[Special City Council on April 26, 2023. ]
[00:00:07]
JOEY, ARE WE ON? LIVE BACK? WE SHOULD STOP BY.AND JUDGE, THANKS FOR COMING TODAY.
UH, WE'RE GONNA CALL THE MEETING TO ORDER THE SEDONA CITY COUNCIL.
UH, MADAM CLERK, CAN YOU READ THE ROLE, PLEASE? YES.
UH, AGENDA ITEM THREE, A SPECIAL BUSINESS TODAY DISCUSSION.
REGARDING, UH, COURT MANAGEMENT, JUDICIAL EVALUATION IN TERMS OF EMPLOYMENT FOR CITY MAGISTRATE, PORSCH LEG, INCLUDING MONTHLY BANK RECONCILIATIONS.
SO, UM, I WANT TO, UH, THANK YOU ALL FOR COMING, ESPECIALLY COMING FROM THE, YOU'RE FROM DOWN, DOWN IN THE VALLEY TO COME UP.
I'M FROM THE ARIZONA SUPREME COURT.
WELL, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR COMING DOWN.
SO, UH, IF YOU ALL WANNA INTRODUCE, INTRODUCE YOURSELVES EVEN FOR THE STAFF, JUDGE SLATON.
UH, IF YOU'D LIKE TO JUST INTRODUCE YOURSELVES.
I THE PRESIDING ON THE MICROPHONE.
I NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT SHE HEARS AS WELL.
I'M THE PRESIDING JUDGE FOR COCONINO COUNTY.
UH, WE HAVE, UH, UH, SHARON NAS, WHO IS OUR COURT ADMINISTRATOR, AND WE HAVE, UH, SHELLY BACON, WHO IS OUR DEPUTY COURT ADMINISTRATOR FOR COCONINO COUNTY.
THANK YOU FOR ALLOWING US TO ATTEND.
WELL, IT'S IMPORTANT THAT YOU TAKE THE, TOOK THE TIME TO COME HERE TODAY.
SO, AND, AND MIKE, YOU WANNA JUST INTRODUCE YOURSELF? YES.
UH, I'M, UH, FROM THE ARIZONA SUPREME COURT ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICE OF THE COURT, AND I AM THE DIRECTOR OF THE COURT SERVICES DIVISION WITHIN THE AOC.
UH, FOR THE ORDER OF BUSINESS FOR COUNSEL, UH, THIS IS WHERE WE'RE GOING TO BE RUNNING THE, THE, UH, MEETING.
UH, WE INTRODUCED EVERYBODY HERE.
WE HAVE, UH, THE COUNSELORS WILL HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO ADD OR, OR CLARIFY, UM, INFORMATION THAT I'M GOING TO BE, UH, PROVIDING TO EVERYBODY HERE.
UH, SOME OF THE CONCERNS THAT WE'VE SPOKEN ABOUT IN THE PAST ON THE EXECUTIVE SESSIONS.
UH, DAN, THE JUDGE, BOTH JUDGES, UH, AND, UH, MR. MALONE WILL HAVE A CHANCE TO RESPOND IF THEY CAN HELP US IN ANY WAY TO SOLVE THIS PROBLEM TO MOVE FORWARD.
AND THEN WE'LL DISCUSS, UH, ANY ACTIONS, UH, AFTER THAT POINT.
COULD I HAVE YOU JUST, UM, PULL YOUR MIC A LITTLE CLOSER FOR THE AUDIO? I HAVEN'T TOUCHED MY LAPTOP CERTIFICATE.
THANK YOU'LL BE A BAD PROBLEM YESTERDAY, BUT STATIC FROM NOTHING.
UH, JUDGE FLAGEL, WE'VE DISCUSSED SOME ISSUES THAT WE'VE, UH, WE'VE BEEN HAVING WITH THE, UH, RECONCILIATION FORMS AND THE, THE DOCUMENTATION AND THE MONTHLY P CARD STATEMENTS AND MONTHLY REVENUE DISTRIBUTIONS.
YOU'VE RECEIVED TWO COMMUNICATIONS, ONE FROM THE PRIOR MAYOR AND ONE FOR MYSELF.
AND WE'RE STILL NOT HAVING THAT INFORMATION.
SO, UH, I UNDERSTAND THAT WE'VE DISCUSSED TO LET EVERYBODY ELSE KNOW THAT WE'VE DISCUSSED THE ISSUE, UH, UH, TWO EXECUTIVE SESSIONS IN THE PAST, AND YOU SHARED SOME CONCERNS OF YOU DIDN'T REALLY HAVE THE WAYS OF, UH, RECONCILING BECAUSE A LOT OF THE ISSUES HAPPENED BEFORE YOU WERE HERE AND YOU WERE USING THE AJAC SYSTEM.
CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG WITH ANYTHING.
THE AJAC SYSTEM WASN'T REALLY CONDUCIVE TO DOING WHAT WE WERE ASKING FOR.
AND WE HAD ASKED STILL, IS THERE ANY WAY FOR YOU TO FIND ANOTHER METHOD TO BE ABLE TO RECONCILE AND TO, TO DO THE, UH, THE ITEMS THAT WE'VE REQUESTED? AND SO FAR WE HAVEN'T RECEIVED ANYTHING, UH, FROM YOU, UM, AS FAR EXCEPT, UH, THIS STACK OF PAPERS, WHICH DOESN'T REALLY ADDRESS ANY OF THE ISSUES THAT WE ASKED FOR.
SO, AND THIS WAS, THIS CAME TO ME.
YOU SENT IT TO ME TO DIS OR TO OUR, UH, CITY CLERK TO DISTRIBUTE.
AND, UH, I SENT YOU AN EMAIL OR A LETTER STATING IF YOU WANTED THE REST OF THE COUNCIL TO HAVE IT, THAT YOU SHOULD SEND IT TO, TO EVERYBODY.
AND I DON'T BELIEVE ANYONE'S RECEIVED
[00:05:01]
THAT.SO, BUT THE POINT BEING IS THAT THERE'S NOTHING HERE THAT WE ASKED FOR.
DID YOU KNOW, WE'RE ASKING FOR VERY FEW ITEMS NOW AND WE HAVEN'T RECEIVED THEM.
SO IF YOU COULD, IF YOU HAVE THE RECONCILIATION AND IF YOU HAVE THE MONTHLY PCARD STATEMENTS AND THE REVENUE, UH, DISTRIBUTIONS, UH, THAT'S WHAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR.
AND I UNDERSTAND THAT, UH, THERE ARE SIMPLE WAYS OF GETTING THAT INFORMATION TO COMP TO ADDRESS IT AND COMPILE.
AND, UM, I WAS JUST WONDERING IF YOU'D DONE ANYTHING ON YOUR END TO TRY TO MOVE THIS FORWARD.
WELL, MAYOR, FIRST OF ALL, THAT STACK OF DOCUMENTS THAT WAS PROVIDED WAS THE FINANCIAL, UH, MONTHLY FINANCIALS FOR THE FISCAL YEAR UP TO FEBRUARY, I BELIEVE IT WAS.
UM, AND IT DOES HAVE THE DISTRIBUTIONS IN THERE.
UM, AS FAR AS THE MONTHLY DISTRIBUTIONS, THE SABA REPORTS, THERE'S A BUNCH OF OTHER REPORTS THAT ARE INCLUDED IN THOSE DOCUMENTS.
AS FAR AS THE COURT RECONCILIATION, NO, I AM NOT ABLE TO PRODUCE THAT.
WE'VE BEEN WORKING WITH AOC TO TRY AND RESOLVE THAT ISSUE, AND I'M GONNA LET, UH, MR. MALONE ADDRESS THAT ISSUE.
AND I'M GONNA GIVE YOU, MR. MALONE, GIVE YOU SOME INFORMATION THAT I'VE ACQUIRED AND YOU TELL ME IF THIS IS ACCURATE OR NOT.
UH, I'VE DONE SOME RESEARCH, UH, AND, YOU KNOW, COCONINO COURT STAFF HAS PARTICIPATED IN SOME OF MY RESEARCH TO ASK WHAT OTHER COURTS IN THE VERDE VALLEY AND COCONINO COUNTY AND YAPA COUNTY ARE DOING TO JUST GET THE BASIC REPORTS THAT WE'RE GETTING.
AND IT COMES DOWN TO EITHER THE COURTS ARE USING A SPREADSHEET OR QUICKBOOKS, WHICH IS WHAT WE, WHAT WAS BEING USED YEARS AGO.
WOULD THAT WORK WITH YOU FOR THE, UH, FOR THE AOC? UM, WE DON'T GET INTO THE, THE DECISIONS OF OUT PRODUCTS OUTSIDE OF WHAT OUR CASE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM IS.
UH, IF A COURT CHOOSES TO USE QUICK QUICKBOOKS, QUICKEN, TURBOTAX, WHATEVER THOSE PRODUCTS ARE, UM, THAT WOULD BE AT THE DISCRETION OF THE COURT TO USE.
WE DON'T HAVE ANY ISSUES WITH ANYBODY USING THOSE SOFTWARE.
YOU KNOW, WE, WE SAY THE SAME THING ABOUT OUR CASE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM.
WILL IT SPIT YOU OUT A NUMBER? ABSOLUTELY.
