10-27-04 Personnel & Finance, Public Works and Property Vacation

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Joint Meeting of the Personnel and Finance Committee and the Public Works and Property Vacation Committee The October 27, 2004 joint meeting of the Personnel and Finance Committee and the Public Works and Property Vacation Committee was called to order by the Chairperson of the Public Works and Property Vacation Committee,Dr. David Varner at 4:00 p.m. Persons in attendance included Council Members Kelly, Varner, and Puzzello, Mayor Stephen J. Luecke, City Clerk John Voorde, Park Superintendent Phil St. Clair, Public Works Director Gary Gilot, Community and Economic Development Executive Director Sharon Kendall, City Attorney Charles Leone, City Controller Frederick B. 011ett, III, Manager of Secretarial Services Mary Ann Myers, Director of Communications and Special Projects Mikki Dobski Shidler and Kathleen Cekanski-Farrand, Council Attorney. Dr. Varner noted that the joint committee meeting was called so that Fort Wayne Council Member Donald J. Schmidt could discuss the Ft. Wayne policies and procedures addressing purchasing and the role of the Council. Dr. Varner noted that on September 8, 2004, Council Members Puzzello,Kirsits and himself went with the Council Attorney and met with the Director of Purchasing for the City of Fort Wayne Mr. James Howard. Some of the concerns expressed by the Council include items which have gotten past the Common Council without any timely notice. Purchasing is controlled currently by the Board of Public Works where few people from the public are involved, and a forum where the Tribune goes infrequently. The process used in Fort Wayne includes the Council and provides a great opportunity to get information out for and to the public. The digest page used by Fort Wayne provides a timeline of information on purchases and specifically includes the Council when an anticipated purchase is over$100,000. Dr. Varner then welcomed the 2nd District Council Member from Fort Wayne Donald J. Schmidt, noting that he was served on the Council since 1971 and is also an Assistant Professor of Mechanical Engineering Technology at Indiana-Purdue University in Fort Wayne. He then passed out a packet of information which summarizes the Fort Wayne process, which includes portions of the Fort Wayne ordinance and the supporting state law. (copies attached) Council Member Schmidt welcomed the opportunity to meet today. He noted that the current policies which include a requirement for Common Council approval where an anticipated purchase would exceed $100,000 has been in effect since 1991. He noted that the process evolved from being loose to forma,and works for the betterment of Fort Wayne. Council Member Schmidt stated that Fort Wayne's Purchasing Director is Jim Howard. He is an attorney who has run the department very efficiently, having worked in the City Attorney's Office previously and being placed in this position after the former director had difficulties. Since 1971 the Common Council approved all expenditures by ordinance of$5,000 or more. This amount was later amended to $25,000 which lasted for about fifteen (15) years. He noted that Fort Wayne began having allot of consultants incurring large expenditures, which many Council Members believed to be an unwise policy. Council approval is now required for consultants since it is believed that if the process works well for other expenditures it would October 27,2004 Joint Meeting of the Personnel and Finance Committee&the Public Works and Property Vacation Committee-1