Small Agency Services Bulletin – August 2025
| Important Dates | Important Messages | Small Agency Financial Services News | Travel Tips | Contact Us |
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Important Dates
September 5
- Phase 2 Close - Remaining State Disclosure Forms are due.
- Phase 2 Close - Please note that during year-end close, payment batch processing may be delayed. Contact DES Accounts Payable if there are any items that require priority processing to ensure batches are paid on time.
September 8
- To reflect in your agency's August monthly financial statements, all invoices and travel reimbursement requests are due to Accounts Payable.
September 15
- Supplemental FY26 budget requests (decision packages) are due to OFM Budget. Your DES will be reaching out to you to review when we will need your agency's decision package(s), including full narrative, cost calculations, and answers to supplementary questions so we can meet this OFM due date.
September 17
- Signed State Discloser certificate form is due. DES will require your agency's signature on the certification a week before the due date. Please notify us if you will be unavailable during this time.
October 1
- New OFM travel reimbursement rates for per diem and lodging go into effect.
October 31
- Performance Measure actuals for quarter ending September 30, to be entered into the Results through Performance Management (RPM) system.
November 1 - 30
- Healthcare Benefits Open Enrollment
Important Messages
FY26 supplemental requests are due September 15
FY26 supplemental requests should focus on the following:
- Non-discretionary changes in legally mandated caseloads or workloads.
- Necessary technical corrections to the enacted 2025-27 budgets.
- Additions or reductions to federal or private/local funding anticipated for the remainder of the biennium.
- Critical and emergent costs that cannot be accommodated with savings or efficiencies in the existing budget.
- Additional options for efficiencies, reform, administrative savings, or reductions in non-essential services and programs.
For more information, please reference Instructions for 2026 Supplemental Budget Submittals letter.
Supporting small agencies: Procurement updates from DES
One of DES' roles is to help state agencies—big and small—buy what they need through efficient, fair, and cost-effective contracts. Our procurement consulting team partners with Washington agencies to simplify the purchasing process and provide expert guidance every step of the way.
Here's what we delivered in 2024:
- Updated the Washington State Procurement Manual, a go-to resource for state purchasers.
- Connected with small agencies through WaTech- and DES-hosted sessions to talk through procurement challenges and solutions.
- Reached out to small agency customers to listen, answer questions, and hear how our support is working for them.
What we're working on in 2025:
- Creating ready-to-use tools—like IT contract language, evaluation templates, and tariff guidance—to support your next procurement.
- Sharing procurement news in the DES small agency newsletter to keep you in the loop on what's important.
- Hosting regular virtual office hours where you can ask us questions and get help on projects.
- Updating our website content to share events, key metrics, and current initiatives in one easy-to-find spot.
We're here to make your job easier. Watch for invitations to our office hours, newsletter sign-up info, and new tools coming your way soon.
Procurement consulting metrics snapshot
| Procurement Consulting Operational Metrics | 2024 | 2025 YTD |
|---|---|---|
| Number of all engagements | 103 | 21 |
| Number of agencies using the services | 31 | 11 |
| Number of DES-led competitive solicitations | 15 | 4 |
| Average number of days from intake to kick-off meeting | 9.6 days | 10 days |
| Average time of intake completion (excluding solicitations) | 72 days | - |
| Average time from intake submission to solicitation award | 198 days | - |
| Percentage of solicitation awards to small/certified contractors | 77% | - |
| Number of upheld protests or canceled solicitations | 1 | 0 |
| Customer satisfaction expectation | 4.83 | - |
Pension Contribution Rates
Employer contribution rates increase effective July 1, 2025.
Small Agency Financial Services News
Payroll Reminder
Reminder that Payroll Journals need to be signed prior to payday per SAAM 25.20.30 & RCW 41.06.270. Once the payroll journals are signed, they should be sent back to DES Payroll for retention.
