COMM. 025 - Laserfiche WebLink

Home

Charter Commission -2- February 9, 1979 In this regard, we have changed the duties and responsibilities of some positions and are now in the process of filling the EDP positions and will be using the Water Department' s computer to . process payrolls, personnel and accounting transactions. Eventually, we hope to acquire the use of a more versatile and powerful computer. • There is sufficient flexibility under present laws to make organizational shifts with changing time so that the basic organizational structure can remain. The changes and additions I would recommend are minor procedural ones. These are: • 1. Redefining lapsing of appropriation for capital expen- diture. The proposed amendment (attached) would lapse any unencumbered appropriation at the end of two fiscal years following the fiscal year of the appropriation. Now an appro- priation can remain on the books indefinitely as long as some expenditure of the appropriation was made. 2. Shifting the burden of verifying (instead of certifying) the availability of funds for small purchases and obligations from the director of finance to the respective agency head who should be controlling expenditures from his own appropriations. 3. Adding a centralized purchasing section similar to that of the City and County of Honolulu. It assigns the procurement responsibility to the director of finance, 'but is not intended to take over procurement of contractual services for construction related expenditures . Certain exceptions to advertised bids are also included. These are situations when there is no time to bid-advertise, e.g. , hiring a bulldozer to dig out a fire at the landfill; allowing open-market ,purchases of sums under $500; allowingpurchase of special items such as zoo animals and feed, books and plants; and where the public interest would be served by standardizing technical equipment. I should also like to comment on a few other sections . 1. There appears to be a conflict between the second sen- tence in Sec. 3-12 (Emergency Ordinance) and Sec. 10-8 (Appropria- tions: Supplemental and Emergency) . Sec. 3-12 prohibits use of emergency ordinances to borrow money; yet Sec. 10-8 allows issuance of emergency notes by ordinance. Perhaps legal counsel can clarify this matter to remove the question of authority in the event that such use may be required in the future. 2. Sec. 3-13 (Submission of Bills to Mayor) . The operating and capital budgets are effective July 1; yet a veto by the Mayor may not be overriden by the council until the latter part of July. Some language change or legal opinion is needed to clarify this section as to the effective date of the budget ordinance and which budget applies during the. veto reconsideration period.