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HomeMy WebLinkAboutTR-88-94 THE CORPORATION OF THE MUNICIPALITY OF CLARINGTON REPORT Meeting: ENERAL PURPOSE AND ADMINISTRATION COMMITTEE r-4 g� File # Date: October 17, 1994 Res. # By-Law# Report#:---TR 88 a4- File#: Subject: 1993 AUDIT REPORT AND MANAGEMENT LETTER Recommendations: It is respectfully recommended that the General Purpose and Administration Committee recommend to Council the following: 1. THAT Report TR-88-94 be received; and 2. THAT the recommendations and actions identified in the body of Report TR-88-94 be endorsed. BACKGROUND AND COMMENTS: The 1993 Audit Report and Management letter, received from Deloitte and Touche, contains some recommendations to fine-tune certain internal control areas within the Municipality. A copy of the audit letter is attached, marked as Schedule"A". The Audit Management letter states the following: "We have noted continuing improvement in the records and accounts of the municipality and are pleased to see that many of the comments in our prior year's management letter have been acted upon. We feel the attached suggestions will further enhance the accounting procedures and internal controls of the Corporation. However, they should be considered in context with the municipality's i overall system of internal controls and accounting procedures which we consider, based on our review, to be good". The Treasury staff have contacted each Department involved to inquire which steps are being taken to implement these recommendations. i WORKER'S COMPENSATION: The auditor's recommended that the Municipality undertake a study to determine if it would be advantageous to transfer from a Schedule I employer to a Schedule II employer. A Schedule I employer pays annual premiums to help insure its employees against loss of income due to job- related accidents whereas a Schedule II employer would self-insure any job-related accident claims. 701 TH6 G P-D-RECYCI£0 PAPER TR-88-94 Page 2 The major issue revolves around the level of risk the Municipality is willing to accept. If the municipality wishes to self-insure,a reserve would have to be established with annual contributions in order to ensure that funds would be available in the event of any employee being seriously injured on the job. Pension awards would also be the responsibility of the municipality under the Schedule II scenario. The other major consideration would be the cost associated with each option. The attached Appendix A shows the total premiums versus the total WCB costs since 1990. As a result of hiring consultants in 1993 the municipality has experienced substantial cost savings due to adjustments made through the appeals process. This has resulted in net credits for the years 1993 and 1994. These j adjustments have been applied to the original award in the final column in order to more accurately show the WCB costs for the years in question. 1 ADVANTAGES OF SCHEDULE II: i • There may be fluctuations in costs based on accidents. This would have to be addressed by building up a reserve for workers compensation claims. Until such a reserve is accumulated, the Municipality would not experience any significant cost savings. However,once the reserve has accumulated to an acceptable balance,if the number of accidents and claims remains low,then significantly reduced expenditures would occur. DISADVANTAGES OF SCHEDULE II: • The Municipality's premiums as a Schedule I employer have been declining in recent years due to a decreasing experience rating for the municipal group. The premium rate has decreased from $2.14 per $100 of gross payroll to $2.07 per $100 of gross payroll. If the Municipality transfers to a Schedule II category,any future decreases in the municipal experience rating would be of no benefit to the Municipality. • Also, the Worker's Compensation Board has a focus on fast claims payment and the investigation of the validity of the claim is left to the employer to pursue. Currently, the municipality retains a consulting firm to represent it in WCB matters. If the municipality transferred to a Schedule II, it may require their services on a much more regular basis. This would result in additional costs. • Other additional costs may be required in order to ensure that the municipality has an extensive accident prevention programme including training and hazard identification techniques in order to minimize the risks of accidents and claims. • Schedule II employers are also exposed to greater risks due to legislative changes. For example, WCB can increase benefit levels on a retroactive basis resulting in potentially substantial costs to Schedule II employers. i 102 I 1 TR-88-94 Page 3 • On a cautionary note, currently there is a substantial deficit in WCB due to rising costs and Schedule II companies going bankrupt. There is no indication as