Audit 357537

FY End
2024-06-30
Total Expended
$8.37M
Findings
14
Programs
8
Organization: City of Desert Hot Springs (CA)
Year: 2024 Accepted: 2025-05-29

Organization Exclusion Status:

Checking exclusion status...

Findings

ID Ref Severity Repeat Requirement
561876 2024-004 Significant Deficiency - I
561877 2024-004 Significant Deficiency - I
561878 2024-004 Significant Deficiency - I
561879 2024-004 Significant Deficiency - I
561880 2024-004 Significant Deficiency - I
561881 2024-004 Significant Deficiency - I
561882 2024-005 Significant Deficiency - L
1138318 2024-004 Significant Deficiency - I
1138319 2024-004 Significant Deficiency - I
1138320 2024-004 Significant Deficiency - I
1138321 2024-004 Significant Deficiency - I
1138322 2024-004 Significant Deficiency - I
1138323 2024-004 Significant Deficiency - I
1138324 2024-005 Significant Deficiency - L

Contacts

Name Title Type
UKWKYMCNNVA9 Geoffrey Buchheim Auditee
7603296411 Sophia H. Kuo Auditor
No contacts on file

Notes to SEFA

Title: Reporting Entity Accounting Policies: The activity of the City’s federal award programs is reported within the General Fund, the special revenue funds and the capital projects funds of the City. The City utilizes the modified accrual basis of accounting for the General Fund, the special revenue funds and the capital projects funds as described in Note 1 to the City’s basic financial statements. The accompanying Schedule of Expenditures of Federal Awards (the “Schedule”) is presented in accordance with the requirements of Title 2 U.S. Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 200, Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards (the “Uniform Guidance”). Therefore, some amounts presented in the Schedule may differ from amounts presented in, or used in, the preparation of the City’s basic financial statements. De Minimis Rate Used: N Rate Explanation: The City did not elect to use the 10% de minimis cost rate. The financial reporting entity, as defined by the Governmental Accounting Standards Board (“GASB”) Codification, consists of the primary government, which is the City of Desert Hot Springs, California (the “City”), organizations for which the primary government is financially accountable, and other organizations for which the nature and significance of their relationship with the primary government are such that exclusion would cause the City’s financial statements to be misleading or incomplete. The City Council acts as the governing body and is able to impose its will on the following organizations, establishing financial accountability: - City of Desert Hot Springs Financing Corporation - Desert Hot Springs Public Financing Authority - Desert Hot Springs Housing Authority
Title: Schedule of Expenditures of Federal Awards Accounting Policies: The activity of the City’s federal award programs is reported within the General Fund, the special revenue funds and the capital projects funds of the City. The City utilizes the modified accrual basis of accounting for the General Fund, the special revenue funds and the capital projects funds as described in Note 1 to the City’s basic financial statements. The accompanying Schedule of Expenditures of Federal Awards (the “Schedule”) is presented in accordance with the requirements of Title 2 U.S. Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 200, Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards (the “Uniform Guidance”). Therefore, some amounts presented in the Schedule may differ from amounts presented in, or used in, the preparation of the City’s basic financial statements. De Minimis Rate Used: N Rate Explanation: The City did not elect to use the 10% de minimis cost rate. The accompanying Schedule presents the activity of all federal financial assistance programs of the City. Federal financial assistance received directly from federal agencies, as well as federal financial assistance passed through the California Department of Transportation, the State of California Office of Traffic Safety, and the County Riverside, are included in the Schedule. The Schedule was prepared from only the accounts of various grant programs and, therefore, does not present the financial position or results of operations of the City.

