OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD
Record of Proceedings

Brighton City Council Study Session - June 11, 2024: Audit, Transportation, Finance Updates

City Council — Tuesday, June 11, 2024
BodyBrighton, Colorado
SessionCity Council
DateTuesday, June 11, 2024
StatusFILED
Video Record
0:00 / 1:15:00

Transcript — Verbatim
0:33

Good evening, everybody, and welcome to our June 11th study session.

0:38

Let's begin with the Pledge of Allegiance.

0:40

And Mr.

0:41

Fiddler, would you lead us, please?

0:58

Liberty and Justice for all.

1:03

I will point out while people are getting organized that the flags are in the right place versus at the Brighton High School graduation ceremony where they were on the wrong sides of the stage.

1:14

Yeah, I have no idea.

1:16

I think it's the president of the school board who is responsible for that.

1:23

Okay.

1:25

Welcome to the study session.

1:27

Our first item up is actually consideration of an appointment to the parks and rec advisory board.

1:31

So we will give our city clerk a moment to come forward and talk to us about that candidate.

1:43

Good evening, Mayor Pro Tem and Council.

1:46

The Parks and Recreation Advisory Board is recommending the appointment of Keith Mutz as a member of their board.

1:54

If nobody has any objections, I will prepare a resolution for next meeting.

2:00

Is this a reappointment or a new appointment?

2:02

It's a new appointment.

2:03

Excellent.

2:04

Okay.

2:04

Good.

2:05

We need new blood in that arena.

2:06

Any opposition to that being on our consent agenda or other comments.

2:11

Do you have any background on Mr.

2:13

Mutz?

2:14

I do not.

2:15

No, they um all that information goes to the board.

2:18

There are a few boards that you guys do the background information on.

2:22

There was the letter from the board, but yeah, no background information.

2:28

I I guess you could send them out that I would like to have a little bit more information about them.

2:32

I'd like to some background about why we should be uh moving them forward.

2:37

I don't have any problem with this, but I really would like some background on them.

2:40

Our city attorney might want to comment on which of those we get to make any decision other than approving what the board itself does, but I I did notice that it was not a demand.

2:53

Oh I was gonna mention we will have an upcoming study session to talk about that policy, so it might be something you want to add to the policy that you'd like that.

3:05

Okay, Councilman Johnston.

3:07

Thank you, Mayor Pro Tem.

3:08

Um yeah, just to comment on that is uh in three different rounds, it's changed on what we've done in the past with this, and so each council kind of changes the policy of that just to give Natalie a headache or whatever you'd like to call it.

3:25

But there were some boards that were left to just them.

3:29

And this just happened three years ago, I believe, just to let you know, but um in future discussions we can obviously do what we please, but it has been discussed heavily multiple times since I've been in council and changed three times what boards we hear about more and not just to let you all know.

3:44

Thanks.

3:45

And we do have a representative on our council who sits on the parks and rec advisory board.

3:50

So is there anything you would like to offer us from that discussion?

3:53

Either.

4:16

But they did a much more deep dive into it.

4:19

And they felt like he was a qualified candidate.

4:22

And uh so that uh at everything I've seen, he looks like a he sounds like it.

4:29

He's a young man.

4:31

Well, everybody's a young man compared to me.

4:34

Uh he's he uh he's yeah, he's he's a young man.

4:37

He's uh and he's uh we've got his wife's uh happily employed uh here in the area.

4:44

So they're young couple.

4:47

Okay, I have heard no objection to this being on the consent agenda.

4:51

Thank you very much, council.

5:00

Okay, uh the next item on here is our 2023 audit results.

5:02

Uh Mr.

5:03

Deputy City Manager, who do we have presenting on this item tonight?

5:07

Good evening, Mayor Pro Tim and Council members, the city managers away for a well-deserved vacation.

5:13

Karen and I are keeping the wheels on the bus.

5:16

We are inviting up uh our finance team and our new auditors.

5:20

As you recall, we are using a new firm for the first year.

