Concerns drive financial changes at Port

By Darryl Swan

The South County Spotlight, Feb 20, 2008, Updated Oct 30, 2009

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A dust-up at the Port of St. Helens surrounding its financial accounting system and personnel changes led the Port Commission by a 4-1 vote to hire a Portland accounting consultant to analyze the agency’s financial software system for improvements.

A second systemic change includes outsourcing payroll services, which Port Commission Chair Robert Keyser said he anticipates will be a long-term cost savings to the district.

The Feb. 13 decision authorizes Computeration Inc., a Portland-based company, to perform up to $19,200 of interim accounting work and to start assessing the overall system for a major software overhaul.

Computeration Inc. is also expected to provide interim internal financial services for the Port as it seeks a replacement for its now vacant financial director position following the departure of Debra Dudley.

Much of the directional change at the Port is rooted in the earlier employ of Gregson Parker, an accounting consultant who specializes in the forensic analysis of accounting systems. Parker was hired to examine the Port’s system shortly after executive management changes last year, though Keyser said he has always been frustrated by the agency’s financial reporting system.

“I have never been comfortable with the amount of information we get,” Keyser said. “I need something that is very concise that tells me in a glance where we’re at with all our tenants.”

Audit reviews of the Port’s finances have not yielded any evidence of wrongdoing, Keyser said.

Keyser said Parker’s review of the Port’s financial reporting showed him exactly how much of a “hodgepodge” system the agency uses, however, exposing financial risks to the district which has embarked on multimillion dollar ventures at Port Westward. Because of the varied funding sources and the fluid nature of transactions occurring at Port Westward, including the receipt of federal grants and state loans, coupled with frequent cost changes, Keyser said there was just too much exposure with the current financial system.

Port Commission Colleen DeShazer voted against the action, arguing that hiring Computeration Inc. as a specialty consultant was a knee-jerk reaction to an immediate problem.

In fact, there was some hesitancy by other commissioners to move forward with the work authorization.

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