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February
18/04 Report
1:30 to 2:45 pm
Committee members attending : DiIanni (chair), Collins, Ferguson (left at 2:24), Jackson, Kelly, Merulla (left at 2:18) Also Attending: Horwath
2. Changes to the Agenda:
- Grants Sub-Committee report added as Item 10.1
- Added Private and Confidential Matter respecting a verbal update on the ATU Pension. This matter will be entertained as Item 14.1.
3. Minutes of Feb. 4 th meeting approved. No discussion.
4. Election of Vice-Chair
"That Councillor T. Jackson be appointed as Vice-Chair of the Strategic Planning and Budgets Committee for 2003".
9. Discussion Items:
9.1 Follow Up of Audit Report 2002-05 Child Care Fee Subsidy Invoicing Process (CM04002) Oct. 2003:
http://www.city.hamilton.on.ca/Clerk/agendas-minutes-reports/
Strategic-Planning-Budgets/2004/Feb18/
Report%20CM04002%20-%20Follow%20Up
%202002-05%20-%20Child%20Care.pdf
The Internal Auditor Ann Pekaruk summarized the report and highlighted various issues including:
- Security issues in computer system and access
- Systems problems - provincial software programme
- Lack of staff resources and time i.e. certain reviews of supervisors on a regular basis - supervisory review of new files.
From the 24 recommendations, 13 have been implemented, 1 is in progress and 10 are yet to be implemented.
DiIanni had a question re 2.i: Overpayments not recovered previous to Jan. 2002. Why?
Staff: Time constraints in the past. Now doing regularly.
9.2 Follow Up of Audit Report 2002-09 - Social Housing - Rental Revenue and Cash Collection (CM04003) (City Wide) Nov. 2003:
http://www.city.hamilton.on.ca/Clerk/agendas-minutes-reports/
Strategic-Planning-Budgets/2004/Feb18/
Report%20CM04003%20-%20Follow%20Up%202002-09%20-
%20Social%20Housing%20-%20Rental%20Revenue.pdf
from the City minutes:
The Internal Auditor Ann Pekaruk summarized the report and highlighted various issues including::
- Harmonization of policy
- Downloaded function
- Monthly reporting packages
- Outside property managers
- Standardization of reporting package to ensure compliance
- Monitoring of defaulted tenants
- Statistical rent geared to income issues - set performance standards - mechanism needed for compliance
- Cash handling, depositing reconciliation of cheques
From the 24 recommendations, 9 have been implemented; 7 are in progress and 8 have not yet been implemented.
DiIanni : Q. re 4. Insurance (cash at counters at Hamilton Housing Corporation - auditor recommends obtaining extra insurance) Staff : This has been dealt with.
9.3 Audit Report 2003-02 Contracted Shelter Programs (CM04005) Feb. 2003:
http://www.city.hamilton.on.ca/Clerk/agendas-minutes-reports/
Strategic-Planning-Budgets/2004/Feb18/
Report%20CM04003%20-%20Follow%20Up%202002-09%20-
%20Social%20Housing%20-%20Rental%20Revenue.pdf
from the City minutes:
The Internal Auditor Ann Pekaruk summarized the report and highlighted various issues including::
- All 26 recommendations have been dealt with by business review team to address contract shelter programmes.
- Recommendations are either completed or action plans drafted.
- Policies and procedures, performance standards and effectiveness of programmes, lack of monitoring
Of the 26 recommendations, 14 have been implemented, remaining to be resolved by end of year and 1 is outstanding - homeless area and emergency shelter - tracking needed to track material so additional time will be required.
Staff :" .need to update service agreements, some of this is 8 months old."
#1. "Unresolved - system issue" (developing a set of policies and procedures - waiting in the Business Process Review Project (BPR) to conduct a GAP analysis and have it approved by the Department Management Team. Was expected to be completed by 4 th quarter 2003)
#25/26. ".anticipate resolved" (25 - that projects be financed based on their congruence with the program objectives. 26 - an evaluation of the benefits and usability of HIFIS (software system tracking information on homeless) be reviewed to generate comprehensive data for meaningful analysis)
DiIanni : "re outstanding debt burden.question to Horwath .recoverable?
Horwath : .reflects increasing poverty and inability of tenants to pay. .write-off. book-keeping exercise.
Staff : .300-400 on a monthly basis going into arrears on their rents.working with them to stay housed.
Merulla : .internal auditor stated 'Housing' is on top of their books.cannot say the same about the City.
DiIanni : (no notes)
Horwath : concurs with Merulla.Ontario Housing Corp. housing stock downloaded.not mixed communities.Regent Park example of social housing being redone to make more mixed and progressive."we have some scrambling to do re renewal of social housing and 'the community'.evictions not on.evictions = vacancy costs/homelessness etc."
