City Manager Curry Updates Commissioners on DFS Procurement Division's Management Watch Status

On August 20, Gainesville City Manager Cynthia Curry sent an update to Mayor Harvey Ward and the Gainesville City Commission regarding the Department of Financial Services Procurement Division (DFS)’s management watch status. 

The DFS was placed on management watch status on July 17. 

Curry informed the commission that the “Management Watch concept” is intended to be a “mechanism to identify areas of City operations where implementation of aggressive steps to remedy problems, strengthen departmental management and/or improve operations are needed.”

Curry explained that the management watch status is required to ensure the development of a corrective action plan in assistance with the General Government Internal Control Manager, Cesar Leal, “with subsequent direct involvement and monitoring by the City Manager's Office staff supervising the department/division.” 

Curry wrote that corrective action may include “financial information (operational costs and revenue), financial controls, delivery-of-service, personnel, and policies with consultation from the City Auditor with whom I have had an introductory conversation.”

Curry wrote that in some cases, the completion of corrective actions requires the “implementation of new or modified procedures.”

Curry wrote that upon completion of corrective actions, the DFS may be placed off management watch. 

The City Commission will be given periodic updates if the DFS's corrective action completion process takes several months to finish. 

Curry wrote that the DFS being removed from management watch would “involve thoughtful review” stating, “it is my intention to proceed cautiously in removing a watch status unless we can be assured that improved results can be verified as well as sustained.”

Curry outlined the people providing support as “[Acting] Procurement Division Manager Todd Tuzzolino [who is] working under the direction of Cintya Ramos [the] Executive Chief of Staff in the City Manager's Office. In addition, Andrew Persons [the] Chief Operating Officer, and Cesar Leal….This team will work through the required review and provide recommendations” to Curry. 

The City Commission will receive an update on the management watch status at the General Policy Committee meeting on September 26.