Mayor & Commission Meetings
Regular MeetingAthens-Clarke County, GA · February 12, 2020
Minutes
AUDIT COMMITTEE MEETING MINUTES
Wednesday, February 12, 2020
Committee Members Present: Visiting:
Commissioner Melissa Link, Committee Chair Blaine Williams, Manager
Commissioner Patrick Davenport Deborah Lonon, Assistant County Manager
Commissioner Allison Wright Josh Edwards, Assistant County Manager
Commissioner Ovita Thornton Sara George, Managers Office
Jesse Evans, Board of Elections Chair
Member(s) Absent: Michael Smith, Community Citizen
Commissioner Russell Edwards
Staff:
Stephanie Maddox, Internal Auditor
Jill Arquette, Management Analyst
Takia Suarez, Temporary Assistant
Committee Chair Link called the meeting to order at 5:10 pm.
A. December Minutes:
Commissioner Davenport motioned for approval of the December Minutes. Commissioner
Wright seconded. All in favor.
B. Work Plan Update:
Internal Auditor Maddox provided a status update on the audit work plan:
Public Utilities Department – Water Business Office
Central Services Department – Fleet Management Division
Sheriff’s Office
Animal Services
C. Meeting Overview
Committee members discussed the Office of Operational Analysis’ FY21 budget. Internal
Auditor Maddox advised that the Operational Budget has been insufficiently funded and for
each year of the last five years a request for a transfer of funds from contingency has been
made.
Committee members discussed funding needs for an audit management software. OOA staff
presented results of a survey sent to members of the Association of Local Government
Auditors. The results indicated that the majority of auditing houses use TeamMate audit
management software.
Internal Auditor Maddox presented an update of the Overview Commission. The Commission
had formally voted on a hybrid approach to administrative support. The Commission asked
OOA to assist them with both setting up meetings with the departments and formally
submitting requests for documentation. The Overview Commission will have an outside
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vendor to assist them with public input, surveys, and other administrative tasks. They are
working on a contract with the Carl Vinson Institute to provide these services.
Commissioner Wright suggested that OOA staff track the number of hours they spend
conducting work for and on behalf of the Overview Commission.
Committee members discussed the implementation of the Risk Assessment Tool to assist with
the determination of the 2020 Work Plan.
Commissioner Davenport motioned for the deployment of the Risk Assessment Tool to all
departments and divisions of the Unified Government of Athens-Clarke County (Audit
Universe). Commissioner Thornton seconded the motion. Commissioner Link was in favor,
Commissioner Wright opposed.
Commissioner Wright motioned to move the March 11, 2020 Audit Committee meeting to
March 18, 2020. Commissioner Davenport seconded. All in favor.
The next Audit Committee meeting is scheduled for March 18, 2020, from 5 p.m. – 6 p.m. at City
Hall, Room 301.
Commissioner Wright motioned to adjourn the meeting. Commissioner Davenport seconded the
motion. The meeting adjourned at 6:12 p.m.
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Agenda
Audit Committee
Meeting Agenda
Wednesday, February 12, 2020
5:00 – 6:00 pm
City Hall, Room 103
A. Review and approval of meeting minutes – December 12, 2019
B. Status of Audit Work Plan Activity
Public Utilities Department — Water Business Office
Central Services Department — Fleet Management Program
Sheriff’s Office — Inmate Medical Services
Animal Services Department — Animal Shelter
C. FY21 Operating Budget
D. 2020 Overview Commission
E. 2020 Work Plan
F. Upcoming Meeting Dates – The Committee will meet on the second Wednesday of the month
March 11, 2020 August 12, 2020
April 8, 2020 September 9, 2020
May 13, 2020 October 14, 2020
June 10, 2020 November 11, 2020
July 8, 2020 December 9, 2020
Attachments:
1. February 12 Meeting Agenda
2. Minutes for review and approval from December 12 meeting
3. February 2020 –Status of Audit Work Plan Activity Report
4. Audit topics under consideration for 2020
Note: The Audit Committee Meeting is open to the public; however, public comments are not received unless
the Committee Chair requests that an individual provide information.
O FFI CE O F O P ER A TI O N AL A N AL YSI S
T H E U N I F I E D G O V E R N M E N T O F A T H E NS -C L A R K E C O U N T Y , G E O R G I A
300 College Avenue, Suite 202 • Athens, Georgia 30601 • (706) 613-3012
www. at h en sc lar k e c o unt y. c o m / 2 3 6 / O per at i on al - An al ys is - Of f i ce
AUDIT STATUS REPORT
DATE: February 12, 2020
TO: Audit Committee
FROM: Stephanie Maddox, Internal Auditor
Office of Operational Analysis (formerly, the Auditor’s Office)
SUBJECT: Status of Work Plan Activity
The following table summarizes the current status of each audit according to audit stages. A description
of the audit stages is below the table.
WORK IN PROGRESS
Status Completion
Audit The percentage indicates the completion level Forecast
Clarke County Sheriff’s Office – Pre-Audit Planning – 100% • Analyzing medical services February 2019
Inmate Medical Services Discovery Stage – 90% expenditures.