5:24

So uh if you could do introductions, we'll take it away.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Procurement███████████████████████████27%
Engineering And Infrastructure█████████████████17%
Fiscal Sustainability████████████████16%
Parks and Recreation███████████11%
Public Engagement█████████9%
Transportation Safety████████8%
Public Works█████5%
Personnel Matters███3%
Procedural██2%
Summary of Proceedings

Brighton City Council Study Session - June 11, 2024

The City Council held a study session on June 11, 2024, at 6:00 PM. Key topics included the 2023 audit results, the 2024 Transportation Preservation and Improvement Project (TPIP), a Finance Department update, and policy items. The meeting also featured a consent calendar appointment and public comments on sidewalks, parking safety, and a potential tree department.

Consent Calendar

  • Appointment to Parks and Recreation Advisory Board: Council agreed to place the appointment of Keith Mutz on the consent agenda for the next regular meeting. Councilmember Johnston noted that the policy on which boards require council background review has changed multiple times. Councilmember Padula (liaison to the board) confirmed the board conducted a thorough review and found Mutz qualified.

Discussion Items

2023 Audit Results (6:00 PM)

  • The city’s new external auditors, Ruben Brown, presented the results. The audit issued an unmodified (clean) opinion on the financial statements and a clean opinion on the single audit (required due to $10.9 million in federal expenditures, exceeding the $750,000 threshold).
  • A significant deficiency in internal control was noted regarding the COVID-19 State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds (ALN 21.027): reports were filed accurately and on time, but the preparer and submitter roles were not clearly separated (no documented review sign-off).
  • Recommendations included: (1) review employee files to ensure current documentation; (2) better catalog intergovernmental agreements for financial impact; (3) tighten escrow balance tracking; (4) add documented sign-offs to sales tax reconciliation. Assistant Finance Director Haley Miller confirmed all recommendations would be implemented before the next audit.
  • Councilmember Johnston clarified the definition of a single audit. Councilmember Green asked about implementation plans; Miller confirmed all would be addressed.

2024 Transportation Preservation and Improvement Project (6:15 PM)

  • Public Works Director Greg LeBrie and Construction Manager Joseph Leon presented the annual $4,506,946 project. Work includes mill and overlay, mill patching, enhanced pedestrian striping, and shareows (bicycle symbols). Major areas: Baseline Road, Bromley Lane, Bridge Street, and other high-traffic/high-pedestrian zones. One responsive bid was received from A1 Chip Seal.
  • Council discussion highlighted that the project scope is budget-constrained rather than need-driven. Councilmember Snyder asked for a list of all deferred maintenance to justify additional funding. Councilmember Johnston raised concerns about missing sidewalk connections, particularly on 50th Avenue near the bus stop, and requested the project not be placed on the consent agenda to allow public comment. Mayor Pro Tem agreed.
  • Councilmember Green noted that Judicial Center Drive was omitted due to ongoing water treatment plant construction; Deputy City Manager Marv Falkenberg confirmed it will be addressed after the plant is complete. Councilmember Worth praised the public works team's responsiveness. Councilmember Taddeo suggested unbundling concrete work to attract smaller local contractors; staff is already surveying bidders to improve competition next year.
  • Staff recommendation: award the contract to A1 Chip Seal. A future council meeting will consider the award (likely on a consent agenda, but council indicated it should be a regular agenda item given the dollar amount).

Finance Department Update (6:30 PM)

  • Finance Director Katrina presented an overview of the 17-person department, highlighting values and key functions. Highlights:
    • Accounting: 5-person team handling all financial transactions, reporting, and audit support.
    • Procurement: 2-person team; executed over 200 contracts year-to-date, reduced average procurement days by 4 (to 42 days overall, 71 days for formal solicitations). Top customers: Utilities, Parks & Rec, Facilities. Accomplishments: municipal code updates, PCARD conversion, creation of a Master Price Agreement panel.
    • Revenue: Managing nearly 6,000 business accounts; 15 compliance audits in progress, $400,000 assessed year-to-date. Utility billing: 13,000 active accounts; 123 water assistance applications approved, $60,000 in assistance awarded. A new utility billing system will be implemented as part of the larger ERP replacement ("Project Panda").
  • Project Panda: Replacement of the legacy financial system with Tyler Technologies’ ERP. Four phases: Chart of Accounts (completed 2 weeks early), HR/Payroll (in design), Financials (starting soon), Utilities (starting October). Implementation spans ~18 months, with post-go-live support. Steering committee includes Finance, IT, and Budget. The city’s project manager is Coa Hills.
  • Councilmembers commended the team for a clear presentation and expressed appreciation for the department’s work.