AND THAT'S BASICALLY WHAT WE'RE ASKING FOR IS A RECONCILIATION IN SOME FORM.
SO, UH, IF THE OTHER COURTS, COCONINO COUNTY IS USING EXCEL.
AND, UM, CAMP VERDE IS USING, UH, QUICK, UH, QUICKEN SOFTWARE FOR BANK RECONCILIATIONS MM-HMM.
YAPA COUNTY IS, UH, USING EXCEL, AND I'M SURE IF I CONTINUED MY PHONE CALLS THROUGHOUT, YOU KNOW, THE REGION, I CAN FIND MORE.
IT SEEMS THAT, UH, CLARKDALE AND SEDONA ARE THE ONLY ONES NOT FROM WHAT I CAN TELL.
SO IS THAT SOMETHING THAT YOU'LL BE WILLING TO USE? WELL, MAYOR, IT'S NOT THE PROGRAM THAT'S USED, IT'S THE INFORMATION THAT'S BEING INPUTTED INTO IT.
IF WE WERE TO UTILIZE QUICKBOOKS, IT'S, IT'S STILL THE INFORMATION THAT'S BEING PUT IN THERE, THAT'S THE IMPORTANT INFORMATION.
IF WE DON'T HAVE THE RELEVANT NUMBERS TO PUT IN THERE, WHICH WE DON'T AT THIS POINT, IT'S NOT GONNA MAKE ANY DIFFERENCE WHICH PROGRAM YOU USE.
THEN HOW ARE THE OTHER COURTS DOING IT? THEY DON'T HAVE THE ISSUES THAT WE'RE FACED WITH.
WELL, I HAVE OUR FINANCE DIRECTOR HERE THAT I UNDERSTAND THAT PRIOR TO, HEY, MELISSA
BUT NOW I'M TOLD THAT IT WAS, UH, AND SHERRY, YOU CAN ELABORATE MORE.
WHERE WERE WE AS FAR AS THE FINANCES AND RECONCILIATIONS PRIOR TO JUDGE SLAGEL'S EMPLOYMENT? SO, UM, THE CITY HAD CONTRACTED WITH A CONSULTANT TO COME IN AND HELP PREPARE A RECONCILIATION.
AND AS OF JUNE 30TH, 2021, IT WAS, IT WITHIN $45 OF BEING RECONCILED.
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40, $45, IT'S NOT GONNA ZERO BALANCE, BUT I WOULD TAKE $45 AS, YOU KNOW, UH, A DISCREPANCY AND A SPREADSHEET.YOU KNOW, AND MAYBE YOU, YOU COULD EXPLAIN TO ME WHAT WE COULD DO TO MOVE THIS FORWARD TO, TO BE TOLD THAT IT'S, YOU DON'T HAVE THE INFORMATION.
I DON'T UNDERSTAND THAT THE, THE AJA SYSTEM, THE WAY IT WORKS, WHY CAN OTHER, OTHER COURTS GET IT? AND WE CAN'T.
AND I'LL LET MR. MALONE ADDRESS THAT.
BUT FIRST OF ALL, I'VE TOLD THE CITY COUNCIL IN THE PAST THAT THAT OUTSIDE AUDIT WAS NOT ACCURATE, AND IT WAS NOT AN ACCURATE RECONCILIATION.
AND WELL, YOU ALL KEEP HARPING ON THAT.
AND IT'S NOT AN ACCURATE THING TO, TO BUILD A FOUNDATION ON.
AND AT THE LAST COUNCIL MEETING, WE DID SAY, DRAW A LINE OF SAND, START FROM, FROM SCRATCH.
WE DON'T CARE WHERE, WORK IT OUT.
AND YOU SAID, WELL, THE, UH, THE AOC IS GONNA DO AN AUDIT, AND THEN WE'RE GOING TO BE DOING THAT, AND WE'RE AT A POINT WHERE WE NEED THAT INFORMATION AND IT HAS TO BE DONE.
AND I, IF, IF I MAY, MR. MAY PLEASE.
UM, I SPENT THE MORNING, UH, WITH THE COURT ADMINISTRATOR, BRENDA, UM, PRIOR TO MY APPOINTMENT AS THE DIRECTOR, UM, I USED TO WORK FOR THE AOC AS A COURT AUDITOR.
UM, SO FIRST THING THIS MORNING, I WENT IN AND SAID, ALL RIGHT, LET'S PULL OUT ALL YOUR
PRETTY MUCH I WENT THROUGH THIS MORNING.
NOW, THAT WAS A PRETTY RUSHED, I ONLY HAD ABOUT AN HOUR AND A HALF TO SPEND THIS MORNING, UH, DOING THAT.
SO I WILL NOT SIGN MY SIGNATURE TO IT STATING HOW ACCURATE MY REVIEW IS.
BUT, UM, I WILL SAY, AND THIS IS PROBABLY GONNA BE NEWS TO JUDGE SLAGEL, UM, AT LEAST I WAS ABLE TO GO BACK 20 MONTHS MM-HMM.
SO I I I'M NOT USING THE WORD RECONCILED.
BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE A NUMBER TO RECONCILE IT TO.
IT SOUNDS LIKE IF YOU WEREN'T AWARE, MAYBE I'M REPEATING INFORMATION YOU ALREADY HAVE.
UM, BACK WHEN THE COURT CON, WHEN WE HAD THE COURT CONVERT FROM THE PREVIOUS CASE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM TO OUR CURRENT CASE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM, UM, IT WASN'T UNTIL A YEAR, YEAR AND A HALF LATER THAT WE DISCOVERED BY COMING TO SEDONA AND, AND DOING A, UH, AN AUDIT OF THE COURT, THAT THERE WAS ACTUALLY A BUG IN OUR PROGRAM THAT CAUSED, UH, SEVERAL ITEMS TO BE DESTROYED OUT OF THE CASE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM.
INTERESTING CASE RECORDS, FINANCIAL RECORDS, A WHOLE SLEW OF THINGS.
SO IT WAS A PROGRAMMING ERROR ON OUR, ON OUR SIDE.
UM, NOW HAVING GONE THROUGH THESE RECORDS, I THINK THAT WAS ONLY PART OF THE PROBLEM.
I THINK PRIOR ADMINISTRATION, BASED ON WHAT I COULD, WHAT I COULD GATHER FROM THE RECORDS, THEY WERE NOT RECONCILING, THEY WERE NOT EVEN LOOKING AT THE MONTHLY BANK STATEMENTS.
UM, AND, AND EVEN WHAT I DISCOVERED IS THERE'S A WHOLE MONTH WORTH OF INFORMATION THAT'S JUST NOT THERE.
UM, YOU KNOW, SO WHAT THAT NUMBER COULD BE AS FAR AS RECONCILING TO OUR CASE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM FINANCIALS.
UM, BEFORE I CAME OUT HERE THIS MORNING, I HAD A CONFERENCE CALL WITH SOME OF OUR INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY MANAGERS.
THERE'S JUST NO WAY WE'RE GONNA BE ABLE TO RECREATE WHAT WAS DESTROYED.
I THINK THAT'S FI FINE AND FAIR.
AND TO YOUR POINT, I'M SORRY FOR JUMPING OVER, BUT TO YOUR POINT, AND I THINK WHAT OUR ANSWER IS, IF, IF YOU'RE SAYING DRAW A LINE IN THE SAND MM-HMM.
BECAUSE IN TALKING WITH BRENDA, THE LAST 20 MONTHS HAVE BEEN BALANCED, MEANING ALL THE DEPOSITS, YOU KNOW, YOU LOOK AT YOUR DAILY REPORT, THOSE DAILY REPORTS MATCH THE DAILY DEPOSIT.
THE DAILY DEPOSIT SHOWS UP ON THE MONTHLY RECONCILIATION.
UM, THEREFORE WE, WE CAN ASSERT THAT IT DEBITS AND CREDITS BALANCE.
UM, SO I THINK BASED ON OUR LAST BANK STATEMENT FROM MARCH, I MEAN, THAT'S THE MONEY IN THE BANK.
THE COURT HAS BALANCED AND CAN SAY TO THE PENNY, THEIR BONDS
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AND RESTITUTION DOLLARS ARE WHERE THEY SHOULD BE, AND THEY ARE ACCOUNTED FOR.SO I, I, I BELIEVE WE DO HAVE A NUMBER THAT WE CAN WORK WITH.
AND, UM, YOU KNOW, WE, SINCE THE LAST AT LEAST 20 MONTHS, THAT'S A PRETTY GOOD RUN OF BALANCED STATEMENTS, I BELIEVE.
I THINK WE CAN, WE CAN PROCEED WITH THAT.
AND, AND BRENDA SEEM TO BE COMFORTABLE WITH THAT CONCEPT.
AND THEN THE QUESTION OF USING AJAX FOR THE, AS A, UH, A REPORTING SYSTEM, NOBODY SEEMS TO BE USING AJAX.
YEAH,
BUT THAT'S WHY I, WE HAVE A LOT OF PEOPLE HERE ARE PROFESSIONALS.
SO, UH, MOVING FORWARD OR FOR THE NEXT, FOR THE PAST 20 MONTHS, I'D LIKE TO GET ALL THOSE STATEMENTS THAT WE HAVEN'T RECEIVED BECAUSE WE HAD ASKED, THIS IS A THIRD MEETING, WE'RE ASKING FOR THE SAME INFORMATION.
