Council approves warrant list but holds Porter Capital invoices pending itemization

The Monte Sereno City Council approved the meeting warrant list Jan. 20 but withheld payment for invoices from Porter Capital until the vendor supplies itemized backup, councilmembers said. City staff said the warrants include routine utilities along with services and goods; one vendor's billing did not include day-by-day time records for hourly services.

A council member pressed that invoices for hourly services must include breakdowns of dates and hours before approval. "I cannot approve an invoice for hourly services that does not include the days that the work was done without additional detail," the councilmember said during discussion. Other members said the vendor has agreed to provide the requested level of detail going forward and recommended approval of current invoices while withholding the ones that lack the required backup.

Council moved to approve the warrant list except for the Porter Capital invoices and delegated authority to the city manager to approve those invoices upon receipt of supporting documentation. The council described the action as preserving oversight while avoiding payment delays for properly documented invoices.

Council also noted the finance system upgrades planned for future automation of additional payments.