| Infrastructure Report Card for Palo Alto
This audit was to assess the results of the increased capital spending, and the impact of increased capital spending on the City’s infrastructure including utilities
Revision Date: 03/04/2008 | | |
| Finance Committee Recommendation to Accept the Auditor's Office Quarterly Report as of December 31, 2007
Auditor's Office Quarterly Report as of December 31, 2007
In accordance with the Municipal Code, the City Auditor prepares an annual work plan for approval by the City Council, and issues quarterly reports to the City Council describing the status and progress towards completion of the work plan. This report provides the City Council with an update on the activities of the Office as of December 31, 2007
Revision Date: 02/11/2008 | | |
| Audit of Employee Ethics Policies
Review of Palo Alto's procedures for ascertaining and handling potential conflicts of interest among City employees, and to assess the need for an employee ethics policy
Revision Date: 01/23/2008 | | |
| Auditor's Office Quarterly Report as of December 31, 2007
Auditor's Office Quarterly Report as of December 31, 2007 In accordance with the Municipal Code, the City Auditor prepares an annual work plan for approval by the City Council, and issues quarterly reports to the City Council describing the status and progress towards completion of the work plan. This report provides the City Council with an update on the activities of the Office as of December 31, 2007.
Revision Date: 01/15/2008 | | |
| Service Efforts and Accomplishments Report 2006-2007
This is the City Auditor’s fifth annual Service Efforts and Accomplishments report for the City of Palo Alto. Our goal is to provide the City Council, staff, and the public with an independent, impartial assessment of past performance to help make better decisions about the future. The National Citizen Survey™ (The NCS™) is a collaborative effort between National Research Center, Inc. (NRC) and the International City/County Management Association (ICMA).
Revision Date: 01/10/2008 | | |
| City Auditor’s Fiscal Year 2007-08 Work Plan with Risk Assessment
City Auditor’s Fiscal Year 2007-08 Work Plan with Risk Assessment - As part of our annual review of potential audit subjects, we solicit audit suggestions from City Council members, members of the public, and staff. The purpose of the citywide risk assessment model is to help prioritize audit work
Revision Date: 10/25/2007 | | |
| Auditor's Office Quarterly Report as of September 30, 2007
Auditor's Office Quarterly Report as of September 30, 2007
In accordance with the Municipal Code, the City Auditor prepares an annual work plan for approval by the City Council, and issues quarterly reports to the City Council describing the status and progress towards completion of the work plan. This report provides the City Council with an update on the activities of the Office as of September 30, 2007.
Revision Date: 10/25/2007 | | |
| Report on the Status of Audit Recommendations (2007)
Report On The Status Of Audit Recommendations (2007)
The Municipal Code requires the City Auditor to issue an annual report on the implementation status of recommendations from recently completed audits. This report summarizes the status of 96 recommendations from 10 different audit reports and reviews.
Revision Date: 10/16/2007 | | |
| Auditor's Office Quarterly Report as of June 30, 2007
In accordance with the Municipal Code, the City Auditor prepares an annual work plan for approval by the City Council, and issues quarterly reports to the City Council describing the status and progress towards completion of the work plan. This report provides the City Council with an update on the activities of the Office as of June 30, 2007.
Revision Date: 07/11/2007 | | |
| Audit Of The Palo Alto Sanitation Company Contract
The objective of our review was to determine if PASCO is complying with the financial terms of its contract, if contract administration can be improved, and to identify potential recommendations for the upcoming request for proposals (RFP) process and contract award after the present contract expires in June 2009.
Revision Date: 04/10/2007 | | |
| Auditor’s Office Quarterly Report as of March 31, 2007
In accordance with the Municipal Code, the City Auditor prepares an annual work plan for approval by the City Council, and issues quarterly reports to the City Council describing the status and progress towards completion of the work plan. This report provides the City Council with an update on the activities of the Office as of March 31, 2007.
Revision Date: 04/10/2007 | | |
| Auditor’s Office Quarterly Report as of December 31, 2006
In accordance with the Municipal Code, the City Auditor prepares an annual work plan for approval by the City Council, and issues quarterly reports to the City Council describing the status and progress towards completion of the work plan. This report provides the City Council with an update on the activities of the Office as of December 31, 2006.
Revision Date: 01/17/2007 | | |
| Service Efforts and Accomplishments Report 2005-2006 with Citizen Survey Results
This is the City Auditor’s fifth annual Service Efforts and Accomplishments report for the City of Palo Alto. Our goal is to provide the City Council, staff, and the public with an independent, impartial assessment of past performance to help make better decisions about the future. The National Citizen Survey™ (The NCS™) is a collaborative effort between National Research Center, Inc. (NRC) and the International City/County Management Association (ICMA).
Revision Date: 12/18/2006 | | |
| Report On The Status Of Audit Recommendations (2006)
The Municipal Code requires the City Auditor to issue an annual report on the implementation status of recommendations from recently completed audits. This report summarizes the status of 143 recommendations from 14 different audit reports and reviews.
