Rio Grande City approves under‑$50,000 expenditures including audit overrun, budget software and water‑project invoices

Rio Grande City commissioners approved a slate of expenditures on April 10 under the local‑government exemption for contracts and purchases between $5,000 and $50,000, the city’s finance staff said.

Finance staff told the commission the city’s annual audit required more work this year because of an increase in grant activity and purchase orders; the auditor’s contract was $70,000 and the audit exceeded that contract by roughly $8,000. Staff recommended paying the additional amount to complete the audit.

The commission also approved the purchase of ClearGov budgeting software to replace spreadsheets. The software was described as less expensive than a previous product the city used and intended to help staff produce a professional budget. The city discussed and approved a one‑year InvoiceCloud module required for the Tyler Technologies billing system; the module’s first‑year cost is $7,330, InvoiceCloud will cover $5,000 of that amount, and the city’s share was cited as $2,330.

Staff presented a $28,750 invoice for planning services tied to the EDAP water‑improvements project; staff said that work will be reimbursed from EDAP funds already allocated to the project. An item from GrantWorks for downtown revitalization administrative services will be submitted to the state program (TDA) for reimbursement; staff said the city typically receives reimbursement within two weeks of certification but estimated review could take a bit longer on this submission.

Commissioners reviewed invoices related to airport work — a beacon and runway LED replacements — and asked staff to confirm grant matches and exact amounts; the transcript included an unclear reference to an amount in the $40,000 range but the precise figure was not specified in the record. Staff also reported recurring charges such as quarterly risk‑management reviews for the water and wastewater plants (AARC) and chemical purchases the water treatment plant required after heavy rains to control turbidity.

During discussion, commissioners asked whether payments would be made before or after reimbursement; staff said the city typically waits for grant funds to be received and, once received, has five business days to issue payment to contractors but sought council approval because the items exceed $5,000. The motion to approve the listed expenditures carried.

The commission approved item 3a as presented and moved on to other agenda items.