9.4 2004 Internal Audit Work Plan (CM04006) :
http://www.city.hamilton.on.ca/Clerk/agendas-minutes-reports/
Strategic-Planning-Budgets/2004/Feb18/CM04006%20-
%202004%20Internal%20Audit%20Work%20Plan.pdf
from the City minutes:
The Committee addressed various issues including audits of the MFP contract, PeopleSoft (expenditures associated, cost and actual intent of programme, weaknesses and strengths).
Additional information was also discussed as it pertains to statistical information pertaining to collective bargaining, grievances. (i.e. what has been settle, arbitrations won/lost) Staff advised that a new tracking system is being used to assist in compiling this type of information for committee and council.
Merulla : pursue MFP contract.wants internal audit. Computer software problems re extracting info from it.
DiIanni : .have report
Rinaldo : report on MFP
DiIanni : We struck a deal already on MFP.Council signed off on this.
Merulla : Wants to review process .didn't get report.
Rinaldo and DiIanni : .will get them to you to.sent out already.
Staff : Merulla looking for cost? (second item?)
DiIanni : .value for audit report?
Staff : yes.working on this.
Merulla : .taking weeks to get info.isn't this the purpose of PeopleSoft (computer program) to get this info quickly .$M's spent of software.why isn't it working?
Staff : All applications?
Merulla : Contractual and consulting.should be able to isolate costs relating.who putting 'garbage in/garbage out'?
Rinaldo : .had a discussion re extracting information from People Soft just this morning.interchangeability between consulting and contractural.trying to separate.
DiIanni : .audit needed re PeopleSoft.re several functions.esp. consulting and contracts.
Collins : 2004 schedule (revision?).outcome? How will this process be effective.taking direction from staff and ex-auditors?
Staff : (missed reply)
Collins : Using "IT" as an example.overspending.
Staff : .doesn't only look at overspending.
Collins : What are these before us now representing.where are they coming from?
Staff : 50% management, some auditor.looks at other municipalities (example of computer viruses).
Horwath : Re PeopleSoft.wanted info on grievances arbitration and haven't had it!
Staff : 'G track" program acquired.some asked for in analytical.working on this, important too for staff for trends etc. G track.can share info with bargaining unit."excited about potential".
Ferguson : HECFI.implementation?
Jackson/Staff: .forward info on contract to her.
Collins/Staff : Police services.only one to recover costs.
Motion : (Jackson/Kelly)
(a) That the 2004 Internal Audit Work Plan attached to Report CM04006 as Appendix "A" be approved as amended;
Note: Internal Audit to review PeopleSoft function as it relates to consulting/contractual components.
(b) That the Director of Audit Services report the results of completed audits to the Strategic Planning and Budgets Committee on a quarterly basis.
9.5 Update - Internal/External Audits (no copy - standing item)
from the City minutes:
The Internal Auditor provided an update on internal audits underway including,evaluation of property taxation; salary payroll; contract management public works; housing; POA Revenues; Ontario Works; computer system; business travel; police revenue streams.
Staff : Completed various.still working on others.
Collins : re: 2001,2002 audit reports.wanted last time.
Staff : 2002 sent through Clerk.
from City minutes: Councillor Collins requested the reports from 2001 Audit.
10.1 Grants Sub-Committee Report 04-001, Feb. 13/04:
http://www.hamilton.ca/Finance/Grants/Sub-Committe-Reports/
Report-02-26-2004.pdf
That the following recommendations submitted by the Grants Sub-Committee be approved:
(a) Election of Chair and Vice Chair
(i) That Councillor M. Ferguson be appointed as Chairman of the Grants Sub-Committee;
(ii) That Councillor B. Kelly be appointed as Vice Chairman of the Grants Sub-Committee.
(b) Confirmation of Grant Priorities: Community Partnership Program (Social and Public Health Stream only) (City Wide) (GRA04002)
That the "priority" funding categories for the social and public health stream of the Community Partnership Program for the term 2004 to 2006 be: Category A: Access to basic needs (food), Category B: Access to basic needs (housing), Category C: Access to basic needs (freedom from violence), Category D: Community planning/coordination and Category E: Employment/life skills, be confirmed.
(c) Grant Advance: Hamilton Distress Centre (City Wide) (GRA04004)
(i) That a 2004 grant advance of $5,900 be recommended for the Hamilton Distress Centre.
(ii) That a funding recommendation for the 2004 Community Partnership Program be made contingent upon receipt of a detailed plan by the organization that addresses their ongoing financial issues.
(c) Multi-Year Funding Implementation: 2004 Community Partnership Program (City Wide) (GRA04003)
That multi-year funding be implemented as part of the 2004 Community Partner-ship process as outlined in report GRA04003.
14.1 In Camera: Private and Confidential Matter respecting a verbal update on the ATU Pension/Labour negotiation matter.
The Committee then reconvened in Open Session with no recommendation to report.
Meeting adjourned at 2:45 p.m.
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