Finding Details

Finding 2024-004 Procurement and Suspension and Debarment – Internal Control over Suspension and Debarment Identification of the Federal Program: Assistance Listing Number: 20.205 Assistance Listing Title: Highway Planning and Construction Program (Federal-Aid Highway Program) Federal Agency: U.S. Department of the Transportation Federal Award Identification Number: HSIPL-5384(023); ER-15Y0(001); ER-15Y0(002); ER-15Y0(003); ER-15Y0(004) Assistance Listing Number: 21.027 Assistance Listing Title: Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds (CSLFRF) Federal Agency: U.S. Department of the Treasury Federal Award Identification Number: 1505-0271 Criteria or Specific Requirement (Including Statutory, Regulatory, or Other Citation): Prior to entering into subawards and contracts with award funds, recipients must verify that such contractors and subrecipients are not suspended, debarred, or otherwise excluded pursuant to 31 CFR section 19.300. Condition: During the audit, we noticed that the City did not perform suspension and debarment checks on the contractors that they hired with Highway Planning and Construction Program (“HPC”) and CSLFRF Funds. Cause: The City does not have formal policies and procedures in place to ensure the suspension and debarment review process over vendors that provides goods or services to the City’s programs was conducted prior to entering into a contract. Effect or Potential Effect: Without verifying whether vendors are suspended or debarred from working on federally-funded projects prior to the contract being awarded, the City could be contracting with vendors that are prohibited from working on federally funded projects and incurring potentially disallowed costs. Questioned Costs: None noted. Context: See condition above for the context of the finding. Identification as a Repeat Finding, If Applicable: No. Recommendation: We recommended the City develop policies and procedures to incorporate the suspension and debarment verification prior to awarding contracts. Views of Responsible Officials: Management concurs with the finding and agrees to implement necessary corrective procedures.
Finding 2024-004 Procurement and Suspension and Debarment – Internal Control over Suspension and Debarment Identification of the Federal Program: Assistance Listing Number: 20.205 Assistance Listing Title: Highway Planning and Construction Program (Federal-Aid Highway Program) Federal Agency: U.S. Department of the Transportation Federal Award Identification Number: HSIPL-5384(023); ER-15Y0(001); ER-15Y0(002); ER-15Y0(003); ER-15Y0(004) Assistance Listing Number: 21.027 Assistance Listing Title: Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds (CSLFRF) Federal Agency: U.S. Department of the Treasury Federal Award Identification Number: 1505-0271 Criteria or Specific Requirement (Including Statutory, Regulatory, or Other Citation): Prior to entering into subawards and contracts with award funds, recipients must verify that such contractors and subrecipients are not suspended, debarred, or otherwise excluded pursuant to 31 CFR section 19.300. Condition: During the audit, we noticed that the City did not perform suspension and debarment checks on the contractors that they hired with Highway Planning and Construction Program (“HPC”) and CSLFRF Funds. Cause: The City does not have formal policies and procedures in place to ensure the suspension and debarment review process over vendors that provides goods or services to the City’s programs was conducted prior to entering into a contract. Effect or Potential Effect: Without verifying whether vendors are suspended or debarred from working on federally-funded projects prior to the contract being awarded, the City could be contracting with vendors that are prohibited from working on federally funded projects and incurring potentially disallowed costs. Questioned Costs: None noted. Context: See condition above for the context of the finding. Identification as a Repeat Finding, If Applicable: No. Recommendation: We recommended the City develop policies and procedures to incorporate the suspension and debarment verification prior to awarding contracts. Views of Responsible Officials: Management concurs with the finding and agrees to implement necessary corrective procedures.
Finding 2024-004 Procurement and Suspension and Debarment – Internal Control over Suspension and Debarment Identification of the Federal Program: Assistance Listing Number: 20.205 Assistance Listing Title: Highway Planning and Construction Program (Federal-Aid Highway Program) Federal Agency: U.S. Department of the Transportation Federal Award Identification Number: HSIPL-5384(023); ER-15Y0(001); ER-15Y0(002); ER-15Y0(003); ER-15Y0(004) Assistance Listing Number: 21.027 Assistance Listing Title: Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds (CSLFRF) Federal Agency: U.S. Department of the Treasury Federal Award Identification Number: 1505-0271 Criteria or Specific Requirement (Including Statutory, Regulatory, or Other Citation): Prior to entering into subawards and contracts with award funds, recipients must verify that such contractors and subrecipients are not suspended, debarred, or otherwise excluded pursuant to 31 CFR section 19.300. Condition: During the audit, we noticed that the City did not perform suspension and debarment checks on the contractors that they hired with Highway Planning and Construction Program (“HPC”) and CSLFRF Funds. Cause: The City does not have formal policies and procedures in place to ensure the suspension and debarment review process over vendors that provides goods or services to the City’s programs was conducted prior to entering into a contract. Effect or Potential Effect: Without verifying whether vendors are suspended or debarred from working on federally-funded projects prior to the contract being awarded, the City could be contracting with vendors that are prohibited from working on federally funded projects and incurring potentially disallowed costs. Questioned Costs: None noted. Context: See condition above for the context of the finding. Identification as a Repeat Finding, If Applicable: No. Recommendation: We recommended the City develop policies and procedures to incorporate the suspension and debarment verification prior to awarding contracts. Views of Responsible Officials: Management concurs with the finding and agrees to implement necessary corrective procedures.
