Trustees press district staff on workers' compensation, vendor invoices and local purchasing

During review of the claims docket, trustees asked for more context on multiple charge categories, recurring workers' compensation payouts and vendor selections.

Trustee Jesse Gomez and others reviewed check numbers and invoice line items; Gomez asked for clearer documentation on sizable workers' compensation entries such as a $12,971.50 item on page 28 and whether those amounts represent premium payments or benefits over a time period. General counsel suggested staff prepare a periodic workers' compensation report outlining status and historical context; staff agreed to provide a quarterly workers' compensation summary for the board.

Board members also asked about Amazon purchases on the claims docket (multiple line items including telephones, digital signage and supplies) and whether the district is balancing cost savings with support for local businesses. Finance staff said most Amazon orders were for items unavailable locally and that some Teamsters and crafts workers purchase from a particular hardware supplier tied to their labor agreements; staff said they would supply invoices and further details on request.

Other claims questions included per diem payments for conferences, direct-deposit vendor payments (pool contractor and others), a disposable-medical contract identified as preexisting, and payroll items such as a labor attorney direct deposit. Trustees asked staff to circulate invoice detail and to return with recommendations on cost-control and local‑vendor sourcing.

Separately, trustees discussed the contract for a long‑standing pool and maintenance contractor, Ricardo Lopez. Trustees said Lopez’s contract, active since 2018, provided routine maintenance and HVAC assistance; the board heard that district leadership planned to end Lopez’s contract and to address future service coverage in operations.