City Defines Authorized Check-Signers

Jay Barrett/KMXT

Before last Thursday’s regular meeting, the Kodiak City Council held a special, one-topic meeting to clarify some banking items. City Manager Aimee Kniaziowski explains that First National Bank Alaska recently contacted her.

“They needed clarification that faxed and electronic signatures were acceptable. We write a tremendous number of checks each week and to do a manual – to get two or three signers, would be very difficult to do,” she said.

So the council had before it a motion rescinding the old resolution and replacing it with one clarifying that fax and e-signatures were valid. While they were at it, as Kniaziowski points out, who could do the check signing was defined as well.

“And we also clarified the addition of like the deputy city manager to transactions like approving credit card purchases and check endorsements – if needed – in the event that one of us were unavailable at the time,” Kniaziowski said. “And also have access to our rented safety deposit box.”

Finance Director Kelly Mayes explained why it was beneficial to have alternates authorized to sign checks for the city.

“If there was a tsunami, if there was an earthquake, if power shut down and we actually had to manually write checks, if somebody was off-island in that instance and we needed two check signers there at one time for us to be able to conduct business, then that’s why it’s good to have two people already on the account that can sign,” Mayes said. “It’s not necessarily that they have access to anything up until that point.” 

The measure passed unanimously.