DIAMOND, Mo. —
Many small problems with no big problems earned Diamond city government a “fair” ranking on its state audit.
“These are not big problems, but they are cumulative problems,” said Missouri State Auditor Tom Schweich, who repeated some form of the phrase several times during his presentation Wednesday at Diamond City Hall.
The audit was initiated through a petition signed by a required number of Diamond residents. It examined procedures and finances from June 2010 to June 2012. The team from the auditor’s office spent about 500 hours on the audit, and it will cost the city around $25,000 or $26,000.
“If the recommendations are implemented, you’ll experience cost savings greater than that cost,” Schweich asserted.
Schweich said the city already has implemented about half of the recommendations, and about 90 percent of the recommendations are in progress. He complimented Mayor Shane Hunter and city officials for their response to the audit.
Among the issues found in the audit were:
• The city no longer allocates a portion of its sales tax revenue to parks and recreation as originally was included in the city measure that was approved by voters.
• Accounting duties weren’t adequately segregated.
“You cannot pass an audit if one person handles all the money,” Schweich said. He said Diamond was fortunate to have an honest person in that position.
“We did not find any evidence of theft, fraud or criminality,” Schweich said. “There is no segregation of duties. You have honest people working for you.”
• The city in April 2010 entered into an agreement with an engineering firm on a sewer construction project for $55,000, but the final cost was $115,000.
“There should have been better evaluation and selection criteria,” Schweich said.
• The city didn’t always seek bids on products and services over $5,000.
• The Board of Aldermen approved a 5 percent increase in water and sewer rates, but it didn’t provide documentation to support the increase.
Unbilled water loss increased from 783,000 gallons in July 2010 to 2.5 million gallons in June 2012. That’s nearly half of the water the city pumps.
“The city water loss is huge,” Schweich said. “It is the highest water loss rate I’ve seen since I’ve been auditor.”
He said no one knows where the water has gone.
“It’s literally money flowing into your streets,” Schweich said.
Hunter said after the presentation that the city has purchased new water meters that have improved the situation and is expected to correct it when all are installed.
• The city overpaid on its trash service contract.
• City officials don’t always follow the city policy regarding overtime pay. Five of seven employee time cards reviewed in the audit had errors.
• “One thing you did have that I’ve never seen before is the city has nine different bank accounts,” Schweich said. He said that wasn’t necessary for a town of 900 people. He said funds often are deposited into the wrong account. “This is something I actually haven’t seen before.”
• There were violations of the open-meetings law.
“We consider open-meeting violations to be pretty important,” Schweich said. “That was one of the more serious violations we found.”
The Board of Aldermen didn’t always cite a specific reason as required by the law for going into closed session. Based on the minutes of closed meetings, some issues discussed behind closed doors weren’t allowable under the Sunshine Law. Among the items improperly discussed in closed meetings were employee work hours, job descriptions and the court computer system.
A closed meeting on April 19, 2012, included the improper topics of online bill paying, email accounts for city board members and city budgetary procedures.
City officials in the audit report said they would fully comply with the Sunshine Law from this point.
Hunter said the city already has corrected many of the issues and is diligently working to correct the rest. He said that when Schweich returns to deliver his follow-up report in three to four months, he will find that the city is operating according to the auditor’s “excellent” standard.
“The city is growing strong,” Hunter said. He wasn’t mayor during most of the period in the audit, taking office in April 2012.
Patty Hardy was one of the residents who signed the petition seeking the audit.
“It was a lot better than I thought it would be,” she said of the audit report. “They’re working on it. It will take time.”
Kathleen Warden, another resident who sought the audit, said the report was informative. She said the current mayor is doing a good job of keeping people informed of issues.
“It was something that we needed,” Warden said of the audit.
Praise
“YOU’VE GOT A GREAT COMMUNITY you can be proud of,” Missouri State Auditor Tom Schweich said at the conclusion of his presentation.
Local News
Diamond city government receives ‘fair’ ranking on state audit
- Local News
-
-
Content of book, students' access to it at issue in hearing for suspended teacher
A standing-room only crowd is present at the hearing this morning to decide the fate of suspended Joplin Middle School teacher Randy Turner, who has asked for the hearing before the board of education.
-
VIDEO: Restore Joplin designer stepping up to help Moore tornado victims
The designer of the Restore Joplin T-shirts who helped raise nearly a quarter-million dollars for Joplin in the wake of the 2011 tornado has put together a similar design to raise money for residents of Moore, Okla.
-
Southeast Kansas foundation accepts donations for Moore
The Community Foundation of Southeast Kansas is accepting donations to assist the victims of the Moore, Okla., tornado.
-
Carl Junction officials weigh cost of proposed skate park
The public facilities and planning committee of Carl Junction met Tuesday to discuss plans for a proposed skate park near the site of the old public works barn on Water Street. The committee reviewed a design from American Ramp Co. of Joplin to get what committee chairman Tim Smith said was a “rough idea of layout and cost” for the project.
-
Mike Pound: Bernie’s in Avilla a classic tavern
I have a fondness for taverns. When I think of a tavern, I think of a small place with a simple bar, a pool table or two, a jukebox and a kitchen.
-
Federal, state leaders salute Joplin’s recovery
A deadly May twister may have punched a hole in Joplin and Duquesne two years ago, but the resolve to repair it will help other communities stand strong when they face similar disasters. That was the message of state and national diginitaries to a crowd of about 2,500 who observed the second anniversary of Joplin’s devastating May 22, 2011, storm during a ceremony Wednesday in Cunningham Park.
-
Banner from Joplin to be sent to Moore residents
A giant vinyl banner adorned with heartfelt messages from Joplin tornado survivors to the residents of Moore, Okla., became a centerpiece of Wednesday’s observance of the two-year anniversary of the May 22, 2011, tornado.
-
Hired hand won’t face death penalty in Vernon County murder case
The state has agreed not to seek the death penalty against Jeremy L. Maples in the murder of Belinda J. Beisly, but prosecutors have yet to take the option off the table for the victim’s husband, Bob T. Beisly II.
-
Families in Moore, Joplin linked by disasters
Zach Woodcock knew the storms were going to be bad on May 22, 2011, so turning on the Weather Channel was a natural. What he saw filled him with fear. The Moore resident’s family lived in Joplin, Mo.
-
Community gearing up for two-year anniversary ceremony this afternoon
With the playground full of children, it could be any other day at Joplin’s Cunningham Park, but the white tents popping up and neat rows of white chairs lined up nearby indicate something more is happening today.
- More Local News Headlines
-