Finding 2024-004 Procurement and Suspension and Debarment – Internal Control over Suspension and Debarment Identification of the Federal Program: Assistance Listing Number: 20.205 Assistance Listing Title: Highway Planning and Construction Program (Federal-Aid Highway Program) Federal Agency: U.S. Department of the Transportation Federal Award Identification Number: HSIPL-5384(023); ER-15Y0(001); ER-15Y0(002); ER-15Y0(003); ER-15Y0(004) Assistance Listing Number: 21.027 Assistance Listing Title: Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds (CSLFRF) Federal Agency: U.S. Department of the Treasury Federal Award Identification Number: 1505-0271 Criteria or Specific Requirement (Including Statutory, Regulatory, or Other Citation): Prior to entering into subawards and contracts with award funds, recipients must verify that such contractors and subrecipients are not suspended, debarred, or otherwise excluded pursuant to 31 CFR section 19.300. Condition: During the audit, we noticed that the City did not perform suspension and debarment checks on the contractors that they hired with Highway Planning and Construction Program (“HPC”) and CSLFRF Funds. Cause: The City does not have formal policies and procedures in place to ensure the suspension and debarment review process over vendors that provides goods or services to the City’s programs was conducted prior to entering into a contract. Effect or Potential Effect: Without verifying whether vendors are suspended or debarred from working on federally-funded projects prior to the contract being awarded, the City could be contracting with vendors that are prohibited from working on federally funded projects and incurring potentially disallowed costs. Questioned Costs: None noted. Context: See condition above for the context of the finding. Identification as a Repeat Finding, If Applicable: No. Recommendation: We recommended the City develop policies and procedures to incorporate the suspension and debarment verification prior to awarding contracts. Views of Responsible Officials: Management concurs with the finding and agrees to implement necessary corrective procedures.
Finding 2024-004 Procurement and Suspension and Debarment – Internal Control over Suspension and Debarment Identification of the Federal Program: Assistance Listing Number: 20.205 Assistance Listing Title: Highway Planning and Construction Program (Federal-Aid Highway Program) Federal Agency: U.S. Department of the Transportation Federal Award Identification Number: HSIPL-5384(023); ER-15Y0(001); ER-15Y0(002); ER-15Y0(003); ER-15Y0(004) Assistance Listing Number: 21.027 Assistance Listing Title: Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds (CSLFRF) Federal Agency: U.S. Department of the Treasury Federal Award Identification Number: 1505-0271 Criteria or Specific Requirement (Including Statutory, Regulatory, or Other Citation): Prior to entering into subawards and contracts with award funds, recipients must verify that such contractors and subrecipients are not suspended, debarred, or otherwise excluded pursuant to 31 CFR section 19.300. Condition: During the audit, we noticed that the City did not perform suspension and debarment checks on the contractors that they hired with Highway Planning and Construction Program (“HPC”) and CSLFRF Funds. Cause: The City does not have formal policies and procedures in place to ensure the suspension and debarment review process over vendors that provides goods or services to the City’s programs was conducted prior to entering into a contract. Effect or Potential Effect: Without verifying whether vendors are suspended or debarred from working on federally-funded projects prior to the contract being awarded, the City could be contracting with vendors that are prohibited from working on federally funded projects and incurring potentially disallowed costs. Questioned Costs: None noted. Context: See condition above for the context of the finding. Identification as a Repeat Finding, If Applicable: No. Recommendation: We recommended the City develop policies and procedures to incorporate the suspension and debarment verification prior to awarding contracts. Views of Responsible Officials: Management concurs with the finding and agrees to implement necessary corrective procedures.
