLOSE TOGETHER TO ENSURE THAT WE'RE STAYING ON TRACK WITH THE BANK REC RECONCILI RECONCILIATION MANAGER.
THAT IS NOT ONLY ON THE MASTER ACCOUNT, IT'S ON EVERY SINGLE ACCOUNT THAT THE CITY HAS AS OF RIGHT NOW.
I WANT TO SAY MONDAY, YESTERDAY WAS THE COMPLETION DATE.
SO WE HAVE AN INTERNAL TAR TARGET WHEN WE HAVE OUR WEEKLY MEETINGS TO MAKE THIS STUFF HAPPEN NEXT WEEK.
SHE'LL BE WORKING ON SEPTEMBER, AND THEN THE CITY WILL BE CUT UP, CAUGHT UP FOR JULY, AUGUST AND SEPTEMBER.
THE INTERNAL DISCUSSION WE HAD WAS, I WOULD LOVE FOR FINANCE AND THE TREASURER'S DEPARTMENT TO COME BACK AT THE NOVEMBER 19TH FINANCE COMMITTEE TO SAY THAT THIS HAS BEEN COMPLETED.
SO FOR CLARIFICATION THOUGH, MM-HMM.
THAT ELIMINATE ANYTHING THAT YOU ALL CAN DO, UM, IT'S NICE TO THINK THAT HAVE WORK, RIGHT? THAT'S TOGETHER.
THAT'S THE, THAT'S THE THOUGHT.
BUT I CAN'T SEE US TARGETING THE, THE CITY MANAGER WITH THE RESPONSIBILITY.
IF THE TREASURER SAYS THE DAY OF TOMORROW, I'M NOT GONNA DO IT UNTIL, YOU KNOW, A COUPLE WEEKS FROM NOW OR WHATEVER.
I BELIEVE, UM, HER SHANNON'S TEAM WANTS TO COMPLETE THIS.
UM, BUT I DO UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU'RE SAYING.
SHE, DR. BAKER HAS NO OVERSIGHT.
UM, SO I DON'T SEE WHY WE WOULD AS A CITY COUNCIL SOLELY ON THE CITY MANAGER.
AND I'LL RESPECTFULLY DISAGREE BECAUSE WE DO HAVE A MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING FROM THE TREASURER'S OFFICE, AND AS WE'VE SEEN IN THIS REPORT, WE'VE ALREADY HAD WHAT, SEVEN TARGETED MISSTATES, UH, WITH MULTIPLE DELAYS.
SO, UH, YOU KNOW, A MOTION WILL STILL END UP STANDING, UH, FOR A VOTE.
UH, COUNCILOR PELLUM? YES, SIR.
UM, I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO SAY THAT THANK YOU TO THE ROB BOB GROUP, ALL THE WORK YOU'VE DONE, I HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO SET IN TO BE A PART OF TWO OF THE SESSIONS FOR SOPS THAT WERE, THAT WERE WORKED ON WITH THE DEPARTMENTS AS WELL AS YOUR GROUP.
AND THE YOUNG LADIES THAT PRESENTED WERE PRETTY OUTSTANDING AND, UH, IN GALVANIZING THAT TO BE, UH, ON SYNC WITH THE STANDARDS THAT WE THEY HAVE TO UPKEEP IN THE FUTURE.
BUT WITH THAT, THAT WAS WITH THE CPMT.
[01:25:01]
ALL THE TRAINING THAT I WENT TO, I FORGOT TO ASK, IS THERE A SPECIAL SOP FOR THIS SPECIAL WELFARE ACCOUNT FOR THE SOCIAL SERVICES? AND IF, IF NOT, UH, CAN, CAN THAT BE LOOKED AT TO MAKE SURE THAT THE MONIES THAT GOES INTO THAT ACCOUNT ARE DISPENSED IN A, IN AN ACCURATE WAY? IN A, SO, COUNCILLOR PELLUM, THIS IS CHRISTIE.WE ACTUALLY DO HAVE A SPECIAL WELFARE SOP AND THE TRAINING IS ON THURSDAY.
