03/12/1979 - Laserfiche WebLink

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. 8 . 8 . 8 . Minutes Continued Page Two A report dated March 8,1979 and written by Mr. Peter A. Grams recommending approval of the request to contract for temporary accounting services during the vancancy period of Account Clerk II position was approved on a 7:0 (Commissioner Bricken walked in) carried motion of Commissioner Bricken, seconded by Commissioner Brandt, with the requirement that a study report on the subject be completed by the first week of May, 1979. NEW BUSINESS REQUEST FOR CONTRACTUAL SERVICES - ACCOUNTING SECTION Commissioner Ward commented that he understood the situation of the accounting personnel and that it\needed to be rectified, but he could not understand why 1) staff could not procede and recruit for personnel to do the accounting services; and 2) why Mr. Rede was not answering the questions about working with the Finance Department in solving this situation. Chairman Ortiz called on Mr. Rede to comment. Mr. Rede stated that there was an urgent need in the accounting area in the Housing Authority. The Commission, in prior Housing Authority meetings, had asked staff to study their capabilities in the accounting section. Staff is requesting authority to hire an accounting person, under contract, for the next few weeks in order to have a bench audit (classification study) made of that position. The study will help determine what recommendations to make to the Commission regarding the best means of addressing needs in the areas of accounting. Commissioner Ortiz asked approximately how long it would be a temporary contractual service. Mr. Rede stated that it would be about four to six weeks. The Personnel Director has been apprised of the problem and he is ready to schedule some manpower to do the study for the Housing Authority. Mr. Rede stated that he thought that staff would be able to finish the classification study a little bit earlier than what was indicated on the report. Commissioner Ward commented that the report was fine and that that was what the Commission would want, but he believed that the Commission was told, or someone brought it to his attention, on January 2,1979, about the same accounting personnel problem, and still staff had not taken any action on the accounting area. Staff had still not answered why the Finance Department does not provide the accounting services. Mr. Rede commented that at present, the Housing Authority's location at 902 N. Main creates a problem of logistics in handling the information between there and the City's financial accounting system, which is located at City Hall. Mr. Rede stated that as soon as we are able to bring the Housing Authority staff back to City Hall, the idea of integrating the two accounting systems would be much more feasible. It is just a matter of handling information at two different locations, and as discussions with the Finance Director indicate, the situation does not lend itself right now to the blending of these two activities. Commissioner Ward asked the Chairman about the contractual services- what type of people or who would be providing the services. The Chairman called on Mr. Rede to comment. Mr. Rede stated that they were hoping to bring in someone from a temporary accounting/bookkeeping agency where they would send only one individual to take up the slack until the study was completed. Mr. Rede commented that they did have another problem in the above mentioned area- that there are only two account clerks that are doing the bookkeeping and reports at this time. As the written re- port indicates, one has given "Notice of Termination" and the other one will soon be taking "Maternity Leave", which compounds the problem. So we desperately need to hire someone soon.