Small Agency Services Bulletin - October 2020
| Important Dates | Important Messages | Small Agency Financial Services News | Travel Tips | Contact Us |
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Important Dates
Oct. 26
- Monthly DOR Use Tax filing is due.
Oct. 31
- Performance Measure actuals for quarter ending Sept. 30, to be entered into the Results through Performance Management (RPM) system.
- Annual DOR unclaimed property filing is due.
- Quarterly DOR Use Tax filing is due.
Nov. 6
- To reflect in your agency's October monthly financial statements, all invoices and travel reimbursement requests are due to Accounts Payable.
Nov. 1 through Nov. 30
- Healthcare Benefits Open Enrollment - see a preview in the September PEBB newsletter.
Nov. 9, 10, 12 and 13
- DES Payroll "Healthcare Benefits Open Enrollment" Assistance Sessions (see details below).
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Important Messages
Coronavirus (COVID-19) Resource
Keep informed via Washington State's coronavirus response website Coronavirus.wa.gov
Agency operating budget requests now available (2021-23 biennium and 2021 supplemental)
View operating budget requests that state agencies and higher education institutions have submitted to us for consideration in Gov. Inslee's 2021–23 biennial budget proposal and FY21 supplemental.
Annual Healthcare Benefits Open Enrollment is coming
Find information to help you make your benefits decisions for 2021. Open enrollment (OE) is November 1 though 30, 2020.
- 2021 benefits and plan changes
- Premiums and benefit information
- Newsletters, benefits fairs, and webinars
- Employees only: Supplemental life insurance enrollment opportunity
Inclement weather – Are you prepared?
Severe weather and natural disasters cause physical damage and often create health risks. Loss of power and water can make it difficult to store food or cook safely, find clean water and safely heat homes. Now is a good time to get ready for whatever might happen.
Check out the Department of Health's webpage on how to prepare for different types of severe weather and natural disasters such as:
- Cold weather
- Floods
- Landslides and mudflows
- Power outages
- Windstorms
Department of Enterprise Services (DES) has designed a snow and ice removal plan designed to maintain operational capabilities and provide safety for public and state employees during winter weather conditions. The purpose for the snow and ice removal plan is to:
- Make every effort to keep the Capitol Campus and surrounding locations safe during inclement weather conditions.
- Provide accessible guidelines and procedures for internal and external customers.
- Provide reasonable driving conditions during adverse inclement weather conditions.
- Reduce interruption of state business on and off the Capitol Campus.
- Maintain clear and safe access to state buildings.
- Winterize equipment and water lines to avoid damage and costly repairs.
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Small Agency Financial Services News
DES Payroll "Healthcare Benefits Open Enrollment" Assistance Sessions
Public Employees Benefits Board (PEBB) healthcare benefits open enrollment is coming. Employees have the opportunity to make changes to their benefits for 2021 from Nov. 1 through Nov. 30.
To assist with open enrollment, DES Payroll will be hosting "Assistance Sessions" where employees can:
- Get help with filling out forms
- Find out what documentation is needed when making benefit changes
- Get help with links on where to find premium information and plan information
- Answers to basic questions
Assistance Sessions will be available November 9, 10, 12, and 13. Watch for a communication on how to sign up!
Also, take advantage of HCA's virtual benefits fairs.
Basics Guidelines (if DES/SAFS handles your cash receipting) for Transferring Combined Fund Drive Fundraising Proceeds
Please submit your agency Combined Fund Drive (CFD) deposit on a separate A45 from your normal deposits and indicate "Combined Fund Drive." Submit your CFD Fundraising form along with your deposit to Enterprise Services. Your Fundraising Transfer Form MUST match the total amount transferred to Office of the Secretary of State (OSOS). Complete a separate form for credit card fund-raiser income. CFD Deposits will be posted to your agency (fund 525) and transferred by Enterprise Services to SOS on Dec. 4.
Small Agency Highlight
The Washington State Arts Commission (ArtsWa) is a catalyst for the arts, advancing the role of the arts in the lives of individuals and communities throughout the state. Their vision is that the arts thrive and are celebrated throughout Washington State, and are woven into the fabric of vital and vibrant communities.
One of ArtsWa's main programs involves Public Art. They manage and protect the State Art Collection, a shared cultural resource. There is so much to see and you can do so via ArtsWa's My Public Art Portal! The My Public Art Portal enhances engagement with nearly 5,000 public art pieces and presents the geographically widespread collection as a whole, in one place.
Here are few of their web exhibitions and ways to sort through the artwork of the State Art Collection:
- New Arts Acquisitions - Public art projects completed during the 2020 fiscal year (July 1, 2019 through June 30, 2020). They are located across Washington State, from Bellingham to Kennewick and Colton in Southeastern Washington, to Belfair on the Kitsap Peninsula, to Spokane.
- Collection Care Highlights from Fiscal Year 2020 - This web exhibition showcases 65 artworks that have been recently cleaned, conserved, re-framed, and/or evaluated by ArtsWA staff or contractors.
- Topical Web Exhibitions - ArtsWa has lots of fun, topical web exhibitions such as this one on birds - Bird is a Verb - Over two hundred artworks that are the result of this fascination with birds.
- Browse by County - Want to view artworks in your county? Did you know that Asotin county in the most southwestern corner of Washington has several artworks in the collection.
- Browse by Artist - Wish to find pieces from a special artist you know? The collection is made up of over 1,100 artists to choose from.
Please enjoy the collection!
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.
| Team | Members | News / Message |
|---|---|---|
| Accounts Payable |
Sarah Parker |
Sarah will be out on annual leave for most of the month of November. Our AP shared inboxes are always monitored if you require immediate assistance. |
| Budget |
Chad Johnson |
FY21 supplemental budget requests were successfully submitted to OFM! Thank you for working so closing with your DES Budget Analyst to get your requests submitted on time. |
| Payroll |
Carrie Knudson |
|
| Revenue Management |
Kara Skinner |
|
| Administrative Assistance |
Danelle Guerin |
Please reach out to Gwen McClanahan should you need something when Danelle is out of the office. |
DES Payroll statistics for Sept 2020 (40 agencies served)
| Total Employees Paid | 1,261 |
| New Hires / Rehires | 18 |
| Transfer In / Transfer Outs | 4 |
| Separations | 10 |
| Supplemental Payments / Walk Throughs | 0 |
| Overpayments | 26 |
DES Accounts Payable statistics for Sept 2020 (31 agencies served)
| Invoices Received from Agency | 1,170 | 73.68% | $6,633,749 |
| Invoices Paid on Delegated Authority | 395 | 24.87% | $778,994 |
| Travel Requests Paid through TEMS | 12 | 0.76% | $4,139 |
| Payments Reissued (SOL, Lost Warrant) | 11 | 0.69% | $3,443 |
| Total Payments Processed | 1,588 | 100% | $7,420,325 |
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Travel Tips
Coronavirus (COVID-19) Travel Advice
Experts advise canceling all non-critical travel plans. The World Health Organization has tips about traveling if you absolutely must during COVID-19.
New Travel Rates
The new travel rates have gone into effect as of October 1, see the new rates map.
Travel Workshop Alternative
We will be sending a travel communication and other reminders/updates in lieu of a travel workshop this year.
If you have questions, please contact us at 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.
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