Weber County approves purchase orders and warrants, holds Franklin Covey payment pending contract documentation

The Weber County Commission on Oct. 14 approved routine consent items that included purchase orders totaling $280,615.71 and warrants totaling $1,862,721.25, but agreed to hold a $44,000 payment to Franklin Covey Client Sales Inc. pending verification of contract documentation.

Finance staff member Ricky Hatch presented the weekly purchasing and warrant summary. Hatch said the county issued 11 purchase orders this week for about $281,000. He said roughly $208,000 of that amount was for rooftop HVAC controls and safety restraints, about $43,000 (15%) was for the sheriff's office to purchase a drone and training ammunition/equipment, and about $19,000 (7%) was for the library for building maintenance, audiovisual materials and a public printer.

Hatch said the county issued 205 warrants totaling about $1.9 million. "Just over half that amount, dollars 1,100,000.0 is for the transfer station," he said, noting those payments were almost exclusively disposal fees. He said about $155,000 (8%) of warrants were for the library, covering items including a boiler replacement and utilities. The top five vendors paid were Republic Services (about $1,000,000), Harris Mountain West LLC ($97,000), Stanley Consultants Inc. ($58,000), Resolution Audio Visual ($45,000) and Franklin Covey Client Sales Inc. (about $44,000).

Commissioners discussed the Franklin Covey entry after one commissioner said he had not seen a contract or purchase order to justify the payment and asked to hold that specific item (agenda item 493409). Jason, a county staff member who reviewed the reports, told commissioners he could not find the contract or purchase order in the county's approval system; he said one associated purchase order for $597 had been paid and received but the Franklin Covey contract itself was not located.

County staff confirmed the department associated with the Franklin Covey payment is the sheriff's office and the expenditure relates to the RISE program. Commissioners and staff agreed it was appropriate to hold the $44,000 payment while staff searched for the paper trail and any required approvals.

A motion to approve consent items F1 through F14 while holding agenda item 493409 passed unanimously. The commission voted "aye" on the remaining consent items and carried the motion.

What’s next: County procurement, legal and the sheriff's office will review records to locate the Franklin Covey contract and confirm whether additional approvals are required before the payment is released.