AND THIS CLEARS UP A LOT OF THE, THE MISINFORMATION THAT WE HAD.
AND I APPRECIATE THAT EXPLAINS A LOT TO ME.
UH, BUT I'D LIKE, WE STILL DON'T HAVE A REPORT SHOWING EVERY MONTH IT RECONCILED.
SO, UH, I MEAN, WE PAID OVERTIME FOR, FOR THE, UH, THE JUDGE'S STAFF TO BE ABLE TO COME IN ON THEIR DAY OFF AND DO THAT, WHICH WAS GREAT.
WE DID EVERYTHING WE COULD, BUT WE DON'T HAVE THOSE REPORTS.
AND IF YOU ARE SHOWING THAT IT DOES RECONCILE IT WOULD, IT'D BE, IT WOULD BE NICE IF WE HAD THAT.
WELL, AND I, AND BASED ON WHAT I BELIEVE THE JUDGE PROVIDED YOU REALLY, YOU KNOW, WHAT THE COURT HAS IS THEY'VE MADE THEIR OWN SPREADSHEETS.
AND, UM, IF, IF YOU'RE INTERESTED IN LOOKING AT THOSE SPREADSHEETS, I DON'T, BUT MY, MY, UH, FINANCE DIRECTOR WOULD I'M SURE.
AND WE NEED THOSE FOR, TO, FOR OUR RECORDS.
SO, UH, WE SHOULD BE HAVING THEM EVERY MONTH.
AND THE SAME THING WITH THE, UH, THE P CARD USE, WHICH IS THE CREDIT CARD.
AND, UH, ONE OF THE OTHER THINGS I'M HERE, UH, UM, THE MONTHLY REVENUE DISTRIBUTIONS, WE DON'T HAVE ANY OF THOSE.
AND IT COULD BE SIMPLY NOW IF ALL THAT INFORMATION THAT YOU ARE SAYING IS ZEROING OUT, IT COULD HAVE BEEN PUT INTO A SPREADSHEET SIMPLE, SIMPLE, AND EMAILED OVER TO FINANCE.
SO THE COURT SENDS OUT MULTIPLE DIFFERENT REVENUE REPORTS.
SO IT, IT WOULD BE HELPFUL TO TRY TO UNDERSTAND WHICH REPORT YOU'RE LOOKING AT.
THE COURT SENDS A CHECK AND A SPREADSHEET TO THE TOWN FOR THE FEES THAT ARE TO GO TO THE CITY.
UM, THEY SEND A CHECK AND A SPREADSHEET, I BELIEVE, TO YAVAPAI COUNTY, AND THEY STRICTLY FOR JAIL FEES THAT YAVAPAI COUNTY ASSESSES.
UM, AND THEN THEY SEND, UM, ESSENTIALLY, I CAN'T SPEAK STATISTICAL REPORTS TO OUR OFFICE AT THE ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICE.
SO THE COURTS, WHICH IS EXPENDITURES AND REVENUES.
SHERRY, HAVE YOU BEEN RECEIVING THOSE REPORTS? UM, SO WE'VE RECEIVED THE REVENUE DISTRIBUTIONS UP THROUGH, UM, FEBRUARY.
UM, WE HAVE NOT RECEIVED MARCH YET.
UM, BUT ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE DID TALK ABOUT WAS THAT THE REVENUE DISTRIBUTIONS HAVE DEFINITELY NOT ALWAYS BEEN TIMELY.
UM, SO FOR INSTANCE, WE GOT DECEMBER'S IN MARCH.
JANUARY'S IN MARCH, UM, FEBRUARY WAS, UM, MORE ALONG THE TIMELINE THAT WE WOULD THINK WE GOT FEBRUARY'S ON MARCH 9TH.
UM, AND THEN WE HAVEN'T HA RECEIVED THE MARCH REVENUE DISTRIBUTION YET.
AND SHE AND BRENDA DID TELL ME SHE HAS NOT COMPLETED MARCH'S, UH, RECONCILIATION YET.
THERE WAS THERE A GLITCH ON THEIR END? IT WASN'T ONE OF OUR GLITCHES.
AND SO I ACTUALLY DID, BEFORE SHE TOLD ME THAT, I ACTUALLY CONFIRMED WITH MY OFFICE THIS MORNING THAT THEY RECEIVED A CALL FROM HER LAST WEEK.
AND SO I KNOW OUR OFFICE IS WORKING WITH HER.
IT'S UNFORTUNATELY ONE OF THOSE TYPE OF ERRORS THAT HAS TO BE FIXED BY ONE OF OUR PROGRAMMERS.
UM, SO IT IS, IT IS BEING ADDRESSED, IT IS BEING WORKED ON.
BUT YES, WE, WE DO RECOMMEND TO OUR COURTS WHEN WE DO OUR AUDITS, WE, WE ACTUALLY LOOK AT THE TIMELINESS OF SENDING THOSE REPORTS, AND THAT WOULD BE SOMETHING THAT OUR OFFICE WOULD LOOK AT.
SO YES, WE WOULD ENCOURAGE THE COURT TO GET YOU THOSE, THE TOWN REVENUES, GENERALLY THE CITIES DON'T GET INVOLVED WHEN THE COURT HAS THEIR OWN CHECKING ACCOUNT
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WHEN THEY SEND THE REMITTANCE REPORTS TO THE STATE.UM, BUT IF, IF YOU WANT COPIES OF THE MONTHLY STATISTICAL REPORTS THAT THEY SEND US, UM, YOU KNOW, THEY, WE'D BE HAPPY TO HAVE THE COURT SEND THOSE TO YOU.
SHERRY, IS THAT ADEQUATE FOR WHAT YOU'RE LOOKING FOR? UH, WE DON'T NECESSARILY NEED THE OTHER ONES.
WE, WE NEED THE ONES FOR THE CITY TIMELY IN ORDER TO BE ABLE TO CLOSE OUR OWN BOOKS TIMELY.
SO ALSO, UH, KURT, IF YOU CAN JUST CLARIFY THIS FOR ME, FOR, SO FOR THE REPORT OR THE, UH, THE HISTORY OF WHAT HAPPENED WITH THE SYSTEM AND THE COMPUTER AND THE GLITCHES AND THE LOSS OF DATA.
IS THAT SOMETHING WE EVER NEED FOR OUR RECORDS, OR DO WE NEED A REPORT FROM THEM? A DOCUMENT STATING THAT THIS WAS A PROBLEM, THAT'S WHY EVERYTHING DIDN'T RECONCILE.
CAUSE THAT EXPLAINS A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT THAT WE DIDN'T KNOW ABOUT.
SO WE, WE HAVE IT HERE AND, UH, AND, AND RECORDED IN THE PUBLIC MEETING.
I JUST WANNA BE SURE THAT EVERYBODY HAS WHAT, WHAT WE NEED.
SO, UM, SO BUT MOVING FORWARD, IF, UH, IS WOULD USING A SPREADSHEET OR QUICKBOOKS HELP EXPEDITE IT? THE, THE, THE INFORMATION THAT WE NEED INSTEAD OF GETTING A STACK OF PAPERS OF A THOUSAND SHEETS? WELL, BRENDA HAS ACTUALLY CREATED HER OWN SPREADSHEET, HOWEVER IT WORKS.
WHATEVER WORKS UTILIZES TO BALANCE THINGS OUT.
SO, BUT Y'ALL WANT A COPY OF THAT AS WELL? UH, WE ALL DON'T NEED IT.
DO WE NEED SHE'S BEEN GETTING IT.
WHAT'S THAT? BUT SHE HASN'T BEEN GETTING IT.
WE'RE GONNA, AND WE'RE GONNA BE DISCUSSING THAT.
WE'RE, WE'RE, WE'RE GONNA BE, I WANNA KNOW IF SHERRY HAS GOTTEN MONTHLY RECONCILIATIONS SINCE JUNE.
UM, SO JUNE WAS KIND OF A ROUGH DRAFT BANK RECONCILIATION.
THAT WASN'T REALLY COMPLETE, BUT IT WAS, IT WAS CLOSE ENOUGH.
UM, AND WE HAVE NOT RECEIVED ANY BANK RECONCILIATION SINCE.
BUT, BUT AGAIN, I THINK WE'RE GETTING, I'M AT LEAST I'M GETTING MIXED MESSAGES ON RECONCILIATION VERSUS BALANCING.
SO THAT'S WHAT I THINK WE NEED CLARIFICATION WITH.
THAT'S WHY WE'RE HERE TODAY TO MOVE FORWARD AND GET IT ALL RIGHT.
SO, AND SHERRY CAN EXPLAIN ME, IT'S WHATEVER SHE NEEDS.
AND, AND I KNOW BECAUSE I ASKED, WHEN I, BRENDA TOLD ME ABOUT THIS, UM, THIS AUDIT THAT WAS DONE.
UM, I ASKED HER IF I COULD SEE A COPY OF THE REPORT SO I COULD AT LEAST LOOK AT THEIR METHODOLOGY.
UM, SHE SAYS THE COURT DOESN'T HAVE A COPY OF IT.
SHE'S REQUESTED IT, BUT HAS NOT BEEN PROVIDED TO HER.
WHAT SHE WAS GIVEN WAS SOME SPREADSHEETS OF DATA THAT THEY LOOKED AT.