Revision Date: 11/07/2006 | | |
| Audit of Police Investigative Fund
In accordance with the Police Investigative Fund (Fund) procedures, the City Auditor is required to conduct a surprise, external audit of the Fund each year.
Revision Date: 06/30/2006 | | |
| Audit of Street Maintenance
Palo Alto has a $28.7 million backlog in street repair, and less than half of residents rate street maintenance good or excellent. The annual street maintenance budget is inadequate to both address the backlog and stay current with recommended preventive maintenance. The backlog is extensive.
Revision Date: 03/21/2006 | | |
| Service Efforts and Accomplishments Report 2004-2005 with Citizen Survey Results
Our goal is to provide the City Council, staff, and the public with an independent, impartial assessment of past performance to help make better decisions about the future. The National Citizen Survey™ (The NCS™) is a collaborative effort between National Research Center, Inc. (NRC) and the International City/County Management Association (ICMA).
Revision Date: 02/06/2006 | | |
| Police Community Survey Results
In a continuing effort to deliver the best possible policing services to the community, the Police Chief and City Manager requested that the City Auditor conduct a survey of individuals stopped by the Palo Alto Police Department.
Revision Date: 02/06/2006 | | |
| Audit of Parks Maintenance
The Parks Division of the Community Services Department maintains approximately 262 acres of parks, athletic fields, landscaping of City facilities, medians, parking lots and garages, utility substations and well sites. The purpose of our review was to assess the cost-effectiveness of parks maintenance.
Revision Date: 12/13/2005 | | |
| External Quality Control Review
External Quality Control Review conducted in accordance with the guidelines of the National Association of Local Government Auditors for the period July 2001 - June 2005.
Revision Date: 10/20/2005 | | |
| Report On The Status Of Audit Recommendations (2005)
The Municipal Code requires the City Auditor to issue an annual report on the implementation status of recommendations from recently completed audits. This report summarizes the status of 134 recommendations from 13 different audit reports and reviews.
Revision Date: 09/08/2005 | | |
| Police Building Feasibility Analysis
On May 9, 2005, the City Council discussed a colleague’s memo concerning a proposal from a developer to construct a new 60,000 square foot police building on Gilman Street in downtown Palo Alto. The City Council directed staff and the City Auditor to review the project and provide comments and assessment of the proposal to the City Council.
Revision Date: 08/08/2005 | | |
| Results of Police Property and Evidence Rooms Inventory
The Palo Alto Police Department conducts a periodic internal inventory/audit of its property and evidence rooms. The purpose of our audit was to independently assess the adequacy of the Police Department’s review.
Revision Date: 07/19/2005 | | |
| Review of SAP Controls over Accounts Payable
Test results of SAP Accounts Payable (AP) indicate that AP data is generally reliable, and authorization roles are functioning. IT has improved system access controls, but since SAP audit trails are not available, and training for data retrievals are still evolving, the City will have to closely monitor transactions and continue to rely on manual processes and paper documents to ensure transactions are valid and payments are correct.
Revision Date: 07/19/2005 | | |
| Audit of the City Workers' Compensation Program
Workers' compensation represents a substantial cost for the City of Palo Alto. The objective of this audit was to identify opportunities to control claim costs in the face of rising medical costs.
Revision Date: 04/19/2005 | | |
| Approval of Contract with Maze & Associates
Approval of contract with Maze & Associates in an amount not to exceed $
387,937 for external audit services for fiscal years ending June 30, 2005 through June 30, 2007
Revision Date: 04/01/2005 | | |
| Audit of Contract Contingencies
The Office of the City Auditor identified several ways to improve controls to ensure effective use of contractors and best pricing, and to improve monitoring and accountability for contingency spending.
Revision Date: 03/15/2005 | | |
| Service Efforts and Accomplishments Report 2003-2004 with Citizen Survey Results
This is the City Auditor’s third annual Service Efforts and Accomplishments report for the City of Palo Alto. Our goal is to provide the City Council, staff, and the public with an independent, impartial assessment of past performance to help make better decisions about the future. The National Citizen Survey™ (The NCS™) is a collaborative effort between National Research Center, Inc. (NRC) and the International City/County Management Association (ICMA).
Revision Date: 02/07/2005 | | |
| City Auditor’s Review Of Environmental Services Center Proposal
The purpose of this project was to independently review the assumptions and financial implications of the Environmental Services Center (ESC) proposal, and present that information to the City Council before additional monies were expended on the project.
Revision Date: 11/15/2004 | | |
| Report On The Status Of Audit Recommendations (2004)
The Municipal Code requires the City Auditor to issue an annual report on the implementation status of recommendations from recently completed audits. This report summarizes the status of 131 recommendations from 14 different audit reports and reviews.
Revision Date: 09/09/2004 | | |
| City Auditor’s Fiscal Year 2004-05 Work Plan with Risk Assessment
As part of our annual review of potential audit subjects, we solicit audit suggestions from City Council members, members of the public, and staff. We use the City’s proposed operating and capital budgets to prepare a spreadsheet model of potential audit subjects. The purpose of the model is to help us prioritize audit work.
