Faribault City Council Revisits Credit Card Policy

For the second straight meeting, the Faribault City Council on Tuesday night decided to send a credit card use policy for city employees back to committee.

Last Tuesday the Finance Committee met and reviewed the list of credit card users, the credit limit for each user, and the credit card use policy. The committee agreed to a final list of users and credit limits to be included within the credit card use policy and had the item placed on Tuesday's council agenda with a recommendation of adoption of the policy.

A majority of the approximately hourlong City Council meeting Tuesday the Council discussed the policy and decided to send back to the committee again.

In general the policy grants a $5,000 credit limit to each department head, and three other people are also authorized for a $2,500 limit - the human resources manager, two police captains and the parks superintendent. Those individuals will be required to sign an acknowledgement form that will verify the employee has read and understands the policy and accepts the responsibilities associated with the card.

Some council members stated a department head should be allowed to authorize a purchase by someone else in the department and other council members disagreed.

City Attorney Scott Riggs made it clear the proposal before them did not allow that to occur. Under the proposed policy, any cardholder that violates the policy may have their credit card access revoked.

The policy also says, "the card holder must surrender the credit card and corresponding support documentation to the Finance Department upon separation from the city of Faribault."

The City Council also approved, under items of routine business, the purchase of a new sound system for the council chambers. Items under routine business are not discussed unless requested by a council member.

That means the city will be purchasing the services of Ispace Environments Inc. of Minneapolis for $33,770.94 at the recommendation of the Council's technology committee. The low bid was from Fette Electronics of Faribault in the amount of $29,157.

The committee recommended going with the higher bid, saying the Minneapolis company "provided better equipment pricing" and had a more professional-looking bid.

Quoting from the score sheet by the committee for the bid by Fette Electronics it states, "Quote format questionable, included large print, bold typing of points of emphasis" and said they were "not primarily an audio vendor."

The score sheet for the Minneapolis company stated they have, "expertise in audio for large rooms and public facilities" and used a "more professional approach to providing a quote for the requested equipment."

The type of equipment bid was the same because it is what the technology committee requested.

The Fette bid included $2,500 for labor and the Ispace Environments charged $10,540 for "professional services."

The Faribault City Council also approved at second reading to go along with the state rules governing off-sale liquor hours. The past legislative session the Minnesota legislature passed a law allowing Sunday liquor sales in the state at the discretion of the city. Sunday off-sale liquor will be sold between 11AM and 6PM.

Councilor Kay Duchene cast the lone dissenting vote, saying it would be harmful to small businesses.