Council considers moving paid-invoices report to manager's report to clarify purpose

At the Nov. 5 meeting the Umatilla City Council discussed the status and purpose of the monthly 'paid invoices' report and whether it should remain on the consent agenda or be moved to the city-manager report where it would be treated as an informational report rather than an item approving line-by-line transactions.

Staff told council that approving the paid-invoices report has historically been treated as accepting a monthly transparency report, not as explicit council approval of each line item, because the underlying budget lines and procurement policy authorize those expenditures. Staff referenced the city's public contracting and purchasing policy (Resolution referenced in packet) and noted that state procurement thresholds (cited as ORS 279C in the packet) govern when purchases require competitive bids or council approvals.

Auditors were consulted earlier in the year and found no legal requirement to present invoice-level detail to council; staff said the practice has been a transparency tool. Council members emphasized preserving transparency. Staff agreed to prepare a standard motion for a future meeting to explicitly move the paid-invoices item to the city-manager report and to provide clear language explaining the report's purpose and the difference between accepting a report and approving individual transactions.

Staff also said if procurement errors occur or invoices were paid without proper procurement, those would be brought to council for discussion and corrective action.