SAFS (Small Agency Financial Services) Team Updates
Did you know? Your DES financial support team consists of ALL of our SAFS team members. Even though you may work with specific SAFS members regularly, other SAFS members often step in to assist and provide continuity of services. We would like you to know about our whole SAFS team. Below is a list of each work group within SAFS, the members you may hear from, and recent news or a message from each team.
Accounts Payable
Team Members:
- Diana Huynh - Supervisor
- Riley Hyland - Sr. Lead
- Vacant - Sr. Lead
- Bryn Parker - Lead
- Kaler Pearson (previously Zoucha) - Lead
- Diana Dikhamindzhiya - Accounting Analyst
- Kyler Oblad - Accounting Analyst
- Forest Pope - Accounting Analyst
Team update: We are excited to share that Riley was recently promoted into the Senior Lead Analyst (FA5) position within SAFS AP! Please help us congratulate him on his next step into leadership!
We are currently recruiting for his old position, the Lead Analyst (FA4) on our team.
Accounts Receivable
Team Members:
- Betti Bartoldo - Supervisor
- Stacey Millsap - Sr. Lead
- Jenifer Mobley - Accounting Analyst
- Brandy Leitgeb - Accounting Analyst
- Sarah Palazzo - Cash Receipts Specialist
- Sean Garcia - Cash Receipts Specialist
Budget
Team Members:
- Diann Lewallen
- Seth Flory
- Ian Shelley
- Christina Shearer
- Annis Jones
Team update: "We truly appreciate your collaboration in ensuring the timely submission of your 25–27 spending plan/allotments to OFM. Thank you for your dedication and teamwork!" –SAFS Budget
Payroll
Team Members:
- Rachel Rodgers – Manager
- Molly Guinan – Supervisor
- Kayla Preble – Lead
- Nichole Dahlin – Processor
- Amber Roberts – Processor
- Vanno Non - Garnishments
- Adam Oskvig – Out of State Taxes
- Treyson Ramos – Retirement Specialist
- Brandy Butterfield – Benefits Specialist
- Malachi Riedl - Time and Attendance Processor
Team update: Treyson Ramos (Retirement Specialist) is currently out on extended leave. Please email the DES Payroll main inbox with retirement questions (despayroll@des.wa.gov). We anticipate his return mid-September.
Team message: "Talent wins games, but teamwork and intelligence wins championships." – Michael Jordan
Administrative Assistance
Team Members:
- Danelle Guerin
- Makaila Barbella
DES Accounts Payable statistics for July 2025 (34 agencies served)
| Invoices received from agency | 1,190 | 91.05% | $5,853,219 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Invoices paid on delegated authority | 36 | 2.75% | $215,117 |
| Travel requests paid through TEMS | 77 | 5.89% | $29,651 |
| Payments reissued (SOL, Lost Warrant) | 4 | 0.31% | $1,062 |
| Total payments processed | 1,307 | 100% | $6,099,049 |
Quarterly DES Accounts Receivable statistics for Apr, May, June 2025 (34 agencies served)
| Invoices produced | 505 | $4,407,725 |
|---|---|---|
| Revenues recorded | 766 | $29,996,091 |
| Expenditure reductions recorded | 311 | $5,038,207 |
| Accounts receivable FTEs completing the work | 3.25 |
DES Payroll statistics for July 2025 (42 agencies served)
| Total employees paid | 1,212 |
|---|---|
| Appointment changes | 5 |
| New hires/rehires | 22 |
| Separations | 17 |
| Supplemental payments/walk throughs | 2 |
| Overpayments | 3 |
Travel Tips
Stay tuned for an upcoming SAAM travel rules refresher offered by the SAFS AP team later this fall.
As always, if you have any questions regarding travel: call SAFS AP at 360-407-8183 or email travel.safs@des.wa.gov.
Contact Us
If you would like to know what budget analyst, payroll analyst and HR business partner is assigned to your agency, see our Agency Assignments webpage.
If you would like to get contact information for DES SAFS and HR staff, see our Contacts webpage.
If you have suggestions or feedback about the Small Agency Services Bulletin, please send your comments to SmallAgencyBulletin@des.wa.gov.