MINUTES - Special - 11/8/2000 CITY OF SALEM
NOVEMBER 8, 2000 613
SPECIAL MEETING OF THE CITY COUNCIL
A Special Meeting of the City Council was held in the Council Chamber on
Wednesday, November 8, 2000 at 6.00 P.M. for the purpose of discussion and
taking action on a recent opinion from the Legal Department regarding the Salem
Transfer Station, including the implementation of an operational audit and the
future course of action regarding the Transfer Station.
Notice of this meeting was posted on November 6, 2000 at 10.36 a.m.
Councillors DeToma, Sargent, O'Keefe, and Furey were absent.
Council President Kevin R. Harvey presided.
#785 -AUDIT ENGAGEMENT TEAM CONDUCT AUDIT OF TRANSFER
STATION RECORDS
Councillor Driscoll introduced the following Order.
ORDERED: Whereas, the City Solicitor recently completed a legal opinion which
indicated that the City's lease agreement for the operation of the Transfer Station
violated local and state procurement laws, and
Whereas, the legal opinion also called in question the amount, if any, of
revenue received by the City relative to the lease of the Transfer Station from
1994 to the present.
Now, therefore, be it ORDERED by the City Council of the City of Salem,
as follows:
That the City Council, acting by and through an Audit Engagement Team
(as defined below), shall hire an outside professional audit firm to undertake an
operational audit of operations at the Transfer Station from 1994 to present. Said
audit shall include, as a minimum, the attached scope of services. The Audit
Engagement Team, consisting of the City Solicitor, the Finance Director, the
Purchasing Agent, and Three (3) City Councillors, shall be responsible for
selecting an audit firm and finalizing the scope of services for said audit.
BE IT FURTHER ORDERED, as follows:
That the Mayor is hereby requested to forward an appropriation of
$15,000.00 to the City Council's next meeting for the hiring of an audit firm, as
outlined above.
614 CITY OF SALEM
NOVEMBER 8, 2000
SPECIAL MEETING OF THE CITY COUNCIL
Councillor O'Leary amended to add the language "once completed, it shall
be submitted to the City Council in its entirety". Councillor O'Leary's amendment
was incorporated as part of the original order.
The Order was adopted, so that it shall now read as follows:
ORDERED: Whereas, the City Solicitor recently completed a legal opinion which
indicated that the City's lease agreement for the operation of the Transfer Station
violated local and state procurement laws, and
Whereas, the legal opinion also called in question the amount, if any, of
revenue received by the City relative to the lease of the Transfer Station from
1994 to the present.
Now, therefore, be it ORDERED by the City Council of the City of Salem,
as follows:
That the City Council, acting by and through an Audit Engagement Team
(as defined below), shall hire an outside professional audit firm to undertake an
operational audit of operations at the Transfer Station from 1994 to present. Said
audit shall include, as a minimum, the attached scope of services. The Audit
Engagement Team, consisting of the City Solicitor, the Finance Director, the
Purchasing Agent, and Three (3) City Councillors, shall be responsible for
selecting an audit firm and finalizing the scope of services for said audit.
BE IT FURTHER ORDERED, as follows:
That the Mayor is hereby requested to forward an appropriation of
$15,000.00 to the City Council's next meeting for the hiring of an audit firm, as
outlined above. And that the audit, once it is completed, shall be submitted to the
City Council in its entirety.
The meeting adjourned at 6.50 P.M.
ATTEST: DEBORAH E. BURKINSHAW
CITY CLERK
CITY OF SALEM
NOVEMBER 8, 2000 615
SPECIAL MEETING OF THE CITY COUNCIL
616 CITY OF SALEM
NOVEMBER 8, 2000
SPECIAL MEETING OF THE CITY COUNCIL