REPORT TO COUNCIL
SUBJECT
Title
Action on City Bills and Claims Report for the period December 7, 2024 - January 10, 2025
Report
COUNCIL PILLAR
Enhance Community Engagement and Transparency
BACKGROUND
Disbursements made by the City of Santa Clara (City) are based on invoices submitted for payment. Prior to payment, staff reviews all disbursement documents to ensure they are reflective of the goods or services provided. Invoices are usually paid within 30 days of receipt of an accurate invoice. As a final step, the City Auditor, or designee, verifies all documents before the City issues payment. Payments are issued through accounts payable checks and wire transfers. It is important to note that items that pertain to the Stadium Authority are billed to the Stadium Manager (ManCo) to pay on behalf of the Stadium Authority for Non-NFL events and the 49ers for NFL events.
The Bills and Claims Report, as required by the City Charter, represents the cash disbursements required for operations of the City during the period. The report reflects the payment date, invoice number, description of the payment, funding source, and payment amount for all invoices. The budget control is set by the City Council through the budget adoption process. The attached report is sorted by Silicon Valley Power (SVP) expenses first, followed by the rest of the City funds.
DISCUSSION
Significant expenditures in this period include:
• Payment to Northern California Power Agency in the amount of $19,704,799 for December 2024 all resources bill.
• Payment to Motorola Solutions Inc., in the amount of $5,610,526 for new public safety communication system radios and subscription fees.
• Payment to Santa Clara Valley Water District in the amount of $5,303,984 for September and October 2024 pump tax (a groundwater charge that is used to pay for the protection and augmentation of water supplies in the basin) and November 2024 treated water purchase.
• Payment to Tri-dam Authority/Project in the amount of $4,232,233 for October and November 2024 hydroelectric purchase.
• Payment to California Independent System Operator Corporation in the amount of $3,376,250 for settlement charges covering August, September, November, and December 2024. Also includes true-ups of prior billing periods: March 2017, November 2022, May 2022, and December 2023.
• Payment to MSR Power Agency/Energy Authority in the amount of $3,175,173 for November 2024 power purchase and administration cost.
Payments to ManCo are not included in the City’s Bills and Claims report as they are currently reported through a separate Stadium Authority Bills and Claims report. Stadium Authority related payments in the City’s Bills and Claims report include general administrative, material, and supply expenses of approximately $152,990. Included in this amount are invoices totaling $146,526 paid to Santa Clara County Sheriff’s Department, Monterey County, San Francisco City and County, and Sunnyvale Department of Public Safety for protection services for events at the Stadium. These expenses are reimbursed to the City by the Stadium Authority.
During this period, payments were made on behalf of the City and the Santa Clara Stadium Authority (described above); Sports & Open Space Authority (SOSA) and Housing Authority.
Certain information such as names of law firms and recipients of workers’ compensation have been redacted from the Bills and Claims report. The Supreme Court of California in Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors v. Superior Court, (2016) 2 Cal.5th 282, held that invoices specifying the amounts billed by a law firm to a client fall within the scope of attorney-client privilege while the matters are active. In accordance with the Supreme Court’s ruling, the names of law firms retained by the City, and the specific amounts billed by each, have been redacted from the public report to maintain the confidentiality of billing records for legal services. In addition, individually identifiable information about recipients of workers’ compensation has been redacted from the report based on California Labor Code section 138.7.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
The action being considered does not constitute a “project” within the meaning of the California Environmental Quality Act (“CEQA”) pursuant to section 15378(b)(4) of Title 14 of the Code of Regulations in that it is a fiscal activity that does not involve any commitment to any specific project which may result in a potentially significant impact on the environment.
FISCAL IMPACT
The expenditures of $82,021,623 were appropriated to various funds with the adoption of the Fiscal Year 2024/25 budget, as amended.
COORDINATION
This report has been coordinated with the City Attorney’s Office.
PUBLIC CONTACT
Public contact was made by posting the Council agenda on the City’s official-notice bulletin board outside City Hall Council Chambers. A complete agenda packet is available on the City’s website and in the City Clerk’s Office at least 72 hours prior to a Regular Meeting and 24 hours prior to a Special Meeting. A hard copy of any agenda report may be requested by contacting the City Clerk’s Office at (408) 615-2220, email clerk@santaclaraca.gov <mailto:clerk@santaclaraca.gov> or at the public information desk at any City of Santa Clara public library.
RECOMMENDATION
Recommendation
Approve the list of Bills and Claims for December 7, 2024 - January 10, 2025.
Staff
Reviewed by: David Noce, Audit Manager
Approved by: Jovan D. Grogan, City Manager
ATTACHMENTS
1. Bills and Claims Approved for Payment Report