Contract Analysis – 80%
Conclusions – 0%
Recommendations – 0%
Public Utilities Department – Pre-Audit Planning – 100 % • Draft report submitted to February 2019
Water Business Office Discovery Stage – 100% department.
Analysis – 100%
Conclusions – 100%
Recommendations – 100%
Central Services Department – Pre-Audit Planning – 100% • Finalizing draft report March 2020
Fleet Management Program Discovery Stage – 95%
Analysis – 90%
Conclusions – 85%
Recommendations – 85%
Animal Services Department – Pre-Audit Planning – 70% • Develop and deploy survey. April 2020
Animal Control Discovery Stage – 35% • Begin field work.
Analysis – 20% • Analyze data received through
Conclusions – 0% document request
Recommendations – 0%
AUDIT STAGES
Pre-Audit Planning: OOA staff conducts literature reviews, identifies benchmark communities, research best
practices, develops pre-audit survey(s), and requests documents related to the audit client. OOA staff conducts
pre-conference meeting with the audit client/department (Dept. Director); discuss the audit process, the timing of
fieldwork, and answer any questions.
Discovery: Interviews, information validation, observations and surveys. As this stage is critical to the
preparation of a complete and meaningful audit, it consumes the majority of time involved.
Analysis: Assigning meaning/value to the information; determining what it reveals related to the scope of the
audit. Defines systems, processes and practices in terms of effectiveness and efficiency.
Conclusions: Identifies and describes constraints and opportunities regarding developments and implementation
of needed improvements.
Recommendations: Suggests action that can be taken in consideration of the constraints and opportunities.
Proposed Audits for Calendar Year 2020
Department
Audit Topic(s) Additional Information Proposed Audit Scope
1. Animal Services Department Newly established department placed under the Manager's Objective and Scope:
Approved Office. The objective of the audit is to evaluate Animal Services
operations as compared to best practices and to determine
Areas of interest: whether they comply with applicable laws, regulations, and
1. To better protect the health and safety of animals in the policies. The audit will focus on animal kennel care, shelter
Athens-Clarke County Animal Shelter. sanitization, policies and procedures, staffing, training,
2. Evaluate existing operating procedures; do employees know drug inventory management, and the department’s
how to access and use them. automated information system.
3. Do staffing levels meet minimum national standards for
providing care to shelter animals. Proposed scope
4. Review the existing animal database- are reports accessible • Analyze staffing levels needed to properly care for the
5. Role of nonprofit partners in funding assistance and animals within the shelter.
adoption procedures. • Review shelter sanitization protocols to prevent the
6. Are staff properly trained to perform the duties of their jobs. spread of pathogens leading to disease.
• Review the training practices established for length of
time and skill development.
• Review impound protocols for health issues.
• Review certifications of staff to perform assigned duties
within State regulations.
• Review departmental euthanasia policies and practices.
• Review budgetary allocations related to the annual
operating budget for Animal Services.
2. Finance Department Purchasing Card (P-Card) Program Objective and Scope:
Purchasing Division 1. High value transactions and high amounts per month across • Assess Internal Controls and processes/procedures of the
multiple transactions P-card program.
2. Duplicate and split transactions • Are cardholders in compliance with the P-card policy
4. Late or missing cardholder or manager approvals • Evaluate P-card reconciliation process
5. Keyword search could reveal personal transactions or other • Conduct financial transaction analysis to determine if
violations unauthorized purchases are approved
6. Maximum spending limit/day (per transaction) • Is consistent documentation submitted by P-card users
7. Are itemized receipts reviewed • Determine if internal control weaknesses exist
8. In FY19 the Purchasing Division issued 323 P-cards
3. SPLOST Program Areas of interest: Objective and Scope:
One SPLOST program. For example, SPLOST 2011. 1. Administrative Oversight
2. Project Savings
3. Local Contractor support
4. Citizen input and user group viability (are impacted
citizens properly included in final project design process?)
Do the details of the final project design match the original
intent of the project as presented to the original citizen
committee?
4. Grant Mgmt. Program Common findings Objective and Scope:
• Untimely report submissions • Evaluate performance oversight and program outcomes
Administration, Compliance and • Lack of documentation • Evaluate grant process (programmatic, budgeting,
Oversight • Inadequate monitoring of subrecipients accounting, etc.)
• Inadequate time/effort reports • Are grant resources utilized in accordance with the
• Commingling of funds contract
• Excess cash on hand • Determine if training is needed
• Unallowable costs
• Inappropriate changes
• Conflicts of interest
5. Board of Elections Risks unique to the elections process Objective and Scope:
1. Segregation of Duties • Determine whether BOE has the controls in place to
2. Document Management ensure an accurate, fair, and efficient election
3. Policies and Procedures • To assess the effectiveness of BOE's efforts to comply
4. Reduced Confidence with reporting and disclosure requirements
5. Voter Registration Systems • Determine if the BOE has administrative rules, policies
6. Transmission based risks - Poll books and procedures in place
• Assess the effectiveness of BOE's efforts to comply with
reporting and disclosure requirements
02/10/2020
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