CITY COUNCIL AGENDA ITEM
ACTION REQUESTED:
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Approve the award of Sole Source Procurement 23-301, Government Accounting Services, to Lauterbach & Amen, LLP for an amount not to exceed $311,976 and for a three-year term
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DEPARTMENT: Finance Department
SUBMITTED BY: Rachel Mayer, Director
BOARD/COMMISSION REVIEW:
N/A
BACKGROUND:
Since 2016, the Finance Department has contracted with Lauterbach & Amen LLP (Lauterbach) for accounting, audit preparation and/or payroll support services. The purpose of the contract is to continue to supplement the City's resources and knowledge in government accounting and audit preparation.
In December 2018, the City Council awarded sole source Contract 18-221 to Lauterbach for a one-year term from January 1, 2019, through December 31, 2019, with three one-year options to extend. The City Council approved the final extension on August 17, 2021, with an expiration date of December 31, 2022.
In December 2022, the City Manager awarded sole source Contract 22-366 to Lauterbach for a one-year term from January 1, 2023, through December 31, 2023, to ensure continued support for accounting and auditing functions.
DISCUSSION:
Supplementing the City's internal accounting staff with outside resources has worked well. It has provided the City with additional staffing and specialized knowledge in key areas of government accounting. The services provided under this arrangement are essential to the daily accounting work that leads to a successful year-end audit. The supplemental work must be performed by someone well-versed in government accounting and auditing.
Staff is aware of only two firms capable of meeting the City's needs in the government accounting space, Lauterbach and Sikich.
In 2022, the City issued a request for proposals for auditing services. Lauterbach and Sikich were the only firms that responded to the RFP, further supporting the lack of vendors capable of fulfilling the City's needs. While both firms scored ...
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