OH, WHAT TIME IS THAT? UH, I DON'T HAVE MY CALENDAR IN FRONT OF ME, BUT WE CAN GET IT BACK TO YOU AND LET YOU KNOW.
OH, I, I WOULD LIKE, I WOULD LIKE TO, WHICH ONE IS IT? YEAH, I, SPECIAL WELFARE.
SPECIAL WELFARE IS AT 3:00 PM IN THE SALLY POINT CONFERENCE ROOM.
IT'S, IT'S A 3:00 PM IN THE CONFERENCE.
THE NEW CONFERENCE ROOM THAT'S RIGHT OFF THE PARKING LOT.
I I, I WOULD LIKE TO BE A PART OF THAT.
THAT'S ALWAYS BEEN A SPECIAL ACCOUNT FOR ME AND
AND SO I'LL SEE YOU THREE O'CLOCK ON THURSDAY THEN.
YOU ARE THE ONE THAT GAVE THE TRAINING, CORRECT? UH, MYSELF AND LICE TOGETHER.
WE, THE TWO OF US DID IT TOGETHER.
SO A QUESTION TO WAIT, WAIT, WAIT, WAIT.
SO MAYBE THERE'S AN OPPORTUNITY SAY THAT THEORUM MINIMUM OF RANDOM OF AGREEMENT THAT I REMEMBERED THAT WE MAY COULD EXPIRE AGAIN AT ANY TIME.
I JUST, THAT'S WHAT WE WERE JUST TALKING ABOUT.
SO IT CAN, IT CAN I STILL COUNSEL? IIII, I STILL COME TO SAY THE SAME THING AGAIN, WE ARE THE, THE RES I I THINK IF WE, IF A MOTION IS GOING TO BE PUT INTO PLACE FOR THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE CITY MANAGER, IT SHOULD BE ONLY TO THE THINGS THAT SHE WOULD HAVE THE CONTROL OF.
AGAIN, NOT THE THINGS THAT THE TREASURER'S OFFICE HAD CONTROL OF.
I DON'T SEE HOW WE WOULD MAKE A MOTION TO DO THAT.
BUT AGAIN, I THINK A MEMORANDUM OF AGREEMENT IS LIMITED IN CONTEXT TO WHAT YOU CAN SUPERVISE IN THAT AGREEMENT.
HAVING THE ACCOUNTANT, BUT NOT THE WHOLE RECONCILIATION.
AND ALSO, I JUST WANTED TO SAY THAT THERE IS A, UH, REQUESTED PUBLIC HEARING THAT WAS ADOPTED BY THE CONSENT AGENDA TODAY THAT WOULD GIVE THE POSSIBILITY TO HAVE DR.
MAKER OVERSEE THAT PROCESS IF COUNSEL PASSES IT.
I WOULD SAY WE CAN JUST ONE MORE THING TO ADD ON THAT.
SO SOMEONE'S GOTTA HAVE THE BALL, SOMEONE'S GOTTA BE ON FIRST.
AND, YOU KNOW, I THINK WHAT WAS JUST SAID IS TRUE WITH THE M-O-A-M-O-A IF COUNSEL HAS THE ABILITY TO MAKE SOME ADJUSTMENTS AND PUSH THINGS THROUGH.
SO, NO, THAT'S, THAT'S, SO THAT'S WHAT MY STATEMENT WOULD'VE BEEN.
SO IF WE PUT SOMETHING IN PLACE TO MAKE IT SO THAT WE HAVE THE AUTHORITY TO MAKE THE, THAT SHE CAN HAVE THAT AUTHORITY, THEN THAT'D BE ONE THING.
