Lake County housing board to invoice city for $68,300; county will invoice city for new director's salary

The Lake County housing board voted to approve its minutes and agreed to invoice the city for $68,300 to seed its operating account, and officials said the county will separately invoice the city for the incoming director’s salary.

The action means the housing entity will receive a $68,300 payment from the city to be deposited in the board’s bank account for bill payments, while the county will invoice the city directly for the new director’s pay, board members said.

The board’s finance discussion followed presentation of a preliminary budget and remarks that an originally proposed $136,600 allocation from the city had been cut in half to $68,300. Board members clarified the $68,300 figure does not include the incoming director’s salary; that amount will be handled through a separate county invoice to the city. “I will be glad to come up with that invoice. 68,300,” said Becky Lomberg, the incoming director, speaking about preparing documentation for the city.

Board members discussed practical matters for operating once funds are received. One member said the current checking account signers are “Matt, Tracy, and myself,” and that those signers will remain until the account is changed. Members also discussed setting spending limits and incorporating payment authority into bylaws; one member said the group should not “jump the gun” and should write bylaws that define approval thresholds.

Treasury details discussed at the meeting included a plan for the board to receive the city payment, deposit it into the board account, and have the new director (Becky Lomberg) pay invoices from that account. Board members asked who should prepare the invoice to the city; Lomberg and another member volunteered to draft it. A small outstanding attorney bill was discussed; a participant said they would pay that once funds are available.

The board also asked staff to notify vendors and creditors about the forthcoming funds and updated payment plans. Board members agreed to return next month with a balance sheet and to put formation of a finance subcommittee on a future agenda to define delegated payment authority and longer-term financial planning.

Votes at the meeting included approval of the prior meeting minutes and a closing motion later in the session. The prior minutes were approved by voice vote. A separate procedural motion to close the meeting was made, seconded and approved by voice vote.

Becky Lomberg is scheduled to complete county onboarding in June and board members discussed short-term practical steps for her start, such as issuing a debit card or placing her on the account so she can make routine purchases without out-of-pocket reimbursement.

Why this matters: the board’s decision establishes where early operating funds will come from and clarifies how the board and county will split responsibility for payroll and invoicing as the housing program onboards a director and begins operations.

Next steps: board members said they will prepare the $68,300 invoice to the city, have the county invoice the city for the director’s salary, finalize signers on the bank account, and draft bylaws and spending limits for future meetings.