Stonecrest staff to propose hiring PFM for three‑month finance operational assessment
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Summary
City staff recommended engaging PFM Group Consulting to conduct a three‑month operational assessment of Stonecrest’s finance department to map processes, benchmark peers and provide a roadmap for improvements; funding would come from the finance department’s professional services line and the contract is exempt from competitive bidding.
Deputy City Manager Michael McCoy told the City Council on Feb. 9 that staff recommends engaging PFM Group Consulting to perform a finance department operational assessment to identify process bottlenecks and recommend improvements.
McCoy said the assessment would target core functions such as payroll, accounts payable and receivable, grants and reporting and is intended to address system and process issues rather than individual performance. “This is not an audit. PFM is not serving as an internal auditor,” McCoy said, adding that the work would produce “a clear, practical road map for improving efficiency and effectiveness.”
Sarah Shermer, managing director with PFM, described a multi‑pronged approach that includes staff interviews, document reviews, process mapping and benchmarking against peer jurisdictions. Shermer said PFM would document current “as‑is” processes, recommend “to‑be” processes and deliver a final report that the newly appointed finance director could review before it is finalized. “We envision a 3 month process,” Shermer said.
City staff told council members the funding for the engagement is available within the finance department’s professional services line and that professional services are exempt from competitive bidding under the city’s procurement rules. McCoy said the proposal is the single professional‑services engagement presented and that procurement has reviewed and approved bringing the contract forward for council action.
Council members asked for specific deliverables to be spelled out in the contract, a timeline of milestones (kickoff, interviews, draft findings and final report) and clarity about whether PFM would help implement recommendations. Shermer said implementation assistance is not included in the current scope but could be offered as a separate engagement.
McCoy and procurement staff said a draft contract and scope would be finalized for the council’s next regular meeting, with staff aiming to have the contract available for council review before any approval vote.
Next steps: Staff will finalize contract documents and present the proposed engagement for council action at the next regular meeting.