Greetings, Neighborhood Council Treasurers, Board Members, and stakeholders. I hope this week’s newsletter finds you all well. The NC Checking Account System is now officially 1 month old, and with any such young system, there have been ups and downs, adjustments, apologies, and corrections. But there have also been successes, improvements, compliments, and positive suggestions. We in the Funding Division are taking it all in and thanking you for your feedback. We know the system isn’t perfect (yet), and yet there is so much promise to this new procedure that we can’t help but be excited about the changes. We hope once you ease yourself into the new system and get comfortable with the new procedures, you will be just as excited as we are.
Best,
Armando Ruiz
Neighborhood Council Funding Program Director
IMPORTANT DATES / DEADLINES
· 10 days after your July NC Board Meeting – June Monthly Expenditure Reports due
· August 21, 2014 – NC Checking Account Training (City Hall, 20th Floor)
What About those Auto-Deducts?
As of July 1st, the Funding team has been working on contacting both the vendors as well as the Neighborhood Councils who regularly had their monthly operational costs sent to, and paid by the Department directly out of their appropriation accounts. The vendors have been notified to redirect all future invoices to the NC’s mailing address, and in turn, any invoices we received have been forwarded to the Treasurer/2nd Signers for them to pay out of the NC account. If for whatever reason the NC does not yet have access to their checking account (eg. Newly appointed Treasurer, etc) the Department will pay your invoices on your behalf out of the NC account and provide that information on our Check Tracker worksheet.
NC Checking Account Core User’s Guide
As part of our commitment to making the new checking account system easier to manage and navigate, the Funding team has released a new, quick hits guide. This 3 page document gives you the bare bones, need-to-know information on how to get access to your account, how to pay your bills, how to report expenses to the board, and a list of acceptable and disallowed expenditures. We hope this will give you the confidence to get up and running as soon as possible, but as always, when in doubt, please contact us for additional guidance.
Cash Request Form
Let’s talk about the Cash Request form (link). This is the simplest form of the new checking account system and it is used by the NC Treasurer or Signer when additional funds need to be added to your checking account. The Department deposited $4,000 seed money into each NC account in early July to get you going with funds to cover your operational expenses. If you need additional funds deposited into the account, you use the Cash Request Form to make that happen. All the Department needs is the form, completely filled out and signed by the Treasurer and 2nd Signer, and that’s it. No supporting documents, no invoices, flyers, permits, W-9’s, etc. are required for approval. So long as the form is complete, the NC is current on their MER’s, and their funds aren’t frozen, the Department will process your request and your funds will be deposited in 2-3 business days.
Union Bank Account Documents
In order for your NC to have a bank account opened, you must ensure that your Treasurer and 2nd Signer have completed all the necessary Union Bank documents. If you’ve had a change in Treasurer or 2nd Signer, you must complete new bank account documents by contacting the Funding Team right away.
2014-15 Budget Package
Please click here to review the 2014-2015 Budget Package instructions and requirements.
In-Person Funding Training
The Funding Team will be scheduling additional Checking Account Trainings. The next training is on August 21, 2014, from 6 – 9 pm in our downtown offices (see attached flyer). We will also be scheduling additional trainings throughout different areas of Los Angeles to help Treasurers, Signers, and any other interested Board Members navigate the new NC Checking Account System. Please keep an eye out on our EmpowerLA Events calendar, as well as in these newsletters for specific date and location information as it becomes available.
Full Funding Training Video Available
As further evidence of the awesomeness that is our Department staff, we’re proud to introduce a full Treasurer’s Training video now available on our website. Thanks to the video and technical expertise of Sevak Paramazian and Arin Abedian, this training has much better sound, visuals, and special effects. Jessica Pua, Kathleen Quinn, and the one and only Betty Wong Oyama will guide you through the intricacies of the funding program while you watch from the comfort of your own home, bed, hammock, whatever! Once the fun is over, make sure you follow the link to register your attendance and receive credit for your newly enhanced knowledge of funding practices.