BUT WITHOUT US PUTTING SOMETHING IN PLACE FIRST FOR HER TO HAVE THAT AUTHORITY, WE CAN'T SINGULARLY ASK HER TO BE RESPONSIBLE WITH SOMETHING SHE HASN'T HAD AUTHORITY OVER YET.
WE HAVE IT ON HERE FOR THE CHARTER CHANGE, BUT WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT IS FOR THE CITY'S PORTION OF EVERYTHING THAT WE'VE GOTTA DO HERE, THIS IS THE RESPONSIBILITY OF, YOU KNOW, DR.
MAN TO IMPLEMENT AND COMPLETE, IF THE TREASURER DOESN'T DO HER PART, THEN SHE DOESN'T DO HER PART.
UM, WELL THEN THAT WILL TRIGGER YOUR ACTION.
SO, YOU KNOW, SOMEONE'S GOTTA HAVE THE BALL TO FOLLOW IT THROUGH.
MAKE CAN BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE CITY'S PORTION OF IT.
AND IF TREASURY DOESN'T DO A PORTION OF WHICH WE HAVE NO INDICATION RIGHT NOW, BY THE WAY.
THEN THE, THEN CITY COUNCIL CAN THEN TRIGGER THAT'S WHAT, BUT YOU GOTTA WORK YOUR WAY DOWN, SORT OF THE LIE.
THAT WE MAKE THE RESPONSIBILITY SPECIFIC TO WHAT SHE HAS THE RESPONSIBILITY OVER, NOT NAME WHAT SHE DOESN'T HAVE RESPONSIBILITY OF.
UH, COUNSEL COUNCILOR HARRIS, I'M JUST TRYING TO GET AN UNDERSTANDING AS A MOTION AND GONNA ALLOW A LOT OF DIAL DIALOGUE, BUT, UM, WHAT IS THE MOTION? SO IT IS TO COMPLETE THE NEXT STEPS THAT ARE MARKED ON PAGE 16.
IT'S A COMPLETE RECONCILIATIONS FOR THE BANK RECONCILIATION MANAGER IMPLEMENTATION BY TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 19TH, AND PRESENT RESULTS AT THE NOVEMBER FINANCE COMMITTEE MEETING.
AND IT'S FOR AND FOR CONTEXT IT IS FOR THE CITY'S PORTION.
FOR THE CITY'S PORTION AT THE RIGHT.
SO IN REFERENCE TO WHAT COUNCILOR HOLLOWAY WAS SAYING ABOUT THE TREASURER'S PORTION, CORRECT? YEAH.
I MEAN, WE DON'T HAVE, YOU KNOW, IF
[01:30:01]
WE, YOU KNOW, DON'T HAVE INFLUENCE OVER IT, WE DON'T HAVE INFLUENCE OVER IT, BUT IF IT'S NOT DONE, LIKE MS. NEST SAID, IT'S GOING TO END UP, YOU KNOW, GOING TO OUR TRIGGERS THAT WE HAVE IN OUR POLICIES AND PROCEDURES.SO THE MOTION, UH, THE, UH, WE'RE IN THE MIDDLE OF ROLL CALL.
AND THEN MY LAST THING IS, UM, DO I HAVE A MOTION TO DIRECT THE CITY MANAGER TO IMPLEMENT A TRACKING SYSTEM TO TRACK THE PROGRESS OF THE TRANSITION PLAN AS OUTLINED BY THE ROBERT BOB ROUTE? SIR MAYOR, SO MOVED.
SHE DIDN'T CALL MY NAME AND I DIDN'T GET THE CHECK.
I KNOW, BUT I STILL HAD THE FLOOR FROM THE ORIGINAL MOTION.
I HADN'T, UH, RELIEVED IT YET.
MOTION'S BEEN MADE BY COUNCILLOR PAL AND SECONDED BY COUNCILOR JOINER.
IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION? WHAT MOTION? GIVE US A TO DIRECT THE CITY MANAGER TO IMPLEMENT A TRACKING SYSTEM TO PRO TO, UM, TRACK PROGRESS OF THE TRANSITION PLAN AS OUTLINED BY THE ROBERT BOB GROUP.
I WANT TO CHALLENGE THE MAYOR, UH, FOR LEGAL POLICE BECAUSE THE MOTION WAS CALLED ROLL CALL WAS CALLED, MY NAME WAS SKIPPED WITH THE ROLL CALL ON THE FIRST MOTION.
UH, MS. BURTON, MY, THEY, THEY WERE CALLING THE, THEY WERE CALLING THE ROLL CALL.
THE MAYOR WAS AWARE OF THAT, AND MY NAME NEVER GOT CALLED FOR THE VOTE.
WHAT DO WE DO IN THAT CASE? CLERK FAILED.
YOU JUST WANNA DO A REVO, DO A REVOTE.
OH, UH, DO ANOTHER, UH, REVOTE PLEASE.
YEAH, I HAVE THE MOTION REREAD.
I DON'T, I DON'T HAVE THE, THE LANGUAGE PRECISELY TO WHAT THAT MOTION WAS FOR THE MOTION PRIOR TO THE, SO THE MOTION IS TO CHARGE THE CITY MANAGER TO COMPLETE THE RECONCILIATIONS FOR THE BANK MANAGER, MANAGER, IMPLEMENT RECONCILIATION MANAGER IMPLEMENTATION BY TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 19TH.
AND TO PRESENT THE RESULTS AT THE NOVEMBER FINANCE COMMITTEE MEETING FOR THE CITY'S PORTION.
IT'S APPROPRIATE FOR DISCUSSION DURING THE REVOTE FOR THIS.
PLEASE CAN'T, WE CAN'T HEAR WHAT? EXCUSE ME.
WHO WOULD COUNCILLOR HARRIS? YES.
CAN YOU UNMUTE COUNCILOR PELLUM? WE'RE ASKING HER TO UNMUTE.
NOW GOING TO THE MOTION TO DIRECT THE CITY MANAGER TO IMPLEMENT A TRACKING SYSTEM TO PRO TO TRACK THE PROGRESS OF THE TRANSITION.
UH, PLAN AS PRESENTED BY THE ROBERT BOB GROUP ALREADY MAKE I MAKE TWO MOTION RIGHT TO MOVE.
COUNCILOR PELLUM HAS MADE THE MOTION, IT'S BEEN SECONDED BY COUNCILOR JOINER.
COUNCILOR HOLLOWAY, CAN YOU, WHAT IS THIS THAT WE REPORT ON? IS THAT JUST THE CLARIFICATION ON THAT? THE ROBERT BOB GROUP HAS RECOMMENDED THE CITY MANAGER TO CREATE A TRACKING SYSTEM TO MONITOR THE PROGRESS OF THE TRANSITION PLAN AND ALL THE OUTSTANDING ITEMS. AND I'M ASKING FOR A MOTION FOR IT.
THE MOTION IS ON THE FLOOR, RIGHT? CORRECT.
YEAH, WE'RE GOING TO ROLL CALL NOW.
[COMMUNICATIONS FROM CITIZENS]
ALRIGHT, UH, MOVING ON TO, UH, COMMUNICATIONS FROM CITIZENS.UH, CAN YOU PLEASE READ THE STATEMENT,
[01:35:15]
MADAM CLERK, YOU READY FOR ME TO READ? YES.COMMUNICATIONS FROM CITIZEN PERIOD LIMITED IN TOTAL TIME TO 30 MINUTES IS PART OF THE ORDER OF BUSINESS.
AT EACH REGULAR COUNCIL MEETING, ALL PERSONS ADDRESSING COUNCIL SHALL APPROACH THE MICROPHONE, GIVE NAME, AND IF THEY RESIDE IN HOPEWELL THEIR WARD NUMBER AND LIMIT COMMENTS TO THREE MINUTES.
