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Council asks for itemized 'miscellaneous' and clarifies Chamber reimbursement practice
Summary
Council Member Janet Peterson-Gonzales pressed for itemized miscellaneous and vendor-permit entries and raised concerns about the city temporarily covering Chamber purchases; City Secretary Lisa Hernandez described the current reimbursement practice and council discussed changing it.
Council Member Janet Peterson-Gonzales asked council staff to itemize the 'miscellaneous' budget line and to clarify what is included under "Vendor Permits" to improve transparency. She suggested the Chamber provide checks directly so city funds are not used for Chamber purchases, citing auditor perceptions as a concern.
City Secretary Lisa Hernandez explained the current practice: when the Chamber reimburses the city she records the amount and a note indicating reimbursement. Council Member Earlene Rampy gave a concrete example when the senior center's air conditioner failed and the city initially paid while the Chamber reimbursed half; Rampy said this is one reason reimbursements appear in city records. Janet requested that staff produce a line-item breakdown for future meetings; the record does not include dollar amounts for Vendor Permits or the total reimbursed amounts.