yet.who will pay for these unfunded workers compensation awards. Staff recommends that the Municipality remain a Schedule I employer at the current time. The potential for future cost savings is uncertain and may be eroded by a few substantial claims that result in lifetime pension awards added to the incorporation increased consultant costs and increased staff training costs. Also, due to the uncertainty over the future direction of WCB, it would be prudent to remain with Schedule I with the declining experience rating for the municipal group. Staff will continue to monitor the situation and will report back to Council in future should circumstances warrant a change to Schedule II. TAX SALES: Currently, the Municipality does not perform an environmental review of all properties being considered for tax sale due to the expense associated with such a review. However, in the majority of properties being considered for tax sales, the notice to the property owner is often sufficient to bring about payment of tax arrears. Also, a majority of properties being considered for tax sale are residential and therefore represent a relatively low risk of environmental contamination. For the remainder,the Treasurer can cancel any tax sale proceedings up to the point of public tender so if any doubt arose as to a potential liability, the Municipality would not risk accepting ownership. The Tax Collector also maintains close contact with our Senior By-law Enforcement Officer in order to identify any potential risks prior to tax sale. I CASHFLOW IMPROVEMENT: The auditors have recommended that all cash and cheques be forwarded to the Treasury department on a daily basis in order to prevent the occurrence of Non-Sufficient Fund (NSF) cheques. All departments have received a copy of this recommendation and have been requested to confirm in writing the procedures they are implementing. DEVELOPMENT CHARGES/LOT LEVIES: Staff are working with the auditors and our computer staff to design and implement formal procedures and computer support in order to address this issue. It is anticipated that a process will be established within a few months. COMMUMTY SERVICES-CASH RECEIPTS PROCEDURES: 1. The Facilities Superintendent does not feel that a full gross profit analysis for all items would j be cost effective due to lack of time and staff. However, canteen receipts are reviewed on a regular basis and compared over previous years. Inventory is taken twice a year and certain products are analyzed to track profit analysis. With the commencement of cash registers in both arena facilities,information will be more readily available to perform further analysis. TR-88-94 Page 4 2. Cash is picked up three times a week by the Facilities Superintendent at both arenas. Cash is stored in locked safes and although not significant in dollar value,it is still of concern and therefore when cash on a weekend will exceed normal levels arrangements have been made to accommodate night deposits. The Facilities Superintendent does not think it is appropriate at this time to have staff prepare and drop off night deposits for amounts that are below the normal levels due to safety concerns as well as the lack of ready access to a branch of the Municipality's bank and student staffing in the evenings. PHYSICAL ACCESS TO COMPUTER EQUIPMENT: The auditors have recommended limiting unauthorized access to computer equipment in the computer room. As a result, a numeric keypad lock has been installed on the door to the computer room with only authorized users having access to the combination. In summary, staff has analyzed all the audit recommendations made in the 1993 Audit Report and Management letter on the basis of cost/benefit analysis. An effort has been made to implement all recommendations that are feasible at this time. Respec ly submitted, Reviewed by, n i A. Marano, H.BSc., A.M.C.T., W.H. Stockwell, Treasurer. Chief Administrative Officer. MM/NT/hjl Attachments i I 704 III SCHEDULE "A" Deloifte & Touche Deloitte&Touche •1W Chartered Accountants Bank of Commerce Building Telephone: (905)579-8202 2 Simcoe Street South Toronto Area: (905)686-8249 P.O. Box 800 Facsimile: (905) 579-3388 Oshawa, Ontario L1 H 7N1 Mr.J. O'Toole June 15, 1994 Chairman - Finance Committee Corporation of the Municipality of Clarington Municipal Offices 40 Temperance Street Bowmanville, Ontario L1C 3A6 Dear Mr. O'Toole: We have completed our examination of the consolidated financial statements of the Corporation of the Municipality of Clarington for the year ended December 31, 1993. Our examination included a review of the system of internal controls and accounting procedures. The attached comments should not be construed to represent the result of a detailed systems review but are observations made during the normal course of our examination. We have noted continuing improvement