08/18/1998 Meeting Minutes - Laserfiche WebLink

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Council Minutes of 8/18/98 construction season. Also, he asked when the audit might be completed. Mrs. Copfer ~:~ replied that she cannot get a date of commitment from the Auditor of State's office. There are issues pending that make it difficult to determine a time frame. She is not allowed by law to discuss issues regarding an on-going audit; but, once they are resolved, things will move quickly. She is not waiting for the whole audit opinion and finished product. She is simply waiting to make sure that the numbers are as presented. We cannot get a partial release of funds because she has to be able to verify that all the funds for the contract are available. She would have to have all the money temporarily advanced to be able to sign the contract. Mr. O'Grady asked if an update of the audit could be given at the Finance Committee meeting. Mrs. Copfer said she is not allowed to discuss the progress of the audit until its resolution. Mr. Limpert asked if it was possible to have updates as they were done in the past when Council signed papers saying what was said at the meeting would not be repeated until the audit was complete. Mr. O'Grady said that would have to be a closed meeting, and Mrs. Copfer replied that it was her understanding that was not an appropriate purpose for a closed meeting under the Sunshine Law. Law Director Gareau clarified that those meetings were post-audit conferences. Until the audit is completed, no such meetings can be held. Until the auditors get the issues resolved that need to be resolved, we are not going to know the breadth and extent of those issues and how they are going to resolve until they do it. Councilman Gareau asked Service Director Bohlmann what impact this time frame would have on the slab repair projects. Mr. Bohlmann replied that, if we can start within the next three weeks, we will be able to complete the projects. In the past, we have worked into the first week of December. It is possible to bring in larger crews, but at this point we are disrupting the contractor's schedule. We have 60 days to execute the contract from the time that the Board of Control meets. If we do not execute the contract within those 60 days, the contractor has the right to void it. Mr. Bohlmann called to Council's attention two other projects that are awaiting start-up: the ADA project at Old Town Hall, which is being done with grant money, and the north Barton Road culvert. The Barton Road culvert contract has been awarded by the Board of Control, and the bid opening for the ADA project will be held on August 24. We have to at least be underway with the ADA project or we will lose the grant money. Mayor Musial said he had spoken to the lead auditor today and expressed to him the urgency of completing the audit as quickly as possible. The auditors have indicated that they are attempting to do so. Mr. Miller suggested that Council hold aCommittee-of--the-Whole meeting to discuss these issues. President Saringer agreed and said she would set the time under the Miscellaneous Business portion of the meeting. 4 ,~ _r _ ,.