As a prerequisite to bringing suit thereon against the City or any officer, employee, department, commission, or board of the City, any claim for money or damages, including claims which would otherwise be excepted by Section 905 of the Government Code of California, which is not governed by any other statute or regulation expressly relating thereto, shall be presented and acted upon in accordance with Title 1, Division 3.6, Part 3, Chapter 1 (commencing with Section 900) and Chapter 2 (commencing with Section 910), of the California Government Code. This Section shall relate only to the bringing of suit upon any claim, and shall not be deemed to apply to the authority of the Director of Finance and general services, the City Council, and other City officers to process and pay, in the ordinary course of business, the just obligations of the City, such as routine salaries and wages, principal and interest on bonds, payments for purchases, and other like expenditures for which there is an express budget appropriation and in connection with which there is no dispute as to the obligation and amount being payable.
No payment shall be made from the City treasury or out of the funds of the City unless the demand which is to be paid is duly audited as prescribed herein or by other provisions of law.
Claims against the City shall be paid on demands on the treasury as herein provided on forms to be prescribed by the City Manager.
Except for tort claims, every claim and demand received against the City shall be first presented to and approved in writing by the receiving department or office, which shall certify to the actual delivery or rendition of the supplies, materials, property or service for which payment is claimed. The receiving department or office shall also certify that the quality and prices correspond with the original specifications and contracts, if any, upon which the claim is based, that the demand in all other respects is proper and valid, and shall indicate the budgetary account to which said demand is to be charged.
Each demand approved by the receiving department or office shall be presented to the City Manager, who shall determine whether:
(a) 
The claim is legally due and owing by the City;
(b) 
There are budgeted or otherwise appropriated funds available to pay said claim;
(c) 
The claim conforms to a valid requisition or order;
(d) 
The prices and computations shown on the claim are verified;
(e) 
The claim contains the approval of other departments and officials as required.
(a) 
Prepayment of demands prior to audit by the City Council may be made by the City Manager in conformance with the authority provided by Section 37208 of the California Government Code.
(b) 
Whenever the City Manager determines that a refund of fees, taxes, or other receipts collected in error or in advance of being earned, or of money the refund of which is otherwise required pursuant to specific provisions of this Code or of any other Ordinance of this City is due, then any such refund shall be deemed as conforming to the currently approved budget, and may be prepaid in the same fashion as other demands encompassed within the terms of Subsection (a) of this Section.
Following audit of demands, the City Manager shall prepare a register of audited demands showing the claimant's name, amount of demand, the warrant number and date thereof, and transmit said register to the City Council, with a recommendation of approval or other report.
The register of demands shall be presented to the City Council at the next meeting thereof. The City Council may by resolution approve, conditionally or partially approve, or reject such register of demands.
Following approval of the register of demands by the City Council, the Mayor and the City Manager shall endorse the register of audited demands to signify that the demands therein were properly processed prior to any action taken by the City Council.