in the records and accounts of the municipality and are pleased to see that many of the comments in our prior year's management letter have been acted upon. We feel the attached suggestions will further enhance the accounting procedures,internal controls, and operations of the Corporation. However,they should be considered in context with the municipality's overall system of internal controls and accounting procedures which we consider, based on our review,to be good. We would like to take this opportunity to thank the staff of the Municipality of Clarington for their excellent assistance and co-operation during our audit. We would be pleased to discuss any of these comments and suggestions further with you. If we can be of assistance in the implementation of any of these recommendations, please do not hesitate to contact us. Yours very truly, (signed) DELOITTE& TOUCHE cc: Mr. W. Stockwell, Chief Administrative Officer Mrs. M. Marano,Treasurer/ Ministry of Municipal Affairs I Deloittebuche Tohmatsu International J I THE CORPORATION OF THE MUNICIPALITY OF CLARINGTON Page 1 of 3 COMMENTS ON INTERNAL CONTROLS, ACCOUNTING PROCEDURES AND OTHER MATTERS FOR THE YEAR ENDED DECEMBER 31 1993 Workers' Compensation j The Municipality of Clarington is presently a Schedule I employer under the Workers' Compensation Act. Under this schedule, the Municipality pays annual premiums to the Workers' Compensation Board to help insure its employees against loss of income due to job-related accidents. A number of municipalities have recently applied to the Workers' Compensation Board to be redesignated as Schedule II employers, as permitted by Section 108 of the Workers' Compensation Act R.S.O. 1990. As a Schedule II employer, the Municipality would self insure any job-related accident claims through the Workers' Compensation Board. Some employers have realized significant savings by transferring to Schedule II if their accident experience rating is below the average rate for their respective group. As the annual Workers' Compensation premiums for the Municipality of Clarington for the 1993 fiscal year amounted to approximately $180,000, the potential savings available could be significant. We suggest the Municipality consider undertaking a study to determine if it would be advantageous to transfer from Schedule I to Schedule II. We would be pleased to assist you in this matter at your convenience. Tax Sales Currently,the Municipality does not perform any environmental review of properties which are being considered for tax sale under the Municipal Tax Sales Act. This lack of review leaves the Municipality vulnerable for the assumption of any environmental liability should the property remain unsold and the title subsequently revert to the Municipality. We recommend the Municipality consider carefully the potential hidden environmental liability associated with any property listed for tax sale; particularly, in situations where the Municipality could eventually become the legal land owner. Should there be any doubt as to environmental contamination in these instances a thorough environmental review should be carried out before assuming title. Cashflow Improvement Discussions with staff indicated certain instances in which cash receipts were not forwarded to the treasury department on a timely basis for immediate deposit and/or safe keeping. In one instance a developer's cheque was held for approximately one month and, when cashed, it was returned N.S.F. We recommend that all cash and cheques be deposited daily either by the respective operating department or by the treasury department, as applicable. 706 THE CORPORATION OF THE MUNICIPALITY OF CLARINGTON Page 2 of 3 COMMENTS ON INTERNAL CONTROLS, ACCOUNTING PROCEDURES AND OTHER MATTERS FOR THE YEAR ENDED DECEMBER 31 1993 Development Charges/Lot Levies (a) Accounts Receivable Records The current development charges/lot levies collection system is adequate, but internal controls over these collections should be strengthened. Under the current system it is difficult to determine how much in development charges/lot levies is still owing for any one development (or in total for the Municipality) at a specific date. In addition, it appears that the responsibility for the collection of these charges/levies has not been formally assigned to a specific department. They are currently being collected by the planning department. We recommend the responsibility for the collection of and accounting for these charges/levies be formally assigned to a specific department by management, and the treasury and planning departments work together to develop and implement a system to better monitor these funds. In order to improve the documentation of expected revenues from subdivider agreements for internal control purposes as well as budgeting purposes, we recommend the following information