Special Audit Committee Meeting – April 10, 2024
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Special Audit Committee Meeting – April 10, 2024
The Special Audit Committee of the San Diego City Council met on April 10, 2024, to review the Office of the City Auditor’s Recommendation Follow-up Report, hear updates from multiple city departments, and receive the City Auditor’s monthly activity report. The committee voted unanimously to approve staff recommendations on two action items and discussed the status of 130 past-due audit recommendations.
Consent Calendar
- Unanimously approved the committee actions of March 13, 2024, after no public comment.
Public Comments & Testimony
- Joyce Yata (District 3) – Expressed support for the city auditor’s office, praised the comparative salary analysis report (No. 24-06), and noted that the voters overwhelmingly (67%) approved the audit measure. She also urged more transparency on documentation for the public liability recommendation.
- Blair Beekman – Made brief general comments on the need for accountability and community engagement in audit processes.
- Additional public comment on attachment C: Joyce Yata again thanked departments and staff for their courage and willingness to serve; Blair Beekman emphasized the importance of connecting audit work to community relationships and intrinsic values like sustainability and peace.
- Public comment on item 2 (monthly activity report): Joyce Yata urged prioritization of IT audits and praised the awards; Blair Beekman highlighted the need for accessible body camera footage and integrating tech accountability into city practices.
Discussion Items
- Item 1 – Office of the City Auditor’s Recommendation Follow-up Report
- Staff presentation: City Auditor Andy Hanoff and Assistant City Auditor Matt Helm reported that the current follow-up period (ending December 31, 2023) covered 176 open recommendations from 43 audits. Of these, 18 were implemented, 130 were past due, 33 lacked updates, and 25 were not yet due. Since 2010, departments have implemented 1,177 recommendations. Two recommendations were brought for action:
- Unsafe driving hotline recommendations (1 and 4): Management disagreed; the auditor proposed that the compliance department provide updates through the follow-up process on their alternative approach.
- Public liability report recommendation 1: The auditor proposed closing it as “partially implemented – no further action” because a key component (documenting and monitoring mitigation plans) will not be implemented.
- Compliance Officer Christina Gauger welcomed the proposed clarity for future disagreements.
- Committee discussion: Vice Chair Whitburn made a motion to approve the staff recommendations; seconded and passed unanimously.
- Attachment C (informational) – Department-by-department updates: Committee member Tapsuri led the review, with each department summarizing progress on past-due recommendations. Key updates included:
- Police Department: 13 open recommendations; most expected to be implemented within 3 months.
- Compliance Department: Working on safety data system and RFI; target August 2026.
- Development Services: Code enforcement recommendations delayed due to budget constraints; deposit accounts recommendation on track for December 2024.
- Human Resources: Vacancy rate reduced from 17% to under 13%; several recommendations nearing closure.
- Parks and Recreation: Community needs assessment RFP closed; many recommendations tied to funding and meet-and-confer.
- Public Utilities: Closed 5 recommendations; AMI (smart meter) project moving to performance-based procurement with outside contractors.
- Stormwater: Reinspection fee program requires additional FTEs; budget request submitted for FY25.
- Chair Moreno commended the new format for task summaries and recognized 18 implemented recommendations, especially from Economic Development and Public Utilities.
- Staff presentation: City Auditor Andy Hanoff and Assistant City Auditor Matt Helm reported that the current follow-up period (ending December 31, 2023) covered 176 open recommendations from 43 audits. Of these, 18 were implemented, 130 were past due, 33 lacked updates, and 25 were not yet due. Since 2010, departments have implemented 1,177 recommendations. Two recommendations were brought for action:
- Item 2 – City Auditor’s Monthly Activity Report
- City Auditor Hanoff reported three issued reports since last meeting, including the recommendation follow-up report, a confidential body camera IT security audit, and a memo on 34 recommendations needing additional resources. Eight audits are in progress (including pothole re-review, contract management, facilities maintenance, Mission Bay). Four audits in planning (grants competitiveness, fleet maintenance, fire rescue overtime, Pure Water). The office has issued 14 reports in FY24 with 46 recommendations. The performance audit of brush management won the Association of Local Government Auditors’ award for Best Performance Audit (extra-large category) for the third consecutive year. Audit topics for FY25 are being solicited from the committee, council, mayor, and public.
Key Outcomes
- Vote (unanimous): Approved the staff recommendation on the unsafe driving recommendations (compliance to provide updates) and closed the public liability recommendation as partially implemented with no further action.
- Directives: Departments were encouraged to continue implementing recommendations; the audit committee will continue to monitor past-due items through the new format.
- Next Steps: The city auditor’s office will pursue FY25 audit topics, including IT risk assessment, and will establish an ad hoc subcommittee for the confidential body camera audit. The next regularly scheduled audit committee meeting is May 15, 2024, at 9 a.m.
Meeting Transcript
Good morning and welcome to the special audit committee meeting of April 10th, 2024. Our committee liaison, Natalie Kessler, will go over instructions for today's meeting. Thank you, Chair. While members of the public are able to attend the meetings in person, this meeting is being televised and live streamed on the city's website, and the council administration will continue to make arrangements for the public to comment using the Zoom webinar platform. Members of the public who wish to provide virtual testimony must enter the virtual queue by raising their hand before the virtual queue closes. The queue will close when the last virtual speaker finishes speaking or five minutes after in-person testimony ends, whichever occurs first. This will allow for better meeting management between the two platforms and ensure the committee is able to manage and conduct city business. We appreciate the public's cooperation. Chair. Thank you. I will now call the audit committee meeting of Wednesday, April 10th, 2024 to order. Natalie, please call the roll. Vice Chair Whitburn. Committee member Halburn. Here. Committee member Mafia. Here. Committee member Tapsuri. Here. And Chair, Councilmember Moreno. Present. Also attending the meeting today is Andy Henau, the city auditor. Christina Gagar with the compliance office. Coda Zeiser with the mayor's office. I actually don't see him yet. City Attorney David Carlin. If you are in person, please complete a speaker slip located at the entrance of chambers and place it on top of the box indicated at the speaker's lecture and at the front of the room. Please do so in a timely manner to ensure proper meeting management. In-person testimony will conclude before virtual testimony begins. Members of the public can also join the webinar by computer, tablet, or smartphone by accessing the link, which is listed online in the preamble language of the agenda on the city's webpage. If you need to participate by telephone, you may dial 1669-2545252, webinar ID 160717-8861 pound. This information is also available on the agenda and will appear on the screen during the public comment period for each agenda item. Members of the public who wish to provide virtual testimony must enter the virtual queue by raising their hand before the queue closes and the queue will close when the last virtual speaker finishes speaking or five minutes after in-person testimony ends, whichever occurs first. Please note that if you are watching via city 20 City TV 24 or online, there may be a delay. If you wish to speak on a particular item, wait for that item to be called and then raise your hand to speak by tapping the raise your hand icon, or if you're a call in participant, please press star nine on your phone. If you raise your hand during a non-comment period, your hand will be lowered. Chair. Thank you for reviewing the public the uh instructions for the benefit of the public. A quorum is now present and we will dispense with the approval of the committee actions of March 13th, 2024. Natalie, please proceed. Thank you, Chair. The public comment period for the committee actions is now open. If you've already joined the Zoom webinar online or by phone, please raise your hand at this time if you have any comments on the past committee minutes of March 13th, 2024. And Chair, we do not have any hands raised in the virtual queue, nor do we have any speaker slips submitted from individuals in chambers. So that will conclude public comment on the past committee minutes. May I have a second? Second. Member Mafia. Okay, now let's take the roll. Wonderful.
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