Committee forwards updated financial policies to board; defers decision on transferring library phones

The Ways and Means Committee voted May 7 to send an updated financial policies and procedures manual to the Board of Aldermen for approval and discussed a request from the Brentwood Municipal Library to relocate city-purchased phones to its new facility.

Michelle, who presented the manual updates, said the revisions are largely housekeeping — updating position titles, processes and banking language — with the biggest substantive change in the fleet replacement policy to reflect FY26 budget decisions. After discussion the chair entertained a motion to forward the updated manual to the Board of Aldermen; the motion was moved and seconded and the committee voted to send the manual on for board consideration.

Separately, Bola reported the library’s executive director, Jenna, asked to transfer phones the city had purchased for use in municipal facilities to the library’s upcoming lakefront location. Bola said IT provided a low cost estimate so long as the phones would operate on an equivalent platform: “so long as they will have, an equal platform to use it, which would not render it useless, that he sees no reason why the city would not make those phones available to them,” Bola said. Aldermen raised concerns that reimbursing the city at retail could negate the advantage of the original bulk purchase price and asked whether future moves — including a planned public works relocation in 2028 — might create competing needs for phones.

Committee members asked IT to inventory how many spare phones remain and whether the city could preserve its bulk-purchase pricing for any future replacements. Staff said there is no hurry to decide and that IT will report back at the next meeting with counts and cost options.

On the consent agenda earlier in the meeting the committee approved the minutes from the April 2 meeting by voice vote.