Commission asks finance staff to clarify auditor memo about added services and timing

Commissioners raised concerns about a draft memo from the city auditor proposing deeper review of several finance items and estimating additional fees. The memo, presented under regular business, included a notional estimate in the low‑to‑mid tens of thousands of dollars for supplemental services.

Finance Director Chantel Pierre told the commission the ACFR work is underway and that staff are responding to auditor requests; she said she could not commit to whether the auditor could finalize the ACFR by June 30 without speaking directly with the auditor. "The ACFR is prepared by our auditor and we're currently in the auditing process at this time. We're at the tail end of it," Pierre said during the meeting.

Commissioners asked for immediate clarification: whether the additional procedures were truly outside the original audit scope, whether they were necessary to meet the statutory filing deadline, and what the precise cost would be. Several commissioners noted the city manager has spending authority under $25,000 and said they supported staff quickly confirming whether the additional work was essential to meet the deadline.

Finance staff committed to contact the auditor and return to the commission with a clear explanation of services, timeline and cost. The commission did not approve additional funds in the meeting; commissioners emphasized speed of clarification so the city can meet the state filing deadline if required.

The discussion underscores the timing pressure on finance staff: the ACFR and several grants (including ARPA allocations) carry reporting deadlines tied to compliance and potential loss of funds if missed.