Council questions payment to NW Financial for out‑of‑contract work and asks for documentation

Council members raised questions on April 20 about a $57,241.25 payment to NW Financial for services that were performed after the vendor’s contract had expired. Treasury and finance staff said the vendor performed bond issuance work and various consulting for multiple projects in late 2025 (invoices date from October through December 2025) while the city was issuing a new RFP and transitioning vendors.

Council members probed whether the work was authorized, who requested the services, whether billing practices and hourly increments were consistent with contract terms, and whether the city had accepted work from a vendor that was not under an active contract. Staff acknowledged invoices indicate the work, said department directors asked for analyses and projects, and promised to search for the request emails and the invoices to provide the council a line-item set of evidence. The city’s legal representative warned that refusing to pay a vendor who performed requested work might lead to litigation that could exceed the invoiced amount.

Council asked for a packet that includes invoices, correspondence showing city requests for the work, and any purchase-order or contract documentation. Administration staff agreed to search fiscal records and provide a timeline showing when invoices were received and who requested the work so council can consider whether line-item approvals or partial disallowances are warranted.