Summer help relative status, city administrator purchasing power

11/3/11

I would like to clarify what I brought up at the City of Montrose city council open forum, that it was about the summer help employees, there were 2 of them.  I did say as noted in the paper that they should review the relative status and the date on the application, should be for both of these employees.  The paper also did have that city staff said the summer help often return to work for another summer but the part that was missed that was brought up at open forum is that the city council never approved the hiring of these 2 employees.

Later last year the Council had granted permission to the Public Works director to Interview and Hire for an open position for a full-time utility billing clerk at a city council meeting.  Then at the next council meeting the following month, the council hired the recommended person.  Just a clarification, according to the League of MN Cities, the Council has the sole authority to appoint employees, which someone sent to some of the city council members in between those meetings.  One of these 2 summer help employees was hired after this occurred.

I also found it interesting that Mayor Kauffman recently voted against a council member's wife to be on another city commission.  This person rarely if ever seems to miss meetings and of the 3 applicants was the only one that attended the meeting where the council appointed them.

Recodification and large purchasing power
The city is also working on recodification of the city ordinances which is incorporating changes.

A section is attempting to add purchasing/contracting up to $5000 and purchasing/contracting authority up to $25,000 for previously budgeted items after obtaining 2 or more quotes for the city administrator.  However, in our plan of city, according to the League of MN Cities, "because only the council may approve actual purchases, the purchasing agent should always obtain council approval before taking any final action."  So, I'm not sure if they can have this written into the city ordinance.  The recodification was removed from the last agenda so it can be a workshop item and be reviewed in more detail.