AND IN LOOKING THROUGH THAT DATA, I COULD TELL YOU THAT THERE WAS ONE GLARING ERROR IN THAT DATA.
UM, AND THAT IS THAT, UH, WHOEVER WAS PUTTING INFORMATION IN THOSE IN THE BOXES, UM, LISTED THAT THERE WAS AN OUTSTANDING RESTITUTION AMOUNT FOR $1,500.
UM, BRENDA AND I PULLED THAT CASE.
IT'S A CASE THAT'S NOT EVEN RESTITUTION ELIGIBLE.
THERE IS NO RESTITUTION ON THAT CASE.
UM, IT WAS MISLABELED WHEN WE WENT BACK THROUGH, WE WERE ABLE TO IDENTIFY IT AS FINES AND FEES THAT WERE OWED, NOT RESTITUTION.
UM, BUT BASED ON THAT, I WOULD QUESTION THE VALIDITY OF SOME OF THE, WELL, I WOULDN'T SAY IT INVALIDATES THE ENTIRE AUDIT, BUT I, I WOULD SAY THAT THERE'S AT LEAST AN ERROR IN THE CALCULATIONS AND HOW THEY CAME TO THAT NUMBER.
UM, AND, AND AGAIN, I DON'T KNOW WHAT NUMBER WE'RE TRYING TO RECONCILE TO, AND I THINK THAT'S OUR BIGGEST PROBLEM.
BUT I, I CAN SAY AT LEAST THE COURT HAS BEEN BALANCING THE MONTHLY.
BUT WE DON'T SEEM TO KNOW THAT.
AND I MEAN, WE HAD, UH, BRENDA SHORE AT OUR LAST MEETING, THE JUDGE INVITED HER, SO IT WAS VERY HELPFUL.
AND WE EXPLAINED TO HER, I THINK THAT 1015 500, UH, DOLLARS RESTITUTION CAME UP.
SO SHE KNEW IT WAS AN ISSUE, YET SHE NEVER THOUGHT TO SHARE IT WITH OUR FINANCE DEPARTMENT.
I MEAN, THE COMMUNICATION IS, I THINK IT'S KEY, RIGHT? WE NEED TO DO BETTER BECAUSE WE DON'T NEED TO KEEP MEETING LIKE THIS.
IT'S VERY COUNTERPRODUCTIVE TO THE JUDGE AND EVERYBODY THAT'S HERE TO VISIT.
SO WE DON'T NEED TO HAVE ANY MORE OF THESE MEETINGS, BUT WE NEED TO MOVE FORWARD.
SO I THINK THAT I WILL, IF I CAN, I'M SORRY.
UM, I MET WITH MY STAFF THAT'S BEEN WORKING WITH JUDGE LEGGO AND BRENDA.
UM, WE'VE, WE'VE HAD STAFF FROM OUR INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY DIVISION.
WE'VE HAD THE, THE AUDITORS IN MY DIVISION AND FINANCIAL
[00:25:01]
SPECIALISTS HAVE BEEN WORKING WITH JUDGE AND BRENDA FOR, FOR SOME TIME, UH, OVER THIS INFORMATION AND JUST THEIR FEEDBACK.I BELIEVE THERE'S A WILLINGNESS TO AT LEAST THERE WAS AN EXTREME WILLINGNESS TO GET TO A NUMBER.
AND IT WAS UNFORTUNATELY THAT I HAD TO MAKE THAT CALL AND SAY WE'RE JUST BASED ON ALL THE INFORMATION THAT I HAVE, I JUST DON'T THINK WE CAN GET TO A NUMBER.
BUT I APPRECIATE THAT, THAT WE WOULD BE ABLE TO AT LEAST PICK A MM-HMM.
UH, THE COURT REALIZES I THINK THAT THEY NEED TO GET THOSE REPORTS IN TIMELY.
UM, AND THEN IF THERE'S NUMBERS THAT ARE STARTING TO BE OFF, THEN AT LEAST I KNOW BECAUSE I'VE SEEN BRENDA'S WORK AT LEAST OVER THE PAST 20 MONTHS, IS SHE IS, SHE IS WORKING TO, TO BALANCE, I'M SURE SHE IS THE MONTHLY STATEMENTS.
AND SO I, I HAVE FAITH AND CONFIDENCE IN THAT.
SO CAN WE COME TO AN AGREEMENT THAT, UH, WHEN THE JUDGE STARTED AND IT WAS VERY CLOSE TO WHEN BRENDA STARTED, WE CAN USE WHATEVER DATE THAT IS AS A DATE.
WOULD THAT WORK SO THAT THEY'RE RESPONSIBLE FOR THEIR TIME, THEY SHOULDN'T BE RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY OF THE OTHER ISSUES BEF, UH, PRIOR TO THEM THAT WOULDN'T BE FAIR AT, AT ALL? OR YOU WANT TO TAKE SOMETHING MORE RECENT THAN THAT? WHAT WORKS? WHERE CAN WE, WHERE DO, WHERE DO YOU WANT THAT LINE TO BE? I WOULD, I WOULD SAY THE MOST RECENT MONTH IS, IS YOUR BEST MONTH.
UM, I MEAN, I, AGAIN, IT'S JUST ME SAYING THAT IT, IT, THEY HAVE BALANCED OVER THE PAST 20 MONTHS.
I DON'T THINK IT MATTERS WHICH MONTH YOU PICKED, BUT, BUT WE DON'T HAVE ALL THOSE, WE HAVE UP UNTIL, WHAT DID YOU SAY? MARCH, FEBRUARY.
SO, AND EVERY RIGHT SHERRY, EVERYTHING UP UNTIL FEBRUARY, WE HAVE REVENUE DISTRIBUTIONS UP UNTIL FEBRUARY.
WE HAVE NO BANK RECONCILIATIONS AT ALL.
SO BANK RECONCILIATIONS, WE NEED THAT.
SO SINCE JUNE, APPARENTLY WHEN THERE WAS THE PARTIAL OR DRAFT RECONCILIATIONS, SO LET'S GO TO THE BANK RECONCILIATIONS.
IS THAT SOMETHING, I MEAN, WHY ARE WE NOT, IF YOU'RE DEPOSITING MONEY IN THE BANK, WHY ARE WE NOT KNOWING ABOUT THAT? I, I DON'T, YOU KNOW, IS THAT IN THE AJAC SYSTEM? IS THAT SOMETHING THAT INFORMATION CAN BE PULLED? I, I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU MEAN.
I DID WELL, BANK RECONCILIATION.
WELL, SO, SO MAYOR, DO YOU MIND IF I YEP, GO AHEAD.
SO, UM, SO I, I DO WANNA CLARIFY THE, KEEP REFERRING TO WHAT THE CONSULTANT DID TO HELP ASSIST WITH A BANK RECONCILIATION AND AUDIT.
THAT'S WHY THERE'S NO AUDIT REPORT.
IT WAS JUST ASSISTING WITH, UH, PREPARING A BANK RECONCILIATION.
AND THEY WERE RELYING ON DATA THAT WAS PRE BEING PROVIDED BY THE COURT STAFF THAT WAS HERE AT THAT TIME.
SO IF THEY HAD SOMETHING MISLABELED AS, UM, A BOND OR A RESTITUTION OR WHATEVER, THAT'S WAS BASED OFF OF WHAT THE STAFF GAVE THEM.
UM, AND THEY WERE NOT, UM, CONTRACTED TO CLEAR RECONCILING ITEMS. THEY WERE JUST CONTRACTED TO DO A RECONCILIATION, IDENTIFY THE RECONCILING ITEMS. AND IT WAS UP TO THE COURT STAFF TO ADDRESS THAT, WHICH I DON'T BELIEVE THEY DID.
UM, WHAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR IN A BANK RECONCILIATION IS YOU LOOK AT YOUR BANK STATEMENT BALANCE AND YOU LOOK AT YOUR, YOUR BOOK BALANCE, AND YOU SHOULD HAVE ON YOUR BANK STATEMENT, YOU'LL HAVE DEPOSITS IN TRANSIT.
YOU'LL HAVE OUTSTANDING CHECKS TO COME UP WITH A BALANCE THAT HOPEFULLY MATCHES THE BOOK BALANCE.
SO THE BALANCE SHOULD REPRESENT THOSE DISTRIBUTIONS, THE BONDS THAT ARE BEING HELD, AND THE RESTITUTION AMOUNTS THAT HAVEN'T BEEN PAID OUT.
AND ESSENTIALLY, LIKE THAT'S, THAT'S WHAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR BECAUSE WE WANNA HAVE THE DEBITS AND CREDITS OF THE ENTRY EACH MONTH OF WHAT TO RECORD IN, IN OUR GENERAL LEDGER.
AND I BELIEVE BRENDA'S SPREADSHEET THAT SHE'S MADE FOR HER INTERNAL TRACKING WOULD DO THAT.
UM, I THINK WE JUST HAVE TO AGREE ON WHAT THAT POINT IN TIME IS.
SHE, SHE PROVIDED A SAMPLE OF WHAT SHE WANTED TO PROVIDE TO US ABOUT, I WANNA SAY AROUND NINE MONTHS AGO.
AND, UM, AND WE SAID, YEAH, THAT WILL WORK PERFECT.
BUT WE'VE NEVER ACTUALLY SEEN HAD ONE OF THOSE SUBMITTED.
