Council adopts ordinance to speed vendor payments; public urges continued oversight

The Leavenworth City Council considered and adopted Ordinance 17-17 on Oct. 28, which updates Leavenworth Municipal Code sections governing claims, payroll funds and payment of claims to allow the city to process and mail payments more promptly.

Andrea (staff presenter) told council the changes are largely clarifying language and procedural updates intended to address recurring late-payment fees imposed by vendors when invoice timing and council meeting schedules delay payments. The ordinance as proposed lets staff proceed with check runs and then present the claims and associated documents to the council at the next meeting for after-the-fact review.

Councilmember Mike moved the ordinance and was seconded by Shane. During the public-comment period Ron Duncan, a Leavenworth resident, urged caution, saying the prior two-week council check process ensured ongoing council visibility and that removing the pre-approval step risked weakening oversight.

Andrea replied that the draft ordinance preserves council oversight: section (d) allows the council to disapprove claims after review and staff would be responsible for seeking reimbursement if a claim is later disallowed. Staff also noted the changes would particularly help keep large projects on schedule by avoiding late fees and contractor interruptions.

The council voted to adopt Ordinance 17-17; the vote was reported in the meeting as passing "5 to 1 to 1" (five in favor, one opposed, one abstention) with the mover and seconder recorded in the minutes.

Ending: Staff said they will begin an initial check run on Nov. 5 under the revised process and will provide council with the post-run documentation at subsequent meetings as required by state law.