NO ONE IS PERMITTED TO SPEAK ON ANY ITEM SCHEDULED FOR CONSIDERATION ON REGULAR AGENDA OF THE MEETING.
ALL REMARKS SHALL BE ADDRESSED TO THE COUNCIL.
AS A BODY, ANY QUESTIONS MUST BE ASKED THROUGH THE PRESIDING OFFICER.
ANY PERSON WHO MAKES PERSONAL IMP PERTINENT, ABUSIVE, OR SLANDEROUS STATEMENTS OR INSIGHTS, DISORDERLY CONDUCT AND COUNCIL CHAMBERS MAY BE BARRED BY THE MAYOR.
FROM FURTHER AUDIENCE BEFORE COUNSEL AND REMOVED FROM SUBJECT TO APPEAL TO A MAJORITY OF COUNSEL, SEA RULES 4 0 5 AND 4 0 6.
UH, THE ONLY PERSON THAT I HAVE SIGNED UP FOR TONIGHT IS LATOYA JENKINS.
UM, YES, I DO LIVE IN HOPEWELL.
I LIVE OFF OF HAMPTON AND GLENDALE.
UM, THIS IS MY FIRST TIME, SO I'M UNFAMILIAR WHAT I NEED TO DO OR SAY.
JUST BASICALLY JUST TELL YOU WHAT MY CONCERN IS.
SO, UM, WHERE MY HOUSE IS SITUATED, WHERE I BOUGHT THE, MY PROPERTY IS AT THE BOTTOM OF A HILL.
SO IT'S LIKE ON A BOWL, RIGHT? SO MY, MY PROPERTY IS LIKE ON THE SIDE OF THE BOWL, AND AT THE BACK OF MY PROPERTY, THERE'S A CREEK THAT GOES WHERE THERE'S A PIPE THAT GOES ON ONE SIDE AND ON THE OTHER SIDE, OF COURSE THERE'S A STREET OVER THIS PIPE.
IT'S A, IT IS A, I DON'T KNOW WHAT SIDE THE PIPE IS, BUT IT'S, IT'S A PIPE THAT GOES TO THE OTHER SIDE OF THE STREET.
WHAT HAPPENS WHEN IT HEAVILY RAINS DEBRIS FROM ALL UPSIDE, THE HILL COMES DOWN, BLOCKS THE PIPE AND WATER FLOODS IN MY BACKYARD.
LIKE IT'S A POOL, NOT EVEN A POOL, LIKE A SMALL LIKE LAKE.
AND THEN IT FLOODS INTO MY HOUSE.
SO I DIDN'T KNOW THIS OF COURSE, WHEN I BOUGHT THE PROPERTY.
AND SO WHEN I FOUND OUT AFTER I BOUGHT THE PROPERTY, I WAS BEING PROACTIVE AND I CAME DOWN TO THE CITY AND I SPOKE TO THE CITY, AND THE CITY SAID THAT IT IS WITHIN THE BUDGET TO GET THIS RECTIFIED.
IT DIDN'T, I REALLY DIDN'T HAVE MUCH OF AN ISSUE.
UM, I WENT AND BOUGHT SANDBAGS BECAUSE I LIKE TO BE PROACTIVE.
UM, AND SO IN JANUARY MY HOUSE FLOODED.
UM, I WAS AT OVER AT WORK, IT WASN'T CAUGHT.
UM, AND MY BASEMENT, I WAS UP TO MY PAST MY ANKLE AND WATER.
SO ME AND MY FAMILY MEMBERS WAS TRYING TO GET THE WATER OUT, BUT OF COURSE BY THEN IT'S TOO LATE.
UM, AND THEN JUST RECENTLY, UM, IN OCTOBER 1ST IT HAPPENED AGAIN, NOT MY HOUSE.