Finding 2024-004 Procurement and Suspension and Debarment – Internal Control over Suspension and Debarment Identification of the Federal Program: Assistance Listing Number: 20.205 Assistance Listing Title: Highway Planning and Construction Program (Federal-Aid Highway Program) Federal Agency: U.S. Department of the Transportation Federal Award Identification Number: HSIPL-5384(023); ER-15Y0(001); ER-15Y0(002); ER-15Y0(003); ER-15Y0(004) Assistance Listing Number: 21.027 Assistance Listing Title: Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds (CSLFRF) Federal Agency: U.S. Department of the Treasury Federal Award Identification Number: 1505-0271 Criteria or Specific Requirement (Including Statutory, Regulatory, or Other Citation): Prior to entering into subawards and contracts with award funds, recipients must verify that such contractors and subrecipients are not suspended, debarred, or otherwise excluded pursuant to 31 CFR section 19.300. Condition: During the audit, we noticed that the City did not perform suspension and debarment checks on the contractors that they hired with Highway Planning and Construction Program (“HPC”) and CSLFRF Funds. Cause: The City does not have formal policies and procedures in place to ensure the suspension and debarment review process over vendors that provides goods or services to the City’s programs was conducted prior to entering into a contract. Effect or Potential Effect: Without verifying whether vendors are suspended or debarred from working on federally-funded projects prior to the contract being awarded, the City could be contracting with vendors that are prohibited from working on federally funded projects and incurring potentially disallowed costs. Questioned Costs: None noted. Context: See condition above for the context of the finding. Identification as a Repeat Finding, If Applicable: No. Recommendation: We recommended the City develop policies and procedures to incorporate the suspension and debarment verification prior to awarding contracts. Views of Responsible Officials: Management concurs with the finding and agrees to implement necessary corrective procedures.
Finding 2024-005 Reporting – Internal Control over Reporting Identification of the Federal Program: Assistance Listing Number: 21.027 Assistance Listing Title: Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds (CSLFRF) Federal Agency: U.S. Department of the Treasury Federal Award Identification Number: 1505-0271 Criteria or Specific Requirement (Including Statutory, Regulatory, or Other Citation): Pursuant to the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds (SLFRF) requirements, certain recipients must submit an annual Project and Expenditure Report by April 30, covering the reporting period from April 1 to March 31. This requirement applies to: - Tribal governments that are allocated less than $30 million in SLFRF funding. - Metropolitan cities and counties with a population below 250,000 residents that are allocated less than $10 million in SLFRF funding and NEUs that are allocated less than $10 million in SLFRF funding. The Project and Expenditure Report must include: a. Project descriptions detailing major activities funded. b. Financial data, including cumulative and current-period obligations and expenditures. c. Estimated future expenses for obligations incurred by December 31, 2024, but to be spent in 2025 and 2026. d. Project status, categorized as: not started, completed less than 50 percent, completed 50 percent or more, and completed. e. Program income earned and expended, if applicable. f. adopted project budgets (for States, U.S. territories, metropolitan cities and counties with a population that exceeds 250,000 residents only). g. demographic data for Public Health and Negative Economic Impact expenditures. h. Detailed expenditure data for any contracts and grants awarded, loans issued, transfers made to other government entities, interagency agreements entered into, and direct payments made by the recipient that are equal to or greater than $50,000. Condition: During our review of the City's Annual March 2024 Project and Expenditure Report, we identified significant discrepancies in the reported financial data. The City reported total cumulative expenditures of $6,908,231, current period obligations of $6,908,231, and current period expenditures of $6,908,231. However, the correct amounts should have been total cumulative expenditures of $3,104,398, current period obligations of $3,803,833, and current period expenditures of $106,617. Cause: The City does not have internal controls in place to ensure that City employees are adequately trained on the reporting requirements. Effect or Potential Effect: Failure to report correct obligated and expended amounts in the annual report resulted in noncompliance with SLFRF reporting requirements. These misstatements may compromise the accuracy and transparency of financial reporting and expenditure tracking. Questioned Costs: None noted. Context: See condition above for the context of the finding. Identification as a Repeat Finding, If Applicable: No. Recommendation: We recommend the City implement a review and reconciliation process to ensure accurate reporting of expenditures, obligations, and cumulative totals. This includes providing training to staff on the proper reporting period and reconciliation requirements, establishing internal controls for data validation before submission, and enhancing coordination between departments responsible for financial reporting. Views of Responsible Officials: Management concurs with the finding and agrees to implement necessary corrective procedures.
