Council extends Design Elemental contract, refers audit-services contract for more detail, and appoints election officials

The City of Superior Common Council on Dec. 15 approved an extension of the Design Elemental contract through Dec. 31, 2016, referred a proposed contract with Thomas Anderson for internal auditing and auction-addition services for further clarification, and approved appointments of election officials for February.

For the Design Elemental contract extension (agenda item 7.6), councilors moved and passed the amendment extending the contract to Dec. 31, 2016.

On the related contract for internal auditing and auction services with Thomas Anderson (agenda item 7.6a), Councilor Sweeney asked how staff arrived at the dollar figure and whether hours or an hourly rate were specified. Staff explained that when the city first contracted with Anderson they increased an hourly rate (from $75 to $80) to cover insurance costs and then budgeted a lump figure that the city “backed into” based on expected hours. A staff speaker summarized: “we...started at $75 an hour. We moved it to $80 to help cover that because it was like a $3,000 expense for him. And then we pretty much had a line item budgeted and I think it might have started at $30,000 and we just backed into the number of hours that that could get for us.” Councilors asked for the hourly-rate or hour assumptions to be added to the contract material; a motion to refer that item for additional detail and to return in January carried.

The council also approved the appointment of election officials for February (agenda item 7.7) by voice vote.

Actions on the Design Elemental extension and the election‑official appointments passed; the Thomas Anderson contract was referred so staff can supply hourly‑rate and hours information before the council acts.