•    Houston Fire Department – Fleet Maintenance Program.  Fire Chief Phil Boriskie requested the audit.

  •    Long-term contractor relationship - The Audit Division will assess the use of contractor firms engaged by the city for extended periods.  

  •    Public Works & Engineering Department – Storm Water Management Program (SWMP).

Compliance Audits

   •    Aviation Department – Selected construction projects;

   •    Citywide – Audits of Executive Order 1-48 (Policy on Information Technology Security)   and Administrative Procedures 8-2      (Procedure  on Electronic Mail Communications);

   •   Citywide – Cash-handling;

   •   Citywide – Purchasing card activity;

   •   Citywide – Selected disbursements review    ( review of departmental controls associated with disbursements under $75,000);

   •   Citywide – Travel costs;

   •   Citywide – Vehicle allowance and vehicle scheduled maintenance audits;

   •   Health & Human Services and Houston Fire Departments – Patient privacy regulatory compliance with Federal HIPAA privacy and security rules that require health care providers to follow documentation procedures to ensure that patient’s health information is protected.

   •   Public Works & Engineering and Parks & Recreation Departments – Roadway
landscaping and beautification.  (Council Resolution 90-3 specifies that a maximum of 1% of construction roadway costs must be dedicated to landscaping and beautification.)

Revenue enhancement audits

      •   Aviation Department – Parking, car rentals and hotel concessions.   

•   Finance & Administration Department – Property Disposal Management Division. The audit will determine if the division is maximizing funds recovered from the disposal of city surplus assets.

Special projects

The Audit Division will address special projects as requested by the mayor, city controller, City Council and department directors. Projects also may be initiated as a result of information received from taxpayers, vendors and city employees. Planned projects include:

     •   Auditing services requested by the city inspector general;
     •   City Controller’s Office external audit assistance;
     •   Computer-assisted auditing tools and techniques;
     •   Development of audit universe for future audit planning;
     •   SAP security in the city's new financial system;
     •   Houston Police Department – Truck Enforcement Program.

In addition to the followup performance audit of the 911 system, auditors will revisit the Fire Department Life Safety Bureau and 311.

The audit plan is available at www.houstontx.gov/controller/index.html .