Finding 2024-004 Procurement and Suspension and Debarment – Internal Control over Suspension and Debarment Identification of the Federal Program: Assistance Listing Number: 20.205 Assistance Listing Title: Highway Planning and Construction Program (Federal-Aid Highway Program) Federal Agency: U.S. Department of the Transportation Federal Award Identification Number: HSIPL-5384(023); ER-15Y0(001); ER-15Y0(002); ER-15Y0(003); ER-15Y0(004) Assistance Listing Number: 21.027 Assistance Listing Title: Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds (CSLFRF) Federal Agency: U.S. Department of the Treasury Federal Award Identification Number: 1505-0271 Criteria or Specific Requirement (Including Statutory, Regulatory, or Other Citation): Prior to entering into subawards and contracts with award funds, recipients must verify that such contractors and subrecipients are not suspended, debarred, or otherwise excluded pursuant to 31 CFR section 19.300. Condition: During the audit, we noticed that the City did not perform suspension and debarment checks on the contractors that they hired with Highway Planning and Construction Program (“HPC”) and CSLFRF Funds. Cause: The City does not have formal policies and procedures in place to ensure the suspension and debarment review process over vendors that provides goods or services to the City’s programs was conducted prior to entering into a contract. Effect or Potential Effect: Without verifying whether vendors are suspended or debarred from working on federally-funded projects prior to the contract being awarded, the City could be contracting with vendors that are prohibited from working on federally funded projects and incurring potentially disallowed costs. Questioned Costs: None noted. Context: See condition above for the context of the finding. Identification as a Repeat Finding, If Applicable: No. Recommendation: We recommended the City develop policies and procedures to incorporate the suspension and debarment verification prior to awarding contracts. Views of Responsible Officials: Management concurs with the finding and agrees to implement necessary corrective procedures.
Finding 2024-004 Procurement and Suspension and Debarment – Internal Control over Suspension and Debarment Identification of the Federal Program: Assistance Listing Number: 20.205 Assistance Listing Title: Highway Planning and Construction Program (Federal-Aid Highway Program) Federal Agency: U.S. Department of the Transportation Federal Award Identification Number: HSIPL-5384(023); ER-15Y0(001); ER-15Y0(002); ER-15Y0(003); ER-15Y0(004) Assistance Listing Number: 21.027 Assistance Listing Title: Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds (CSLFRF) Federal Agency: U.S. Department of the Treasury Federal Award Identification Number: 1505-0271 Criteria or Specific Requirement (Including Statutory, Regulatory, or Other Citation): Prior to entering into subawards and contracts with award funds, recipients must verify that such contractors and subrecipients are not suspended, debarred, or otherwise excluded pursuant to 31 CFR section 19.300. Condition: During the audit, we noticed that the City did not perform suspension and debarment checks on the contractors that they hired with Highway Planning and Construction Program (“HPC”) and CSLFRF Funds. Cause: The City does not have formal policies and procedures in place to ensure the suspension and debarment review process over vendors that provides goods or services to the City’s programs was conducted prior to entering into a contract. Effect or Potential Effect: Without verifying whether vendors are suspended or debarred from working on federally-funded projects prior to the contract being awarded, the City could be contracting with vendors that are prohibited from working on federally funded projects and incurring potentially disallowed costs. Questioned Costs: None noted. Context: See condition above for the context of the finding. Identification as a Repeat Finding, If Applicable: No. Recommendation: We recommended the City develop policies and procedures to incorporate the suspension and debarment verification prior to awarding contracts. Views of Responsible Officials: Management concurs with the finding and agrees to implement necessary corrective procedures.
Finding 2024-004 Procurement and Suspension and Debarment – Internal Control over Suspension and Debarment Identification of the Federal Program: Assistance Listing Number: 20.205 Assistance Listing Title: Highway Planning and Construction Program (Federal-Aid Highway Program) Federal Agency: U.S. Department of the Transportation Federal Award Identification Number: HSIPL-5384(023); ER-15Y0(001); ER-15Y0(002); ER-15Y0(003); ER-15Y0(004) Assistance Listing Number: 21.027 Assistance Listing Title: Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds (CSLFRF) Federal Agency: U.S. Department of the Treasury Federal Award Identification Number: 1505-0271 Criteria or Specific Requirement (Including Statutory, Regulatory, or Other Citation): Prior to entering into subawards and contracts with award funds, recipients must verify that such contractors and subrecipients are not suspended, debarred, or otherwise excluded pursuant to 31 CFR section 19.300. Condition: During the audit, we noticed that the City did not perform suspension and debarment checks on the contractors that they hired with Highway Planning and Construction Program (“HPC”) and CSLFRF Funds. Cause: The City does not have formal policies and procedures in place to ensure the suspension and debarment review process over vendors that provides goods or services to the City’s programs was conducted prior to entering into a contract. Effect or Potential Effect: Without verifying whether vendors are suspended or debarred from working on federally-funded projects prior to the contract being awarded, the City could be contracting with vendors that are prohibited from working on federally funded projects and incurring potentially disallowed costs. Questioned Costs: None noted. Context: See condition above for the context of the finding. Identification as a Repeat Finding, If Applicable: No. Recommendation: We recommended the City develop policies and procedures to incorporate the suspension and debarment verification prior to awarding contracts. Views of Responsible Officials: Management concurs with the finding and agrees to implement necessary corrective procedures.