UM, HOWEVER, WHEN I CALLED THE CITY AND I ASKED THE CITY, CAN THEY MOVE THE DEBRIS BECAUSE THEY SAYING THAT IT'S THE CREEK, AND OF COURSE THE BULB, BECAUSE A WHOLE BUNCH OF RAIN AND IT HAS NOWHERE TO GO, IT'S GONNA START RISING, RIGHT? SO I ASKED THEM TO MOVE THE DEBRIS.
AND SO WHAT I GET IS, OH, I LOOKED ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE STREET AND THERE'S WATER COMING OUT.
AND I'M LIKE, WELL, IT'S NOT REALLY COMING OUT IN REGULAR FORCE.
IF THERE'S A BUNCH OF DEBRIS, IT'S ONLY GONNA COME OUT IN A LITTLE BIT.
SO NO ONE MOVES THE DEBRIS THAT COMES DOWN FROM WAY UP TOP OF THE HILL TO COME DOWN IN FRONT OF THIS PIPE.
SO NOW AGAIN, I HAVE TO LEAVE WORK AND SCRAMBLE.
SO THEN AFTER THE WATER ENDS, I TAKE A PICTURE AND I SEND IT IN AND ASK THEM TO MOVE THE DEBRIS.
AND I DO HAVE A PICTURE OF THAT, OF THE DEBRIS THAT'S IN FRONT OF THE PIPE, WHAT THE PIPE SHOULD LOOK LIKE AND WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE WHEN THERE'S DEBRIS IN FRONT OF IT.
SO I DON'T UNDERSTAND IF I'M IN THE BUDGET OR HOUSES LOOKS LIKE THAT, THAT'S IN THE BUDGET OR WHAT.
I JUST GET KIND OF BOUNCED AROUND.
I WAS TOLD TO COME HERE AND PRESENT TO YOU GUYS WHAT THE ISSUES ARE.
WHAT WARD, DO YOU KNOW WHAT WARD YOU'RE IN? UM, I THINK I'M A SIX.
UH, UNLESS WE CHANGE THE BOUNDARIES.
BUT I SPOKE TO MS. JENKINS AND IT WASN'T THE BUDGET FOR THE, UH, PUBLIC WORKS TO DO SOMETHING OR ENGINEERING.
AND IF IT'S TAKEN OUT, UH, WE NEED, I NEED TO KNOW WHY AND, AND WHY DID THEY DO THAT? UH, DR.
AND SO WE NEED TO JUST GET THE YOUNG LADY'S NAME AND FOLLOW UP AND SEE IF IT TO PUT IT BACK IN, WHATEVER WE HAVE TO DO TO PUT IT BACK.
I, I REMEMBER THAT ISSUE WHEN ANOTHER PERSON LIVED THERE.
BUT ANYWAY, I KNOW I WAS INVOLVED AT THAT TIME A COUPLE YEARS BACK,
[01:40:02]
SO I, I COULD TELL YOU COUNCILLOR PALAM, IT'S, UH, IT'S ALMOST SERENDIPITOUS THAT THIS CAME UP, UH, BECAUSE AT OUR NEXT MEETING AGENDA, UH, WE'RE DISCUSSING THE STORM WATER RESILIENCY PLAN.SO WE'LL BE ABLE TO SEE, UM, YOU KNOW, IF THIS PROJECT WAS, UH, IN THERE OR NOT IN THERE.
UM, BUT I DO THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, PUBLIC WORKS NEEDS TO GO OUT THERE, ESPECIALLY IF IT'S CITY INFRASTRUCTURE.
UM, YOU KNOW, IT NEEDS TO, YOU KNOW, SERIOUSLY LOOK AT, UM, YOU KNOW, MR. HARRIS, YOU KNOW, GOING AND CLEARING THE PIPE.
WELL, WHEN THE WATER IS SO FLOODED YOU CAN'T SEE THE PIPE.