Revision Date: 07/20/2004 | | |
| Write-Off Policy for Returned Checks Less Than $25.00
The Administrative Services Department approached the City Auditor’s Office to determine if we could help streamline the handling of returned checks less than $25. Our objective was to assess (1) the current policy and procedures followed by various departments, and (2) the impact on the City’s operational costs.
Revision Date: 06/01/2004 | | |
| Audit of Restructuring Efforts and Management Span of Control with Organizational Charts
The purpose of our review was to (1) conduct an independent review of General Fund and Internal Service Fund staffing changes and restructuring over the last two years, (2) assess the feasibility of additional reductions through attrition, (3) evaluate supervisory span of control, the ratio of managers to line staff, and the number of levels of management review, and (4) review the job duties of managers and supervisors with four or fewer direct reports.
Revision Date: 04/20/2004 | | |
| Audit Of Overtime Expenditures
In accordance with the 2002-03 Audit Plan, we have audited overtime expenditures. The purpose of our review was to audit actual overtime usage, and identify opportunities to better control overtime expenditures.
Revision Date: 11/18/2003 | | |
| Audit of the Development Review Process
Audit Of Development Review Process
In accordance with the 2002-03 Audit Plan, we have audited the City’s Development Review Process to determine if development review
(1) processes are effective and efficient, (2) actions are timely, responsive, and consistent and (3) processes can be improved.
Revision Date: 11/15/2003 | | |
| City Auditor’s Fiscal Year 2003-04 Work Plan with Risk Assessment
As part of our annual review of potential audit subjects, we solicit audit suggestions from City Council members, members of the public, and staff. We use the City’s proposed operating and capital budgets to prepare a spreadsheet model of potential audit subjects. The purpose of the model is to help us prioritize audit work.
Revision Date: 07/15/2003 | | |
| Report on the Status of Audit Recommendations (2003)
The Municipal Code requires the City Auditor to issue an annual report on the implementation status of recommendations from recently completed audits. This report summarizes the status of 70 recommendations from 10 different audit reports and reviews.
Revision Date: 10/09/2003 | | |
| Approval of Contract with Maze and Associates
Approval of Contract with Maze and Associates in an Amount Not to Exceed $280,660 for External Audit Services for Fiscal Years Ending June 30, 2003 and June 30, 2004
Revision Date: 04/14/2003 | | |
| Audit of Code Enforcement
Performance audit of the Planning Division code enforcement program's timeliness, responsiveness and consistency of enforcement.
Revision Date: 03/11/2003 | | |
| Service Efforts and Accomplishments Report 2001-2002
This is the City Auditor’s first annual Service Efforts and Accomplishments report for the City of Palo Alto. Our goal is to provide the City Council, staff, and the public with an independent, impartial assessment of past performance to help make better decisions about the future.
Revision Date: 01/01/2003 | | |
| Report on the Status of Audit Recommendations (2002)
The Municipal Code requires the City Auditor to issue an annual report on the implementation status of recommendations from recently completed audits. This report summarizes the status of 53 recommendations from 8 different audit reports.
Revision Date: 09/25/2002 | | |
| City Auditor’s Fiscal Year 2002-03 Work Plan
As part of our annual review of potential audit subjects, we solicit audit suggestions from City Council members, members of the public, and staff. The purpose of the citywide risk assessment model is to help prioritize audit work.
Revision Date: 08/05/2002 | | |
| A Study of Infrastructure Contract Processing Times
With millions of dollars of projects in the pipeline to address the City Council's Top 5 Priority on infrastructure, staff was concerned that the contracting process could impact the success of the infrastructure program.
Revision Date: 04/16/2002 | | |
| Report on the Status of Audit Recommendations - November 2001
The Municipal Code requires the City Auditor to issue an annual report on the status of recommendations from recently completed audits. This report summarizes the status of 132 recommendations from 15 different audit reports.
Revision Date: 11/20/2001 | | |
| Quarterly Sales Tax Review 4th Quarter 2000
The City Auditor’s Office reviews sales tax remittances on a quarterly basis to ensure that the City is receiving its proper allocation of retail sales tax. Because all data relating to sales tax paid by individual businesses is confidential, this report summarizes the results of our review.
Revision Date: 10/22/2001 | | |
| Auditor’s Office Annual Plan 2001-02
On August 6th, 2001, Mayor Eakins appointed an ad hoc committee of Vice Mayor Ojakian and Council Members Beecham and Wheeler to work with the new City Auditor to prepare an audit plan for the remainder of the fiscal year.
Revision Date: 09/19/2001 | | |
| Quarterly Sales Tax Review, 2nd and 3rd Quarters 2000
The City Auditor’s Office reviews sales tax remittances on a quarterly basis to ensure that the City is receiving its proper allocation of retail sales tax. Because all data relating to sales tax paid by individual businesses is confidential, this report summarizes the results of our review.
Revision Date: 08/06/2001 | | |
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