be provided to the staff member fs) responsible for the collection of these funds: Plan number; Owner; By-law number; Registration date; Property description; Development charges/lot levies required- method and timing of payment; Cash-in-lieu of land; Performance guarantee; Occupancy deposit; Engineering and inspection fees; and Other. The above-noted information should be entered into a formal development charges/lot levies receivable ledger in order to better monitor the collection of these monies. This record would provide details of all collections to date as well as the present balance of outstanding development charges/lot levies for all registered subdivisions. The balances recorded in the development charges/lot levies receivable ledger should be reconciled to the respective subdivision files in the planning department on a monthly basis. During our audit, we reviewed the outstanding development charges and lot levies and have developed a suggested format for a "development charges/lot levies"receivable ledger. A copy of this suggested format is attached as Appendix A and we would be pleased to discuss it further with you at your convenience. (b) Collection of Development Charges/Lot Levies/Miscellaneous Fees i Collection of cash for development charges, lot levies and miscellaneous fees, as well as the issuance of the related building permits, are handled by the planning department. In order to improve internal controls in this area we recommend that all such monies be collected directly by the treasury department, with the payer presenting the "PAID"treasury_ receipt form to the planning department to obtain the related building or other permit. lr i THE CORPORATION OF THE MUNICIPALITY OF CLARINGTON Page 3 of 3 COMMENTS ON INTERNAL CONTROLS, ACCOUNTING PROCEDURES AND OTHER MATTERS FOR THE YEAR ENDED DECEMBER 31 1993 PRIOR YEAR'S COMMENTS STILL APPLICABLE Community Services- Cash Receipts Procedures The Municipality operates several arenas and sports facilities where cash is collected from the public. In addition, the Community Services Department collects payments on accounts receivable for ice rentals, hall rentals,etc. As a result, cash collection in this department is decentralized. In order to strengthen internal controls in this area, and help ensure that all cash collected is ultimately properly deposited and recorded, we suggest the following internal control procedures be implemented where applicable: (i) Monitoring of Canteen Sales: In order to monitor the reasonableness of receipts recorded for all canteen sales, senior Community Services Department staff(independent of the cash receipts function) should prepare "gross profit" analyses for each location on a semi-annual basis. Any unusual trends noted should be investigated on a timely basis. In order to perform these "gross profit"analyses, a physical inventory count would have to be taken at the end of each six-month period. This suggestion should be implemented only if management feels the potential benefits are cost effective. (ii) Custody of Cash: The Municipality currently has a system in place to provide for night deposits, however, the system needs further refinement and, therefore, is not currently in use. Cash held over night at the various facilities is vulnerable to misappropriation prior to being deposited in the Municipality's bank account. f the above-noted potential cash loss occurring, the Municipality In order to minimize the possibility o should re-institute the policy of requiring night deposits in all situations where there is cash on hand at the end of the day's operations over a predetermined minimum amount. We understand Treasury Department staff are currently in the process of acting upon this suggestion. Physical Access to Computer Equipment During our review of the computer department we noted: • The door to the computer room is not locked between the hours of 8:00 a.m.and 4:30 p.m. • The printer used to generate user reports is located in the same room as the computer hardware. I We recommend consideration be given to moving the above-noted computer printer to a new location and keeping the computer room locked at all times. However, as an alternative, Council may want to consider the installation of a partition wall within the computer room to achieve this security feature. This would help limit unauthorized physical access to the computer equipment. We understand the Treasury Department staff are currently taking steps to implement this suggestion. m / 08 i APPENDIX A "' 1'FAR PREiGIIU1VIS PAID WCB COST. US WCB >:.. ...::... ....:... .:....:. 1990 140,081.81 64,830.33 64,830.33 1991 159,354.97 73,775.08 21,979.00 1992 183,739.35 573,197.93 288,474.04 1993 189,858.41 (120,198.46) 165,896.27 1994 130,474.65 (36,338.85) 14;086.39 (TO AUGUST 31) TOTAL 803,509.19 555,266.03 555,266.03 I I i j (� I U9 I