BUT IF, IF IT'S STILL BLOCKED THOUGH, YOU KNOW, THE WATER WILL STOP, COME UP AND GO OVER AS THE PATH OF LEAST RESISTANCE.
SO WHAT I'M SAYING IS IT MIGHT STILL BE BLOCKED UNDERNEATH, BUT I, I THINK THAT PUBLIC WORKS NEEDS TO GO OUT THERE AND NEEDS TO COME UP WITH A, UM, A TEMPORARY PLAN.
ANOTHER, IT'S ANOTHER GENTLEMAN.
I THINK WE GOT SOME DOG HAD, UH, COMPLAINED ABOUT THE SAME THING.
I THINK WHERE YOUR PHONE PLEASE THAT IT IS IN I THINK COUNCIL CUMMINS WARD, THERE WAS ANOTHER COMPLAINT ISSUE.
WELL I, WHEN THE LAST TIME ON OCTOBER 1ST THEY SAID THAT, UM, IT'S NOT IN THE BUDGET.
UH, THERE'S NOTHING WE WE CAN DO.
SO THIS IS WHY I'M HERE TODAY.
MAKE SURE YOU MADE YOUR NAME WITH THE YEAH, WITH THE CLERK.
BUT YEAH, WILL YOU JUST GIVE HER YOUR CONTACT INFORMATION, LIKE YOUR CELL PHONE AND EMAIL.
IS THERE ANYONE ELSE THAT WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK THAT DIDN'T SIGN UP TONIGHT?
[REGULAR BUSINESS]
THE SAME.UH, MOVING ON TO REGULAR BUSINESS R ONE, DR MAN, TONIGHT WE HAVE A BUDGET, UM, ASKING COUNCIL FOR A BUDGET, UM, RESOLUTION.
UM, APPROVAL STAFF RECOMMENDS THE FY 25 BUDGET RESOLUTION AMENDMENT TO APPLY YEAR END FUNDS THAT ARE ADHERE TO FINANCIAL POLICIES AND DESIGNATE THE FUNDS TO THE CITY CAPITAL RESERVES, UNASSIGNED FUNDS, ASSIGNED FUNDS, BUDGET STABILIZATION FUNDS AND BUDGET BALANCE ACCOUNT.
I'VE ALSO PROVIDED YOU WITH THE, UH, RE UM, REVIEW OF THE, UM, 24 YEAR END FUNDS AND BUDGET REQUESTS.
UM, THE SNAPSHOT SHOWS THAT WINSTON CHURCH, WELL WE IN, WE HAD SEVEN POINT, UH, $7 MILLION WITH THE CHURCHILL REPAIRS WAS 1.2 PURCHASE OF 1 1 0.
ONE MAP WOOD WITH 1 0 4 2 CSA FUNDS WAS 1 0 8.
AND THEN THE COMMONWEALTH ATTORNEY THAT LEFT A BALANCE OF 5.5 ROUGHLY, AND WE APPLIED THOSE TO THE FISCAL FINANCIAL POLICIES.
AND THERE YOU SEE THE CAPITAL RESERVE FUND, UM, IS 1.5.
THE BUDGET STABILIZATION, WE ADDED 500,000 THERE.
AND THEN THE FUND BALANCE, WE ADDED 500,000.
SO WE DISTRIBUTED THE MONIES THAT WAS LEFT OVER.
AND SO PER, UH, COUNCILOR PELL'S, UH, REQUEST, SHE WANTED TO KNOW WHAT THOSE ASSIGNED FUNDS WERE.
AND SO I HAVE A BREAKDOWN OF THOSE COSTS THAT ARE BELOW.
AND SO THE BREAKDOWN OF THOSE FUNDS ARE THE MARINA COST REPAIRS, THE GRANT, THE MATCH FOR THE GENERATOR, THE DATA INTEGRATORS FUND ANALYSIS AND RECOVERING THE ERP AND THEN THE THREE POSITIONS THAT WERE RECOMMENDED BY THE ROCK BOB GROUP, WHICH IS THE LEGAL ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT ERP ADMINISTRATOR TOO.
