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Director Flores outlines efforts to streamline payment processes
0:54:26
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104 sec
Director Flores responds to Council Member Brewer's concerns by detailing efforts to streamline payment processes and reduce delays. She highlights the expansion of the returnable grant program (RGF) and new directives issued to city agencies to improve invoice processing.
- MOCS has expanded eligibility for the returnable grant program and streamlined its process
- A directive was issued to agencies regarding invoice payment processes, including best practices
- Agencies are now directed to make partial payments on invoices when possible, rather than holding up entire payments due to small discrepancies
Lisa Flores
0:54:26
Yeah.
0:54:27
I appreciate the the question, council member.
0:54:29
So we do have a number on how much interest payments were made by the city.
0:54:34
But I to your point, obviously, anecdotally, what I hear from providers, both on their interest payments, on their ability to access lines of credit, it's difficult.
0:54:49
I will say that, you may know, we really doubled down on our RGF, our returnable grant program.
0:54:57
We streamlined the process early last year, and we expanded eligibility exponentially.
0:55:03
And that is available to nonprofit providers.
0:55:07
I would say to your question regarding crossing the t's and dotting the i's, I agree with you 100%.
0:55:13
And I think we, as administration, have been looking at ways that we can really direct agencies and give them not just the guardrails, but also the direction on how to be reviewing some of these, actions, including invoices that both continue to protect the city's FISC, which obviously is utmost responsibility of all of us, but also, clearing the pathway.
0:55:37
So, for example, earlier I mean, about two months ago, I believe we issued a directive from my office to agencies related to invoice payment processes and directed agencies and doubled down on some of the best practices they should be following.
0:55:50
So for example, sort of doing a more limited review of certain documentation post payment of the invoice, also directing agencies to do partial payments.
0:56:02
So as I'm sure you've heard, you've got 30 lines on an invoice.
0:56:05
If you have a disagreement with one of them, you don't need to hold up the whole invoice, pay the 29 lines.
0:56:10
And so we're really looking at that level of detail now.