SO IS, IS THAT HELPFUL TO YOU AT ALL? DO WE UNDERSTAND THAT WE NEED THOSE RECORDS EVEN FROM NINE MONTHS AGO IF MM-HMM.
AND I KNOW SHE HAS 'EM, BECAUSE I LOOK AT, AND THAT'S, I'M SURE SHE DOES, BUT, AND I ALSO KNOW THAT
[00:30:01]
BRENDA'S REALLY OVERWORKED, SO I, I GET IT.BUT AGAIN, STILL NEED, I DON'T THINK THERE'S THAT MISCONCEPTION OF RECONCILIATION AND BALANCING.
I THINK WHAT RIGHT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT IS BALANCING.
BUT THAT'S WHY WE'RE HERE TODAY TOO.
THAT, AND YOU, YOU'LL UNDERSTAND, SHERRY, YOU UNDERSTANDS WE'RE GONNA UNDERSTAND MM-HMM.
BUT WE HAVE TO UNDERSTAND TODAY AND MOVING FORWARD, WE NEED THOSE REPORTS ON TIME EVERY MONTH.
WE'RE GOING TO DO IT THE WHOLE COUNCIL.
SO, UH, YES, GO AHEAD ON THAT SPECIFICALLY.
SO THESE DOCUMENTS THEN, SHERRY, YOU'VE SEEN A MODEL OF THAT THEY ALREADY EXIST AND, AND YOU'RE SAYING THAT THAT EXISTS, SO THIS WOULD BE SOMETHING THAT WOULD BE ABLE TO BE GIVEN QUICKLY, BECAUSE I KNOW WE'LL TALK ABOUT TIMELINES AND TIMEFRAMES, BUT IF SOMETHING'S ALREADY IN EXISTENCE, WE SHOULD BE ABLE TO GET THAT QUICKLY TO BE CAUGHT UP AND NOT BE CAUGHT IN A LOT OF, UM, DOCUMENTS AT ONE TIME.
WHAT, WHAT'S, CAN YOU ANSWER THAT? WELL, I THINK THE COURT WOULD HAVE TO GO BACK TO IF, IF YOU'RE SAYING JUNE 21 MM-HMM.
CUZ THAT'S WHAT WE CURRENTLY DO NOT HAVE.
UM, AND THAT'S NOT AN, UNFORTUNATELY WITH THIS PARTICULAR CASE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM, THAT'S A, THAT'S A PROBLEM WE HAVE STATEWIDE.
HONESTLY, IT'S NOT VERY MANY COURTS ARE ACTUALLY USING THE AJA SYSTEM TO BALANCE MM-HMM.
UM, BUT, YOU KNOW, SO THE COURT'S GONNA HAVE TO GO BACK AND ADD THAT BANK STATEMENT AMOUNT AND THEN BASICALLY RECONCILE ALL THOSE MONTHS FORWARD.
SO, NO, IT'S NOT AS SIMPLE AS WE CAN TELL HER, GO MAKE A PHOTOCOPY AND HAVE 'EM EMAILED TO YOU BY TOMORROW MORNING.
HOW LONG THAT WOULD TAKE HER WITH HER SCHEDULE.
SO, SHERRY, TO ACCOMMODATE YOU AND ANY OTHER FINANCIAL REPORTS OR, UH, RECORDS THAT YOU'RE GONNA NEED, HOW FAR BACK DO THEY NEED TO GO BEFORE IT, YOU KNOW, BEFORE IT IMPACTS YOU? I, I'M FINE WITH THE LINE IN THE SAND.
UM, SO, SO BASICALLY THE, THE KIND OF ROUGH DRAFT VERSION THAT WE GOT FOR JUNE OF 22 WAS SUFFICIENT TO SATISFY THE AUDITORS FOR NOW.
AND I WAS ABLE TO TALK THEM OUT OF WRITING A FINDING FOR THE CITY.
UM, RELATED TO THAT, IF WE DON'T GET RECONCILIATION FOR THIS YEAR, I DON'T THINK I'LL BE ABLE TO TALK THEM OUT OF IT.
SO DOES THAT WORK WITH YOU? SO WHAT, WHAT DATE, WHAT MONTH DO YOU WANT THE COURT TO SIGN? JUNE OF 22.
THE, THE, THE AUDITORS ARE GONNA WANNA LOOK AT A JUNE 23 RECONCILIATION.
SO, I MEAN, I DON'T RECOMMEND WAITING THAT LONG BECAUSE IF YOU HAVE ISSUES WHERE YOU NEED TO ADDRESS WITH THE BANK THAT SOMETHING WASN'T PROCESSED CORRECTLY OR WHATEVER, THE BANK WILL ONLY ALLOW YOU SO MUCH TIME TO GO BACK AND ASK FOR THAT.
UM, BUT AS FAR AS THE AUDIT IS CONCERNED, I'M GONNA NEED A JUNE BANK CONCILIATION.
BUT WE CAN GO AHEAD, PETER, BUT WE CAN START SENDING DATA FOR THIS SINCE JUNE OF 2022.
YOU'VE LOOKED THROUGH 20 MONTHS OF THIS.
WHY NOT TRANSFER THAT INFORMATION TOMORROW? BECAUSE WE, WE, WE DON'T HAVE A A BOOK BALANCE YET.
WE DON'T HAVE A, WHAT WE'RE RECONCILING TO, SO WE WOULD HAVE TO PICK A, PICK A MONTH.
WE CAN TAKE THAT BANK STATEMENT AMOUNT, WE CAN PLUG IT IN TO THOSE SPREADSHEETS, RECONCILE THOSE MONTHS UP UNTIL MM-HMM.
AND HOW LONG WOULD THAT TAKE? I, UH, I'M GONNA HAVE TO DEFER THAT QUESTION TO JUDGE AND BRENDA
WELL, UNLIKE WE SAID, WE, WE ACCOMMODATED WITH OVERTIME TO BE PAID TO DO THIS.
WE DON'T EXPECT IT TO BE DONE DURING, YOU KNOW, DURING DIFFICULT TIMES WHEN YOU'RE BUSY.
BUT, UH, WITH THAT BEING SAID, IS THAT SOMETHING YOU CAN ACCOMMODATE? JUDGE? AND I CAN'T SIT HERE AND TELL YOU HOW LONG IT'S GONNA TAKE BRENDA TO DO IT.
I, I, WE JUST LOST ANOTHER COURT CLERK.
UM, I KNOW SHE'LL MAKE IT A PRIORITY, BUT I CAN'T TELL YOU HOW LONG IT'S GONNA TAKE.
WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO SET A DATE HERE, JUDGE.
IT'S BEEN DRAGGING ON FAR TOO LONG.
WE HAVE TO COME TO THE END OF THIS, RIGHT? THAT'S RIGHT.
IT, IT, YOU KNOW, THE STAFF, YOU KNOW, WE DOING WHAT WE'RE DOING.
[00:35:01]
I UNDERSTAND EVERYBODY'S HURTING FOR STAFF.UH, SO I HAVE IN HERE AS A MOTION OF THE DATE OF JULY 30TH, 2023.
SO YOU, WE WANT THIS DONE BY THE END OF THIS FISCAL YEAR.
SO WE WOULD HAVE TO BE, THAT'S WHAT I'M SAYING.
BUT, UH, WHAT IS THIS? NOW WE, WE NEED A PROCESS IN PLACE THAT LOOKS LIKE IT'S WORKING ON MARCH 19TH 23.
IS THAT CORRECT? IS THAT THE DATE? SO, SO I, I MEAN, IF YOU'RE GONNA CLOSE OUT THE END OF THIS FISCAL YEAR, USUALLY IT TAKES A LITTLE TIME AFTER THE FISCAL YEAR TO CLOSE IT OUT THOUGH.
WELL, I'LL LOOK AT THE DATE YOU HAVE HERE.
SO, UH, IT'S COMPLETELY UP TO COUNCIL, BUT IF YOU'RE GONNA CLOSE OUT THIS WHOLE FISCAL YEAR, USUALLY YOU GIVE THEM ANOTHER MONTH PAST THE END OF THE FISCAL YEAR, HENCE THE JULY 30TH FIRST.
OKAY, SHERRY? UM, AND, AND I WOULD OFFER, AGAIN, THE CONSULTANT THAT WE USED, UM, PREVIOUSLY, I MEAN, THEY DO BANK RECONCILIATIONS FOR SO MANY ENTITIES ALL AROUND THE STATE, AND IT'S JUST A MATTER OF PROVIDING THEM WITH, WITH THE DATA.
AND YES, IF IT'S GARBAGE AND IT'S GARBAGE OUT, BUT, UM, THEY CAN HELP.
UM, AND WE'VE OFFERED THAT THEY COULD HELP GET THEM CAUGHT UP, UM, WITH THAT.
SO, UM, IF IT'S AN ISSUE WITH BEING ABLE TO DO IT INTERNALLY, THERE IS THERE IS THAT RESOURCE THAT COULD BE USED, WOULD THAT BE AGREEABLE TO YOU? JUDGE, I'M A LITTLE RELUCTANT TO AGREE TO THAT.
AND I'VE MENTIONED THIS IN THE PAST, AND THE REASON WHY IS SOMEBODY WHO'S NOT FAMILIAR WITH COURT FINANCES, HAVING THEM COME IN AND DO THAT, JUST JUDGE SEEMS LIKE A WASTE OF MONEY.