AND THEN THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT SPECIALIST.
AND THAT TOTALED UP TO THE 1.5.
AND I JUST ALSO PUT A LITTLE NOTE THERE THAT THE ASSIGNED FUNDS JUST GENERALLY MEAN THAT WE HAVE EARMARKED THOSE FUNDS FOR, UM, WHAT THE CITY PLANS TO USE THAT.
AND SO BEHIND THERE YOU HAVE THE BUDGET RESOLUTION THAT JUST OUTLINED EVERYTHING THAT I'VE INDICATED TO YOU, UM, IN THE RESOLUTION.
AND IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS FOR ABOUT THE RESOLUTION, I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER.
UM, THIS, YOU KNOW, YOU HAVE TO BE COGNIZANT OF THE FACT THAT THOSE POSITIONS THAT YOU ALL, FOR THE POSITIONS THAT YOU'RE ALLOCATING AGAINST THIS MONEY, THIS IS ONE TIME MONEY.
SO HOW ARE YOU GOING TO PROGRAM THAT FOR THE OUT YEARS AGAINST UNKNOWN REVENUE? I MEAN, DID, I MEAN FOR THE FUTURE YEARS? Y'ALL JUST NEED TO BE COGNIZANT OF THAT.
YOU KNOW, YOU PAYING FOR IT FOR ONE TIME WHEN YOU INITIALLY HIRED THE PERSON FOR THE HALF A YEAR.
[01:45:01]
AFTER THAT YOU, YOU, IT HAS TO BE REVENUE PLACED AGAINST IT.IS THERE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE FISCAL YEAR 25 BUDGET RESOLUTION AMENDMENT TO APPLY? OKAY.
THE END OF YEAR FUNDS THAT ADHERE TO A FINANCIAL POLICIES THAT DESIGNATED FUNDS TO CITY'S CAPITAL RESERVES, UNASSIGNED FUNDS, ASSIGNED FUNDS, BUDGET STABILIZATION FUNDS AND FUND BALANCE ACCOUNTS AS PRESENTED.
MOTION WAS MADE BY COUNCILLOR DENTON AND SECONDED BY COUNCILLOR HOLLOWAY.
IS THERE ANY OTHER DISCUSSION? YEAH.
AND THIS, THIS, THIS, UH, PRESENTATION WAS, THAT WAS INPUT FROM THE CFO AS WELL? YES MA'AM.
SHE'S THE ONE THAT PROVIDED THE RECOMMENDATION OF THE BREAKDOWNS FOR, UM, THE DIFFERENT STABILIZATION FUND, FUND BALANCES, ET CETERA.
THE SECOND ITEM FOR COUNCIL CONSIDERATION TONIGHT IS THE ADOPTION OF THE PERSONAL PROPERTY TAX RELIEF.
UH, STAFF RECOMMENDS ADOPTING THE PERSONAL PROPERTY TAX RELIEF ACT RATE FOR THE CITY OF HOPEWELL THAT STANDS FROM JANUARY, 2024 TO DECEMBER, 2025.
UM, AS COUNSEL ADOPTED THEIR, UM, RATES EQUAL TO 16TH, THE P-P-T-R-A IS, UM, 31% RELIEF.
IS THERE A MOTION TO ADOPT THE PERSONAL PROPERTY TAX RELIEF ACT RATE, UH, FOR THE CITY OF HOPEWELL FOR JANUARY, 2024 THROUGH DECEMBER, 2025 AT 31%.
MOTION'S BEEN MADE BY COUNCILLOR HOLLOWAY AND SECONDED BY COUNCILOR HARRIS.
IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION? ALRIGHT, UH, ROLL CALL PLEASE.
IS THERE A MOTION TO ADJOURN? SO BE ALRIGHT.