Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAbout03/12/1979 . ~8 . ,,8 . r8 . MINUTES HOUSING AUTHORITY OF THE CITY OF SANTA ANA, CALIFORNIA MARCH 12, 1979 The regular meeting of the Housing Authority of the City of Santa Ana was called to order at 2:33 p.m., by Chairman David F. Ortiz in the City Council Chambers, 22 Civic Center Plaza, Santa Ana. Present Absent David F. Ortiz Harry K. Yamamoto Vernon S. Evans John Garthe David L. Brandt James E. Ward Gordon Bricken (arrived when Authority was discussing Item No. 6B). The following persons were also present: Manuel A. Rede, Executive Director B.J. Thompson, City Manager Dan E. Stone, Assistant City Manager Keith L. Gow, City Attorney Diedre Lingenfelter, Clerk of the Council Martha Lee, Deputy Clerk of the Council Mary C. Belmont, Recording Secretary (Absent) (Minutes taken from tape.) The full reading of Minutes of the Regular Meeting of March 12,1979 was waived and they were approved as mailed on the unanimously carried 6:0 motion of Commissioner Brandt, seconded by Commissioner Ward. MINUTES APPROVED The monthly report for the Rental Assistance Program dated March 5, 1979 indicated that 477 of the 613 units authorized by the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) were under lease as of March 1,1979, was received and filed on the unanimously carried 6:0 motion of Commissioner Evans, seconded by Commissioner Brandt. REPORT OF SECRETARY SECTION 8 RENTAL ASSISTANCE PAYMENTS PROGRAM RECEIVED AND FILED A report dated March 8, 1979 and written by Ms. Sharon L. Crommett recommending the Chairman of the Housing Authority to enter into a contract with the Westlands Bank to provide computerized information services and payments to owners, and to direct the City Attorney to prepare a contract for this purpose in accordance with the requirements of the Housing Authority was approved on a 6:0 carried motion by Commissioner Evans, seconded by Commissioner Ward. NEW BUSINESS REPORT: WESTLANDS BANK- HOUSING AUTHORITY INFORMATION SYSTEM Mr. Manuel Rede offered to discuss Item No.6 A & B and to make an oral presentation or just answer the Authority's questions. Chairman Ortiz asked if the Directors had had a chance to review the same report. Mr. Rede commented that all parties involved were informed about the proposed contract. . 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. . 8 . 8 . 8 . Minutes Continued Page Three Chairman Ortiz suggested approval of the temporary contractual ser- vices, but with a time period that a written report (study) be com- pleted sometime in the middle of Mayor so, because the Housing Authority staff did need to have an accountant. Commissioner Bricken made a motion that Item 6B be approved with the understanding that the report (study) be completed during the first week in May, seconded by Commissioner Brandt. ADJOURNMENT At 2:37 p.m., the meeting was adjourned on the unanimously carried 7:0 motion of Commissioner Ward, seconded by Commissioner Evans. ~ D~ id. . Chairman