Compliance Report 1982 - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Search

Own VIIIN The Honorable Benjamin Benson and Members of the City Council February 16, 1982 Page Three expenses which may be incurred while engaging in City business. Minnesota Statutes do not provide for this type of unaccounted for expense allowance, and, therefore, this practice should be discontinued. We recommend that when expenses are incurred by members of the City Council, itemized claims supported by receipts be submitted for reimbursement, as provided for in Minn. Stat. Sec. 412.271. Public Hearing Minutes Interviews with City officials and staff verified the petitioners' complaint that the minutes of the public hearing regarding a sewer project held on May 27, 1981 and continued on July 15, 1981 may be incomplete. This hearing commenced at City Hall, but because of a large turnout the hearing was moved to the church. The City Clerk stated that the tape recorder was tested at City Hall prior to the hearing and was in good working order, but when the equipment was used at the church the recorder malfunctioned. Auditors were told that the minutes of these hearings were recon- structed from recollections of the City Council and staff. The official minutes of Council proceedings are not signed by the Mayor as required by Lino Lakes City Ordinance Number 20, Rule 26. The minutes, as bound in the official minutes book, contain many typographical errors and are abbreviated to the point that in some cases the essence and intent of what happened is lost or cannot be accurately discerned. We recommend that the City Clerk proofread the typed minutes and compare them to the tape recording prior to submitting them for City Council approval and the Mayor's signature. In addition, we noted that in at least one instance contract bid estimates were opened and the official minutes did not identify the bidders' names but only the amounts. Further, the minutes of this same meeting disclosed only the name of the successful bidder and not the bid amount, thus making it impossible for the reader to determine whether the lowest responsible bid was accepted. We recommend that the minutes of the official Council proceedings include the bidders' names and amounts of their bids. Also, when the successful bidder is determined by the Council, the minutes should reflect clearly the bidder's name and the amount of the bid. If the lowest bid is not accepted, the minutes should also state the reasons for rejecting the lowest bid and accepting a higher bid.