AND WE'VE BEEN GETTING, AND, YOU KNOW, IT JUST HAS TO BE DONE.
IF, IF, IF I COULD JUST SAY THE COURT FINANCES DON'T PLAY INTO TRYING TO MATCH UP, HERE'S A DEPOSIT THAT WENT INTO THE BANK STATEMENT.
DID IT MATCH THE DEPOSIT? THAT IS, THAT IS IN THE RECORDS.
KNOWING COURT FINANCES DOESN'T RELATE TO DOING A BANK RECONCILIATION.
JUDGE, I'M SORRY, BEFORE, UM, YOU WERE SAYING THAT YOU WEREN'T COMFORTABLE WITH GIVING A, A TIMELINE, BUT I, BUT THAT'S WHAT WE NEED FROM YOU.
NOW, HERE TODAY, A TIMELINE, BECAUSE YOU KNOW, YOUR WORKLOAD, YOU RUN YOUR COURT, UM, YOU NEED TO TELL US WHEN WE CAN HAVE THIS, AND THEN WE CAN TELL YOU IF, IF, IF THERE NEEDS TO BE FURTHER MOVEMENT ON THAT DATE OR NOT.
BUT WE NEED THAT OUT OF YOU NOW BECAUSE THIS IS THE THIRD MEETING WHERE WE'VE BEEN REQUESTING AND REIFYING REALLY WHAT'S BEEN THE SAME REQUEST.
UM, SO I THINK WE'VE, IT SEEMS TO ME THAT WE'VE MADE SOME HEADWAY ON A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF IT TODAY, BUT IT'S STILL PAST DUE.
SO PLEASE GIVE US A DATE THAT YOU CAN SUPPLY THE SPY.
WHY DON'T WE JUST PAUSE, JUDGE SLATON, UH, PARDON ME, I INTERRUPTING.
UH, BUT, UH, I JUST WANNA LET YOU KNOW THAT MY COURT ADMINISTRATORS WILL ASSIST BRENDA IN PREPARING, UM, THE, UH, BALANCING.
I DON'T WANT TO GET INTO RECONCILIATION.
THEY'VE ASSURED ME THEY'LL HAVE IT DONE BY THE END OF THE FISCAL YEAR.
UH, SHERRY, THAT THAT WORK FOR YOU? ABSOLUTELY.
AND, AND IT'LL, I, I MEAN, I I'M AWARE IT IT'LL BE JULY BECAUSE YOU CAN'T CLOSE OUT JUNE AND, AND FINALIZE RECONCILIATION UNTIL JULY, BUT YES.
LET ME JUST CHECK WITH THE OTHER COUNSELORS.
COUNSELOR WILLIAMSON, YOU SAY, I THINK YOU HAVE SOMETHING TO ADD OR ASK.
NO, I THINK THAT IF IN FACT, I MEAN, I'M, AND THEN IT CAN COME IN OVER THE, BETWEEN NOW AND THEN, IT DOESN'T, IT'S NOT GONNA BE A BIG BATCH.
I MEAN, I THINK THAT SOLVES THE PROBLEM.
HOW'S THE FIRM? AND I, WELL ALSO WANT, MAKE SURE THAT WE UNDERSTAND THE DETAILS HERE THAT I, I THINK WE'RE REQUESTING THAT THIS BALANCING DATA THAT YOU HAVE SEEN 20 MONTHS OF, LET'S START GETTING THAT BACK TO THE CITY ADMINISTRATION.
AND GOING FORWARD, I UNDERSTAND WE'LL DO AN A, A YEARLY RECONCILIATION.
BUT LET'S CONTINUE TO SEND THIS MONTHLY INFORMATION FROM TODAY FORWARD.
IT, OUR, WE'RE A CITY, THE JUDGE HAS A COMPLICATED ROLE.
HE REPORTS TO YOU, BUT WE HAVE AS A CITY OBLIGATIONS, AND I THINK PART OF YOUR OBLIGATION IS BIDDING A CITY EMPLOYEE IS TO PROVIDE FINANCE WITH THE INFORMATION ON A TIMELY BASIS THAT THEY NEED.
AND SO I WOULD REALLY ASK THAT IF THERE, IF YOU FIND THAT YOU ARE UNABLE TO DO THAT FOR ANY REASON, YOU LET SOMEONE KNOW, I GUESS
[00:40:01]
KAREN, KAREN, YOU LET KAREN KNOW THAT YOU CAN'T PROVIDE IT, AND MAYBE WE COULD FIGURE OUT A WAY TO DO IT.IT CAN'T GO ON ANOTHER, NOT ANOTHER YEAR WITHOUT, WITHOUT HAVING THEM MONTHLY IN A TIMELY BASIS.
SO THAT'S JUST ALL I WOULD ADD.
I THINK THIS WAS VERY GRACIOUS AND VERY GENEROUS TO BRING IT UP TO DATE.
AND I THINK THAT'LL SOLVE OUR PROBLEM FOR THIS YEAR.
COUNCILOR KINSELLA? I THINK IT'S BEEN COVERED.
ARE, ARE WE OUT OF LINE REQUESTING MONTHLY REPORTS? ARE ARE OTHER COURTS PROVIDING THOSE TO THEIR FINANCE DEPARTMENT? WELL, YES AND NO.
UM, GOOD, GOOD LAWYERS IN COURTS.
UM, THERE ARE SOME SMALLER MUNICIPALITIES WHERE THE CITY HAS, UH, THE COURT REPORTS THEIR INFORMATION TO THE CITY AND THEN THE CITY CUTS THE CHECKS AND SEND IT OUT.
WE, AS AN AGENCY, DO NOT RECOMMEND THAT.
UM, THERE ARE ISSUES WITH SEPARATING COURT FUNDS AND CITY FUNDS.
UM, BUT, SO YES, THERE ARE SOME.
SO THEY NEED THOSE MONTHLY REPORTS SO THAT THEY CAN SEND THOSE OUT.
UM, THE, THE MONIES THAT ARE OWED THE CITY FROM THE FINES AND FEES THAT THE COURT COLLECTS, THOSE DEFINITELY SHOULD BE REPORTED TO THE CITY.
UM, AND, AND I THINK IT WAS ALREADY STATED, MOST, MOST, UH, CITY PERSONNEL REALLY DON'T HAVE MUCH INTEREST IN THE COURT'S STATISTICAL REPORTS THAT THEY SEND TO THE AOC OR WHAT, WHAT THEY'RE SENDING TO THE STATE FOR, YOU KNOW, TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURY FEES THAT WERE COLLECTED.
UM, IT'S JUST, YOU'VE GOT BETTER THINGS TO DO WITH YOUR TIME.
BUT NO, SO I, I WILL SAY, REQUESTING THOSE REPORTS FROM WHAT'S OWED TO THE CITY IS DEFINITELY, I THINK EVERYBODY DOES THAT.
WHAT'S THE BEST PRACTICE THAT YOU'VE SEEN? WELL, UNFORTUNATELY, I'VE, I'VE ONLY BEEN BACK IN MY POSITION.
I JUST MOVED BACK HERE FROM WASHINGTON STATE, SO I'VE BEEN OUT OF THE ARIZONA COURT SYSTEM FOR ABOUT EIGHT YEARS.
UM, BUT I'VE BEEN WITH ARIZONA COURTS PRIOR TO MY MOVE TO WASHINGTON.
UM, YOU KNOW, IT'S THE TIME AND IT'S ALL BEEN STATED AS LONG AS IT'S TIMELY, AS LONG AS PEOPLE ARE ABLE TO COMMUNICATE.
UM, MOST OF OUR COURTS AND CITY FINANCE OFFICES HAVE GREAT WORKING RELATIONSHIPS.
UM, YOU KNOW, THAT'S, THAT'S, THAT'S WHAT WE, WE TRY TO BE A GOOD PARTNER, UH, WITH THE OTHER BRANCHES OF GOVERNMENT.
UH, SO WHAT, YOU KNOW, THERE ARE CERTAIN REPORTS THAT ARE GENERATED OUT OF THE SYSTEM THAT ACTUALLY ARE LABELED DO NOT DISTRIBUTE.
UM, BUT CREATING A REPORT LIKE THIS AND SENDING IT TO THE CITY WHILE NOT COMMON, IT'S NOT UNCOMMON.
AND JUDGE SLAYTON TO YOUR COURT ADMINISTRATOR IN COCONINO COUNTY, ARE YOU FAMILIAR WITH THE CITIES AND THEIR PRACTICES? YEAH.
UM, IT VARIES FROM CITY TO CITY IN COCONINO COUNTY, BUT IT'S NOT UNCOMMON TO PROVIDE A MONTHLY REPORT TO NOT CITY COUNCIL, BUT USUALLY IT GOES TO EITHER THE CITY MANAGER OR CITY FINANCE DIRECTOR.
WE JUST WANT THE JUDGE TO STAY.
WE DON'T NEED THAT STUFF, YOU KNOW.
DUN ON, ON, UH, TEAMS. YOU HAVE ANYTHING TO ADD? NO, I THINK EVERYTHING'S BEEN SAID.
I THINK MY ESTEEMED COLLEAGUES HAVE COVERED ALL BASES SUFFICIENTLY.
