Finance Committee - 06/16/2021 Page 5
Alderwoman Lu
Yes please. To you through Corporate Counsel.
Could you comment on the callers comments? Specifically have we always put these charges through the overlay
account or have they previously been charged elsewhere?
Steve Bolton, Corporation Counsel
Well always is a long time. | would say for at least the last 15 years they've been charged to overlay. No different than
what’s been going on. No different from what is contemplated here. All funds come out of the general fund. Anything
that comes out of the general fund has to be made available by appropriation that the Board of Aldermen passes. Funds
over a certain amount and contracts over a certain amount have to be approved by the Finance Committee. Contracts
that go on for more than a single year have to be approved by the full Board of Aldermen. There is nothing unusual going
on here. There is nothing that hasn’t been done this exact same way for more years than | can remember.
Alderwoman Lu
Can | do a follow up?
Chairman Harriott-Gathright
Yes.
Alderwoman Lu
So partly | don’t understand the overlay. | understand that the State tells us what our overlay contribution is each year.
Steve Bolton, Corporation Counsel
No.
Alderwoman Lu
Not the State? No? We determine it?
Steve Bolton, Corporation Counsel
Yes.
Alderwoman Lu
And it’s meant for abatements as well as the cost to you know negotiate, etc.?
Steve Bolton, Corporation Counsel
Its primary use is to pay for refunds resulting from successful abatement applications or appeals. It also is available for
expenses related to the defects in those type of cases — abatement appeals.
Alderwoman Lu
And a follow up please?
So one question | have is | didn’t see any difference in the list of properties for the change order and the list that was
presented with the original contract for $20,000. | think you said that there was new work added to it?
Steve Bolton, Corporation Counsel
There has been. When we originally entered into the agreement with Mr. Cunningham’s firm. We didn’t know how much
we'd be using him for. We listed a lot of property, asked him to take a look, make sure he thought that they were within
