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PAGE 8 PROMPT PAYMENT OF CITY BILLS State law required municipalities to pay obligations with a standard payment period except where good faith disputes exist. A city whose council has at least one regularly scheduled meeting per month must pay bills within 35 days of receipt. The date of receipt is defined as the completed delivery of the goods or services or the satisfactory installation or assembly, or the receipt of the invoice for the delivery of goods, whichever is later. Cities have the responsibility to notify vendors of invoice errors within 10 days of receipt. The statute also requires cities to calculate and pay interest of 1½ percent per month on bills not paid within the standard payment period. State law specifies $10 as the minimum monthly interest penalty payment for the unpaid balance of any one overdue bill or $100 or more. For unpaid balances less than $100, the city shall calculate and pay the actual interest penalty due the vendor. In cases of delayed payments due to good faith disputes with vendors, no interest penalties accrue. Where such delayed payments are not in good faith, the vendor may recover costs and attorneys' fees. Statute applies to all purchases of goods, leases and rents, and contracts for services, construction, repair and remodeling entered into on or after January 1, 1986. Purchases or contracts for service with a public utility or telephone company are not subject to the requirements of this statute. (Statute No. 471.425) All invoices are required to be coded and signed by the department head, or authorized delegate, before forwarding them to the Finance Department for processing. Finance will process payments on a weekly basis. Payments that do not require Council authorization will be issued on Fridays. Payments that require Council action will be issued after the approval. A complete list of all paid and unpaid claims will be presented at the regular Council meeting under the consent agenda items.