JUST A QUESTION ABOUT THE AJA SYSTEM, AND IS IT REALLY TIME TO PULL THE PLUG ON US USING THAT TO GENERATE THESE REPORTS? IT SEEMS THAT THE EXPERIENCE IN OTHER COUNTIES, IS IT I'LL, I'LL LET SHARON.
SHE, SHE ACTUALLY WORKS ON THE SYSTEM.
I'VE, I'VE HONESTLY HAVE NEVER TYPED ANYTHING INTO THE SYSTEM MYSELF.
SO I'VE WORKED MORE ON THE FINANCIAL PIECE OF IT, NOT ACTUALLY RECEDING MONIES INTO THE COURT.
UM, BUT THE AJA SYSTEM IS A WONDERFUL SYSTEM.
UM, THERE'S CERTAIN FEATURES THAT
[00:45:01]
ARE BETTER THAN OTHERS.AND SO WE DEFINITELY RELY UPON IT FOR FINANCIALS.
THE COURT WOULD BE LOST WITHOUT IT, IT, WE WOULDN'T KNOW HOW MUCH MONEY WE'RE BRINGING IN ON A DAILY BASIS IF WE DIDN'T HAVE AJA SYSTEM.
UM, THE ISSUE IS ALWAYS THE, WHAT THEY CONSIDERED THE BANK BALANCE IN AJA.
THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE HAVEN'T BEEN ABLE TO RECONCILE, UM, IN MANY OF OUR COURTS TO THAT.
THAT'S WHY WE USE AN EXCEL DOCUMENT TO TRACK ALL OF THOSE MONIES AND RECONCILE TO THE BANK STATEMENT OR BALANCE TO THE BANK STATEMENT.
WOULD YOU BE ABLE TO BE SURE, NOW, I KNOW YOU SAID BRENDA, UH, SHORE HAS SOME KIND OF A SPREADSHEET, BUT COULD YOU GO OVER THAT TO MAKE SURE IT'S SOMETHING THAT, I MEAN, WE DON'T WANNA KEEP BOTHERING YOU AND TAKING YOUR TIME AND IT JUST, THE FACT THAT YOU'RE OFFERING TO DO THAT IS REALLY, REALLY APPRECIATED.
BUT THAT HAS TO COME TO AN END AT A CERTAIN POINT IN TIME.
BUT TO GET EVERYTHING UP TO SPEED TILL WE GO IN THE SAME MOMENTUM, COULD YOU WORK WITH THEM TO GET THEM SETTLED? YES, MYSELF AND OR SHELLY AND THEN SOME OF OUR, UM, FINANCIAL EXPERTS IN COCONINO COUNTY WHO WORKS ON THOSE ON A DAILY BASIS, WE WILL PROVIDE ASSISTANCE SO WE DON'T HAVE TO HAVE THIS CONVERSATION AGAIN FOR MANY, MANY YEARS OR EVER.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR OFFERING THAT.
UM, ARE THE P CARD STATEMENTS STILL AN ISSUE? OKAY.
UH, I DID BRING IT UP EARLIER, BUT THAT'S THE CREDIT CARD, RIGHT? RIGHT.
SO WE ISSUE TO DE DEPARTMENTS AND EMPLOYEES TO BE ABLE TO HAVE, UM, WHAT WE CALL A PURCHASING CARD OF P CARD, WHICH IS ESSENTIALLY A CREDIT CARD TO MAKE PURCHASES.
UM, WE, THE, THE WAY THAT IT COMES FROM THE BANK, WE HAVE TO DO THE UPLOAD INTO OUR ACCOUNTING SYSTEM, UM, FOR ALL DEPARTMENTS AT ONCE.
SO ALL DEPARTMENTS HAVE TO HAVE THEIRS IN AND IF, IF ONE DEPARTMENT DOESN'T TURN THEIRS IN, THEN WE CAN'T, IT JUST STOPS.
WE CAN'T DO ANYTHING UNTIL THEY PROVIDE THAT, WHICH MEANS ALL OF THE DEPARTMENTS ACROSS THE CITY DON'T HAVE ACCURATE INFORMATION IN THE ACCOUNTING SYSTEM TO BE ABLE TO SEE WHERE THEY'RE AT ON THEIR ACCOUNTS.
AND, UM, SO THERE'S BEEN, UM, A, A FEW MONTHS WHERE THEY'VE BEEN TIMELY WITH TURNING IT IN AND LOTS OF MONTHS WHERE IT HASN'T BEEN TIMELY.
AND WE REALLY NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT THAT IS TIMELY BECAUSE IT'S NOT, IT DOESN'T JUST IMPACT THE COURT, IT IMPACTS THE ENTIRE CITY.
SO SHERRY, WHAT IS TIMELY BY THE 15TH OF THE MONTH? THE 10TH OF THE MONTH.
THE 10TH OF THE MONTH IS WHEN THEY'RE DUE.
SO JUDGE, WE'RE GONNA GIVE YOU DIRECTION.
WE'RE GONNA SEE IF THERE'S CONSENSUS HERE ON THE COUNCIL TO GIVE YOU DIRECTION THAT BRENDA SHORE HAS TO PROVIDE THAT INFORMATION.
AND IF YOU'RE CHARGING THINGS ON THAT CREDIT CARD, YOU HAVE THE RECEIPTS AND EVERYTHING ELSE, YOU COULD PUT THAT IN THE SPREADSHEET AND PROVIDE THAT BY THE 10TH OF THE MONTH.
UH, AND THAT'S GONNA, WE'RE GONNA HOLD FIRM ON THAT AS WELL AS THE OTHER THINGS.
AND I DO WANT TO GO OVER THE RECONCILIATION OR WHATEVER THE BANK BALANCE, WHATEVER YOU WANNA CALL IT, THAT'S NOT JUST TILL THE END OF FISCAL YEAR.
THIS IS GOING TO BE CONTINUED MONTHLY MOVING FORWARD.
AND SO, SHERRY, GIVE ME A DATE OF WHEN THAT YOU WOULD EXPECT TO RECEIVE THOSE MONTHLY STATEMENTS OR REPORTS FROM BRENDA SHORE SO THAT IF THE NEXT DAY COMES UP AND IT'S NOT, YOU'LL BE ABLE TO CALL THE JUDGE AND SAY IT'S MISSING AND IT'S, OR LATER OR WHATEVER IT IS.
UM, SO AS FAR AS LIKE THE REVENUE DISTRIBUTIONS EACH MONTH, I WOULD SAY BY THE 15TH, UM, SHOULD BE, I WOULD THINK WOULD BE TYPICAL OF WHAT COULD BE DONE.
AND SHE'S BEEN ABLE TO GET AT LEAST ONE OF THE MONTHS IN BY NINE DAYS WITHIN.
UM, AND AS FAR AS THE, UM, BANK RECONCILIATIONS, UM, BY THE END OF THE FOLLOWING MONTH.
SO IS THAT DOABLE TO YOU, JUDGE? YEAH.
THIS IS REALLY GOOD, REALLY MOVING FORWARD QUITE NICELY.
I I, THIS IS GONNA MAKE ME FEEL GOOD, SO, OKAY.
UH, ANYTHING ELSE ON THE DAIS? ALRIGHT, UH, KURT, FOR THE MOTION THAT YOU HAVE HERE, IT'S STILL GONNA STAY THE SAME.
UH, IT'S UP TO COUNSEL, BUT, UM, I'M NOT SURE OF THE EXACT TIME FRAME.
SO IF, IF COUNSEL WANTED TO CHANGE THAT.
SO WE NEED TO, UH, WELL, WE HAVE THE DATES.
DO YOU WANT THEM IN THE MOTION OR JUST AS AMENDED? I THINK THEY SHOULD BE IN THE, IN THE MOTION, WHATEVER DATE COUNCIL DECIDED ON.
THERE'S THREE DIFFERENT DATES, UH, FOR, YOU KNOW, THREE DIF OR DATES FOR THREE DIFFERENT, UH, ITEMS. SO, UM, THE P CARD RECEIPTS, THE, THE BANK RECONCILIATION, AND THEN IT WAS, WHAT WAS THE THIRD?
[00:50:01]
REVENUE, REVENUE REVENUE.SO, BUT THE, THE P CARD AND REVENUE ARE JUST TIMELY, NOT NECESSARILY A, A SET DATE.
WELL, RIGHT, BUT IT, THE P CARD HAS TO BE BY THE 10TH OF, RIGHT.
BECAUSE I DON'T WANT TO SAY TIMELY AND IT COMES UP 30 DAYS BEHIND.
I, I'M, WE REALLY NEED TO KEEP IT IN CHECK.
SO, SO THE P CART P CARTS ARE BY THE 10TH.
THE 10TH THE RECONCILIATIONS OR BALANCING OR WHATEVER THEY CALL IT IS BY THE 15TH.
AND THEN THE THIRD THING WAS THE REVENUE, REVENUE DISTRIBUTIONS.
IS THAT FAIR? I MEAN, WHAT YOU WOULD DO BE DOING IN DALE COUNTY? I DON'T WANNA BE RE RESTRICTIVE AT ALL.
I WANT TO GIVE THEM ENOUGH TIME THAT IT CAN BE DONE FAIRLY.