Policy Items (Dog Park and Tree Department)

  • Dog Park: Deputy City Manager Falkenberg reported that two policy requests had been submitted via the new Monday.com system. The city has been studying a west-side dog park; the preferred location is Colorado Park (2 acres, adjacent to trail and river, with parking). Staff aims to include it in the 2025 budget and construct in 2025. Councilmember Padula (who had previously requested the dog park) expressed support.
  • Tree Department: Councilmember Padula requested the city investigate creating a dedicated tree department to help property owners with tree care, citing health benefits and growing issues with aging trees. He urged council to study what other cities have done. Falkenberg suggested filling out the formal policy request form so staff can study and provide an update.
  • Councilmember Johnston raised ongoing safety concerns about parking at the new Taco Bell near apartment complexes, requesting action. Falkenberg encouraged use of the Monday.com form to track issues.

Key Outcomes

  • Consent Calendar: Appointment of Keith Mutz to Parks and Recreation Advisory Board will be placed on the next regular meeting consent agenda.
  • Audit Recommendations: Staff committed to implementing all four audit recommendations before the next audit cycle.
  • Transportation Project: The $4,506,946 contract with A1 Chip Seal will be brought to a future council meeting for a vote on a regular (not consent) agenda. Council directed staff to provide a list of all deferred maintenance needs for budget planning.
  • Finance Update: Noted for information; Project Panda continues on schedule.
  • Dog Park: Staff will pursue a west-side dog park at Colorado Park, aiming for 2025 budget inclusion and construction.
  • Tree Department: Councilmember Padula’s request will be formally submitted via the policy request form for study.
  • Parking Safety: Councilmember Johnston’s concern will be documented via the Monday.com system for follow-up.

Meeting Transcript

Good evening, everybody, and welcome to our June 11th study session. Let's begin with the Pledge of Allegiance. And Mr. Fiddler, would you lead us, please? Liberty and Justice for all. I will point out while people are getting organized that the flags are in the right place versus at the Brighton High School graduation ceremony where they were on the wrong sides of the stage. Yeah, I have no idea. I think it's the president of the school board who is responsible for that. Okay. Welcome to the study session. Our first item up is actually consideration of an appointment to the parks and rec advisory board. So we will give our city clerk a moment to come forward and talk to us about that candidate. Good evening, Mayor Pro Tem and Council. The Parks and Recreation Advisory Board is recommending the appointment of Keith Mutz as a member of their board. If nobody has any objections, I will prepare a resolution for next meeting. Is this a reappointment or a new appointment? It's a new appointment. Excellent. Okay. Good. We need new blood in that arena. Any opposition to that being on our consent agenda or other comments. Do you have any background on Mr. Mutz? I do not. No, they um all that information goes to the board. There are a few boards that you guys do the background information on. There was the letter from the board, but yeah, no background information. I I guess you could send them out that I would like to have a little bit more information about them. I'd like to some background about why we should be uh moving them forward. I don't have any problem with this, but I really would like some background on them. Our city attorney might want to comment on which of those we get to make any decision other than approving what the board itself does, but I I did notice that it was not a demand. Oh I was gonna mention we will have an upcoming study session to talk about that policy, so it might be something you want to add to the policy that you'd like that. Okay, Councilman Johnston. Thank you, Mayor Pro Tem. Um yeah, just to comment on that is uh in three different rounds, it's changed on what we've done in the past with this, and so each council kind of changes the policy of that just to give Natalie a headache or whatever you'd like to call it. But there were some boards that were left to just them. And this just happened three years ago, I believe, just to let you know, but um in future discussions we can obviously do what we please, but it has been discussed heavily multiple times since I've been in council and changed three times what boards we hear about more and not just to let you all know. Thanks. And we do have a representative on our council who sits on the parks and rec advisory board. So is there anything you would like to offer us from that discussion? Either. But they did a much more deep dive into it. And they felt like he was a qualified candidate. And uh so that uh at everything I've seen, he looks like a he sounds like it. He's a young man. Well, everybody's a young man compared to me. Uh he's he uh he's yeah, he's he's a young man. He's uh and he's uh we've got his wife's uh happily employed uh here in the area. So they're young couple.

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