Finding 2024-004 Procurement and Suspension and Debarment – Internal Control over Suspension and Debarment Identification of the Federal Program: Assistance Listing Number: 20.205 Assistance Listing Title: Highway Planning and Construction Program (Federal-Aid Highway Program) Federal Agency: U.S. Department of the Transportation Federal Award Identification Number: HSIPL-5384(023); ER-15Y0(001); ER-15Y0(002); ER-15Y0(003); ER-15Y0(004) Assistance Listing Number: 21.027 Assistance Listing Title: Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds (CSLFRF) Federal Agency: U.S. Department of the Treasury Federal Award Identification Number: 1505-0271 Criteria or Specific Requirement (Including Statutory, Regulatory, or Other Citation): Prior to entering into subawards and contracts with award funds, recipients must verify that such contractors and subrecipients are not suspended, debarred, or otherwise excluded pursuant to 31 CFR section 19.300. Condition: During the audit, we noticed that the City did not perform suspension and debarment checks on the contractors that they hired with Highway Planning and Construction Program (“HPC”) and CSLFRF Funds. Cause: The City does not have formal policies and procedures in place to ensure the suspension and debarment review process over vendors that provides goods or services to the City’s programs was conducted prior to entering into a contract. Effect or Potential Effect: Without verifying whether vendors are suspended or debarred from working on federally-funded projects prior to the contract being awarded, the City could be contracting with vendors that are prohibited from working on federally funded projects and incurring potentially disallowed costs. Questioned Costs: None noted. Context: See condition above for the context of the finding. Identification as a Repeat Finding, If Applicable: No. Recommendation: We recommended the City develop policies and procedures to incorporate the suspension and debarment verification prior to awarding contracts. Views of Responsible Officials: Management concurs with the finding and agrees to implement necessary corrective procedures.
Finding 2024-004 Procurement and Suspension and Debarment – Internal Control over Suspension and Debarment Identification of the Federal Program: Assistance Listing Number: 20.205 Assistance Listing Title: Highway Planning and Construction Program (Federal-Aid Highway Program) Federal Agency: U.S. Department of the Transportation Federal Award Identification Number: HSIPL-5384(023); ER-15Y0(001); ER-15Y0(002); ER-15Y0(003); ER-15Y0(004) Assistance Listing Number: 21.027 Assistance Listing Title: Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds (CSLFRF) Federal Agency: U.S. Department of the Treasury Federal Award Identification Number: 1505-0271 Criteria or Specific Requirement (Including Statutory, Regulatory, or Other Citation): Prior to entering into subawards and contracts with award funds, recipients must verify that such contractors and subrecipients are not suspended, debarred, or otherwise excluded pursuant to 31 CFR section 19.300. Condition: During the audit, we noticed that the City did not perform suspension and debarment checks on the contractors that they hired with Highway Planning and Construction Program (“HPC”) and CSLFRF Funds. Cause: The City does not have formal policies and procedures in place to ensure the suspension and debarment review process over vendors that provides goods or services to the City’s programs was conducted prior to entering into a contract. Effect or Potential Effect: Without verifying whether vendors are suspended or debarred from working on federally-funded projects prior to the contract being awarded, the City could be contracting with vendors that are prohibited from working on federally funded projects and incurring potentially disallowed costs. Questioned Costs: None noted. Context: See condition above for the context of the finding. Identification as a Repeat Finding, If Applicable: No. Recommendation: We recommended the City develop policies and procedures to incorporate the suspension and debarment verification prior to awarding contracts. Views of Responsible Officials: Management concurs with the finding and agrees to implement necessary corrective procedures.