THE ONE QUESTION I WILL HAVE ON THAT IS THE REVENUE DISTRIBUTION, GENERALLY THAT COMES OUT AT THE SAME TIME THEY DO THEIR MONTHLY IS I'LL ASK SHARON BECAUSE I'M NOT ENTIRELY SURE MYSELF.
SO THE, THE CHECK THAT WOULD BE, THIS IS THE CHECK THAT GETS WRITTEN TO THE CITY FROM THE COLLECTIONS MM-HMM.
IT MAY TAKE A LITTLE BIT LONGER.
RECONCILIATION, DEPENDING ON IF THERE'S ANY ISSUES.
CUZ THE RECONCILIATION FROM MY UNDERSTANDING WOULD ALSO INCLUDE OUTSTANDING BONDS, OUTSTANDING RESTITUTION.
AND YOU PROBABLY CUT YOUR CHECK FOR THE MONTH END FOR REVENUE PRIOR TO DOING THAT, SO, OKAY.
IT'S NICE TO GIVE A LITTLE BIT MORE TIME FOR THAT.
SO, UM, WE HAVE, DO ANYBODY ELSE OTHER THAN MYSELF HAVE THE MOTION UP? I DON'T HAVE A MOTION.
OH, IT DIDN'T GO TO EVERYBODY.
I THOUGHT IT WAS SENT TO EVERYBODY, BUT, OKAY.
UH, I MOVED TO AFFIRM THE DIRECTION PROVIDED IN THE MARCH 19TH, WHICH YOU, YOU RECEIVED THAT MARCH 19TH LETTER WITH THE AMENDMENT, UH, THAT ALL FY 23 MONTHLY AND ANNUAL BANK RECONCILIATIONS BE PROVIDED TO THE CITY FINANCE DEPARTMENT AS BY AS AMENDED.
BUT IS THAT WORK OR NO? DO YOU WANNA JUST STATE THE TIMES ONE MORE TIME AS PART OF YOUR MOTION? JESSICA'S GONNA DO THAT.
THE RECONCILI, THE P CARD, PURCHASING CARD DATA MUST BE AT, FINANCED BY THE 10TH OF THE MONTH.
THE REVENUE DISTRIBUTION BY THE 15TH OF THE MONTH AND THE RECONCILIATION BY THE END OF THE MONTH.
THAT'S THE TIMEFRAMES THAT SHOULD BE IN THE WHATEVER FORMAL THING THIS IS.
SO EVERYBODY, IS THAT THE APPROPRIATE WORD? THAT'S, IT'S A VERY COMMON BOOKKEEPING TERM TO CALL IT A BANK RECONCILIATION.
IT'S NOT PARTICULAR TO WHAT HE DOES.
SO EXCEPT THAT'S THE SOURCE OF THE CONFUSION.
SO DO WE HAVE A MOTION HERE OR NOT?
MIKE, YOU UNDERSTOOD WHAT, WHAT, WHAT WE'RE DOING? YES.
SO I DON'T HAVE, SO KURT, WAS THAT SUFFICIENT? YES.
DO I HAVE A SECOND? I SECOND IT.
ANY DISCUSSION? YOU SURE? BRIAN? YOU POSITIVE? I'M PRETTY SURE.
DO WE NEED TO PUT IN THE MOTION PAST DATA TO JUNE OF 22? WE DO NEED THAT INFORMATION, RIGHT? YEAH.
SO WHY DON'T WE MAKE START FRESH WITH A NEW MOTION.
A NEW MOTION SINCE IT, IT'S BEEN KIND OF HASHED.
SO YOU READ IT UP TO WHERE THE DATES GO IN? BECAUSE I DON'T HAVE IT IN FRONT OF ME.
YOU OR YOU COULD PROVIDE IT TO COUNCIL WILLIAMSON IF YOU HAVE IT.
WHY DON'T YOU EMAIL IT TO YOU? HAVE YOUR COMPUTER COUNSEL WILLIAMSON.
I HAVE MY COMPUTER RIGHT HERE.
P CARD WOULD BE UH, CAUSE I WASN'T TAKING NOTES WHILE SHE WAS SAYING IT, BUT YOU WERE SPOT ON.
NO, NOBODY RIGHT UP THERE READY TO GO.
YOU ARE ALWAYS NORMALLY READY WITH THE EMOTIONS.
WHY DON'T YOU JUST BECAUSE I DON'T HAVE ALL THE DATES AND THEN, UM, HE'LL, HE'LL SEND IT TO YOU AND YOU CAN PLUG IN THE DATES.
THE 10TH OF THE MONTH FOR THE P CARD, THE RECONCILIATION, THE REVENUE DISTRICT, I'M DOING IT BY THE, BY THE DATES DUE.
THE REVENUE DISTRIBUTION IS THE 15TH.
[00:55:01]
AND THE RECONCILIATION BY THE END OF THE MONTH.AND, UM, AND THE COCONINO COUNTY, UH, COURT STAFF IS ASSISTING, IS GOING TO ASSIST.
THAT'S HAVING, THAT'S NOT PART OF THE MOTION.
WELL, THE MOTION IS THAT IT'S DONE BEFORE THE END, YOU KNOW.
BUT THEY'RE HELPING, IT'S GONNA COME THROUGH OUR COURT, SO IT'S OKAY.
WE DON'T WANNA SO'S IT WORSE THAN IT ALREADY IS.
AND THEN, BUT THEN, THEN THE PART THAT WE DIDN'T HAVE IS YEAH, BUT THE PAST DATA, THE PAST DATA AND THE PAST DATA, IS THAT PART OF THE MOTION OR NOT? YES.
AND MAYBE, CAN I THROW ON ONE WRINKLE IN THERE ABOUT YOUR MONTHLY RECONCILIATIONS? IT SHOULD BE BY THE END OF THE FOLLOWING MONTH.
I, THAT'S FAIR TO ADD BY THE END OF THE FOLLOWING QUESTION.
SO EACH, IS THAT WHAT YOU MEAN? YES.
ALL, ALL OF THOSE ARE AFTER MONTH END.
MAY MAYOR, ALL OF THOSE DATES ARE AFTER MONTH END, RIGHT? OH, THIS, DO, DO WE NEED THAT INTO THE, UH, MOTION OR IT'S UNDERSTOOD? YES.
SO IT'S THE 10TH OF THE FOLLOWING MONTH.
THE 15TH OF THE FOLLOWING MONTH AND THE END OF THE FOLLOWING MONTH.
SO WHEN WE MAKE THE MOTION, LET'S MAKE SURE IT'S REALLY CLEAR AND EVERYBODY AGREES,
YEAH, THERE IS ME, JOANNE, WHAT ARE YOU? OKAY.
LET'S, I THINK I HAVE THIS, THE, THE FINAL PART IS PAST DUE WILL BE PROVIDED, UH, AS OF JUNE, 2022.
IS THAT CORRECT? WELL, WHO THE PAST DUE, UH, REPORTS FROM JUNE.
I'M SUGGESTING THAT YOU PUT BOTH IN THAT PART AS OF AND WHEN DO RIGHT, RIGHT.
PA AS OF JUNE JUST GOT, SO I CAN OH, YOU HAVE AS OF JUNE 30TH, 2022.
DUE, UM, BY, DUE BY WHEN THE, THE RECONCILIATIONS FOR JUNE 22 TO NOW, WHEN DO YOU NEED THAT? WHEN DO YOU NEED THEM ALL? BY THE END OF JULY, 2023.
SO THAT'S WHERE, THAT WAS BEFORE KURT.
DO I HEAR A MOTION? I WILL MAKE A MOTION.
I DON'T EVEN KNOW WHERE IT IS.
WHERE IT, IT'S RIGHT IN THE BODY OF THE EMAIL.
AH, I MOVE TO AFFIRM THE DIRECTION PROVIDED.
I MOVE TO AFFIRM THE DIRECTION PROVIDED IN THE MARCH 19TH, 2023 LETTER WITH THE AMENDMENT THAT ALL FISCAL 23 MONTHLY AND ANNUAL BANQUET RECONCILIATION BE PROVIDED TO THE CITY FINANCE DEPARTMENT BY JULY 30TH, 2020, 20, 23.
FURTHERMORE, THE PURCHASE CARD STATEMENTS WILL BE SUBMITTED TO FINANCE BY THE 10TH OF THE FOLLOWING MONTH.
THE REVENUE DISTRIBUTION WILL BE DIS, UM, PROVIDED TO FINANCE BY THE 15TH OF THE FOLLOWING MONTH.
AND THE RECONCILI BANK RECONCILIATION WILL BE PROVIDED BY THE COURT TO FINANCE BY THE END OF THE FOLLOWING MONTH.
DO WE NEED A SECOND? SECONDED BY? YES.
SECOND, I'LL SECOND THAT MYSELF TO GET THIS MOVING.
ANY, ANY DISCUSSION? NO DIS DISCUSSION.
OH, MELISSA, ANYTHING? NO, SIR.
ALL RIGHT, NOW WE ARE, WE ARE GOOD, UH, ON THIS.
IT'S, THIS IS GONNA GO A LONG WAY TO HELP US.
I'M JUST SO GLAD TO GET THIS PUT TO BED.
ALL RIGHT, JUDGE, THANK YOU FOR BEARING WITH US.
THANK YOU FOR MAKING THE TRIP UP.
ANYTHING ELSE? HEARING NOTHING.