10-01-2002 Special Called Regular Meeting

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e e MINUTES OF THE SPECIAL CALLED REGULAR MEETING OF THE LA PORTE AUDIT COMMITTEE OCTOBER 1, 2002 1. Call to Order The meeting was called to order by Chairperson Chuck Engelken at 6:02 p.m. Members of Committee Present: Chairperson Chuck Engelken, Councilmembers Howard Ebow and James Warren Members of Committee Absent: None Members of City Council Present: Mayor Norman Malone, Bruce Meismer, Peter Griffiths, Mike Mosteit and Barry Beasley Members of City Executive Staff and City Employees Present: City Secretary Martha Gillett, Director of Finance Cynthia Alexander, Assistant Director of Finance Michael Dolby, Assistant City Secretary Sharon Harris, Financial Services Technician Melissa Saavedra, Financial Services Manager David Gunter, Administrative Secretary Sara Urich, Acting City Manager John Joerns and City Attorney Knox Askins Others Present: B.L. Fry, Mike Urich, Houston Chronicle Journalist Robert Crowe, Louis Rigby, Stan Sherwood, Tim O'Connor, Spero Pomonis, Bill Scott and Dottie Kaminski 2. Consider approval of the Minutes of the Special Called Regular Meeting of the City of La Porte Audit Committee held on September 17,2002. Motion was made by Howard Ebow to approve the minutes as presented. A second by Chuck Engelken. The motion carried unanimously. 3. Committee to receive and review the final report from independent auditor, Mark Tiller, and forward final audit report to City Council. Chairperson Engelken instructed the audience that questions for the auditor would be limited to Committee members and City Council members. Copies of the final report will be available for purchase by members ofthe public at the conclusion of tonight's meeting. In addition, a copy will be kept in the City Secretary's Office for the public's viewing. Independent auditor, Mark Tiller, addressed some comments or questions that came to his attention concerning his firm's relationship with Police Chief Richard Reff, City Manager Robert Herrera and Mr. Herrera's attorney, Randall B. Strong. To make this public, Mr. Tiller will address each of these individuals and their relationship with his firm. As for Mr. Strong, Mr. Tiller knows him on a professional basis, that's to say that he knows Mr. Strong as an attorney living in Baytown. Until he and Mr. Herrera came to his office in response to our interview request for Mr. Herrera, and to Mr. Tiller's knowledge, Mr. Strong had never been in his office. Mr. Strong has a collection contract with the City ofBaytown; Mr. Tiller's firm is the financial auditors for the City of Baytown. The nature of his contract is such that none of the work they do interfaces with Mr. Strong's office or him in anyway.