The City of Centennial has voted to streamline its contracting process by increasing City Manager John Daniels’ signature authority on select routine contracts and expenditures, as long as they meet certain criteria.
City council unanimously approved a resolution that gives Daniels the power to execute a prescribed list of expenditures exceeding his $300,000 spending authority, in an effort to increase efficiencies within local government.
According to a staff report, the move is designed to reduce the number of routine contracts and purchases reviewed by council, by approving a list of contracts and purchases specifically identified within the 2012 Revised and 2013 Adopted Budgets to be executed by Daniels.
“This really isn’t anything new or exiting, but it is important,” said District 1 Council Member Vorry Moon. “We do this every year; we’re always looking for ways to improve efficiency, save money and be good stewards of taxpayer dollars.”
By resolution, the city manager currently has authority without city council approval to execute a variety of expenses, provided they have been appropriated and funds exist and don’t exceed $300,ooo for public work or capital improvement or $150,ooo for items not related to such.
Moon cautioned this is in no way an opportunity for a financial free-for-all.
“Council has a very strict set of checks and balances,” he said. “The city manager can’t authorize anything that is not already funded and in the budget.”
The list of items Daniels is authorized to execute includes facilities and fleet services, animal services, engineering services for land use, street rehabilitation programs and public works items including signal maintenance and repairs and other miscellaneous capital improvements.
Because the city executes a number of contracts throughout the year, the process becomes cumbersome, with each item exceeding Daniels’ authority requiring a presentation to city council at both a study session and regular council meeting.
Each study and regular session requires a staff report to be generated, along with any related presentation material. The regular session also requires a resolution to be prepared for approval by city council.
The city said the current workflow adds at least a month to the approval process, barring any major changes.