Finding 2024-004 Procurement and Suspension and Debarment – Internal Control over Suspension and Debarment Identification of the Federal Program: Assistance Listing Number: 20.205 Assistance Listing Title: Highway Planning and Construction Program (Federal-Aid Highway Program) Federal Agency: U.S. Department of the Transportation Federal Award Identification Number: HSIPL-5384(023); ER-15Y0(001); ER-15Y0(002); ER-15Y0(003); ER-15Y0(004) Assistance Listing Number: 21.027 Assistance Listing Title: Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds (CSLFRF) Federal Agency: U.S. Department of the Treasury Federal Award Identification Number: 1505-0271 Criteria or Specific Requirement (Including Statutory, Regulatory, or Other Citation): Prior to entering into subawards and contracts with award funds, recipients must verify that such contractors and subrecipients are not suspended, debarred, or otherwise excluded pursuant to 31 CFR section 19.300. Condition: During the audit, we noticed that the City did not perform suspension and debarment checks on the contractors that they hired with Highway Planning and Construction Program (“HPC”) and CSLFRF Funds. Cause: The City does not have formal policies and procedures in place to ensure the suspension and debarment review process over vendors that provides goods or services to the City’s programs was conducted prior to entering into a contract. Effect or Potential Effect: Without verifying whether vendors are suspended or debarred from working on federally-funded projects prior to the contract being awarded, the City could be contracting with vendors that are prohibited from working on federally funded projects and incurring potentially disallowed costs. Questioned Costs: None noted. Context: See condition above for the context of the finding. Identification as a Repeat Finding, If Applicable: No. Recommendation: We recommended the City develop policies and procedures to incorporate the suspension and debarment verification prior to awarding contracts. Views of Responsible Officials: Management concurs with the finding and agrees to implement necessary corrective procedures.
Finding 2024-005 Reporting – Internal Control over Reporting Identification of the Federal Program: Assistance Listing Number: 21.027 Assistance Listing Title: Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds (CSLFRF) Federal Agency: U.S. Department of the Treasury Federal Award Identification Number: 1505-0271 Criteria or Specific Requirement (Including Statutory, Regulatory, or Other Citation): Pursuant to the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds (SLFRF) requirements, certain recipients must submit an annual Project and Expenditure Report by April 30, covering the reporting period from April 1 to March 31. This requirement applies to: - Tribal governments that are allocated less than $30 million in SLFRF funding. - Metropolitan cities and counties with a population below 250,000 residents that are allocated less than $10 million in SLFRF funding and NEUs that are allocated less than $10 million in SLFRF funding. The Project and Expenditure Report must include: a. Project descriptions detailing major activities funded. b. Financial data, including cumulative and current-period obligations and expenditures. c. Estimated future expenses for obligations incurred by December 31, 2024, but to be spent in 2025 and 2026. d. Project status, categorized as: not started, completed less than 50 percent, completed 50 percent or more, and completed. e. Program income earned and expended, if applicable. f. adopted project budgets (for States, U.S. territories, metropolitan cities and counties with a population that exceeds 250,000 residents only). g. demographic data for Public Health and Negative Economic Impact expenditures. h. Detailed expenditure data for any contracts and grants awarded, loans issued, transfers made to other government entities, interagency agreements entered into, and direct payments made by the recipient that are equal to or greater than $50,000. Condition: During our review of the City's Annual March 2024 Project and Expenditure Report, we identified significant discrepancies in the reported financial data. The City reported total cumulative expenditures of $6,908,231, current period obligations of $6,908,231, and current period expenditures of $6,908,231. However, the correct amounts should have been total cumulative expenditures of $3,104,398, current period obligations of $3,803,833, and current period expenditures of $106,617. Cause: The City does not have internal controls in place to ensure that City employees are adequately trained on the reporting requirements. Effect or Potential Effect: Failure to report correct obligated and expended amounts in the annual report resulted in noncompliance with SLFRF reporting requirements. These misstatements may compromise the accuracy and transparency of financial reporting and expenditure tracking. Questioned Costs: None noted. Context: See condition above for the context of the finding. Identification as a Repeat Finding, If Applicable: No. Recommendation: We recommend the City implement a review and reconciliation process to ensure accurate reporting of expenditures, obligations, and cumulative totals. This includes providing training to staff on the proper reporting period and reconciliation requirements, establishing internal controls for data validation before submission, and enhancing coordination between departments responsible for financial reporting. Views of Responsible Officials: Management concurs with the finding and agrees to implement necessary corrective procedures.