Corrective Action Plans

Finding 2023-004 Finding Subject: Child Nutrition Cluster-Procurement and Suspension and Debarment Summary of Finding: The School Corporation had not properly designed or implemented internal controls over procurement and suspension and debarment Contact Person Responsible for Corrective Action: Dr. Tracy Lorey, Monica Young, April Hopf Contact Phone Number and Email Address: tlorey@gjcs.k12.in.us myoung@gjcs.k12.in.us ahopf@gjcs.k12.in.us 812-482-1801 Views of Responsible Officials: We agree with the finding. Description of Corrective Action Plan: The school corporation will follow our Procurement policy in the future. Anticipation Completion Date: August 2024—Beginning of New School Year

Finding 2023-001 – Special Educa􀆟on Cluster – Procurement and Suspension and Debarment Subject: Special Education Cluster (IDEA) Audit Findings: Material Weakness, Other Matters Condition and Context: The School Corporation is a member of the Delaware-Blackford Special Education Cooperative (Cooperative). During fiscal year 2022-2023, the Cooperative operated the special education preschool program and spent the federal money on behalf of six of its seven members. As the grant agreements were between the Indiana Department of Education and each member school, the School Corporation was responsible for ensuring and providing oversight of the Cooperative. However, there was inadequate oversight performed by the School Corporation in order to ensure compliance with the Procurement and Suspension and Debarment compliance requirement. The School Corporation did not have internal controls in place to ensure that the Cooperative complied with the procurement and the suspension and debarment requirements. The Cooperative did not have adequate procedures in place to ensure that the requirements for small purchases were met for each applicable procured good or service or to ensure that vendors were not suspended or debarred prior to entering into a covered transaction. Procurement Federal regulations allow for informal procurement methods when the value of the procurement for goods or services does not exceed the simplified acquisition threshold, which is customarily set at $250,000. However, Indiana Code 5-22-8 has a more restrictive threshold of $150,000 or less for when small purchase procedures may be used. This informal process allows for methods other than the formal bid process. The informal process is divided between two methods based on thresholds. Micro-purchases, typically for those purchases $10,000 or under, and small purchase procedures for those purchases above the micropurchase threshold, but below the simplified acquisition threshold. Micro-purchases may be awarded without soliciting competitive price rate quotations. If small purchase procedures are used, then price or rate quotations must be obtained from an adequate number of qualified sources. If it is determined a single source provider can be used for a small purchase, documentation must be retained supporting the determination. Two vendors exceeded the small purchase threshold during the audit period. The Cooperative provided evidence of a quote being obtained for the first vendor, however, evidence of obtaining multiple quotes was not retained for audit. The chosen quote was attached to the accounts payable vouchers and provided for audit; however, the other quotes obtained for the purchase were not maintained. For the second vendor, the Cooperative determined psychological services were to be provided by a single source provider, however, they did not have a documented rationale or support for the decision. Documentation detailing the history of procurement, which must include the reason for the procurement method used, selection of the vendor, and the basis for the price, was not available for audit for either purchase. Suspension and Debarment The School Corporation did not have internal controls in place to ensure compliance with the suspension and debarment requirement. The Cooperative did not have adequate internal controls in place to ensure all applicable vendors were not suspended or debarred prior to entering into a covered transaction. As such, the Cooperative entered into a contract totaling $32,388, which exceeded $25,000, for psychological services. The Cooperative did not perform procedures to ensure that the vendor was not suspended or debarred from participation in federal programs. The lack of internal controls and noncompliance were systemic issues throughout the audit period. Views of Responsible Official: We concur with the finding. Descrip􀆟on of Correc􀆟ve Ac􀆟on Plan: As a member of the Delaware-Blackford Special Educa􀆟on Coopera􀆟ve (DBSEC), Yorktown Community Schools will obtain in wri􀆟ng from Muncie Community Schools that their correc􀆟ve ac􀆟on plans for procurement and suspension and debarment have been implemented. Responsible Party and Timeline for Comple􀆟on: Greg Hinshaw, Superintendent of Yorktown Community Schools and DBSEC Board Member. Timeline for comple􀆟on March 31, 2024

Finding 2023-002 Contact Person: Lily Rakness Parra, County Clerk Corrective Action Planned: Washakie County agrees with the finding of 2023-002. Washakie County is currently working on implementing a more thorough tracking procedure in order to document all of the significant processes for our federal awards. Also, in order to further track funds disbursed, a sams.gov account has been set up and is currently utilized in order to determine if an entity is eligible for disbursement of federal funds. An amendment to implement sams.gov utilization will be produced in order to add it to our current Procurement Policy.

FINDING 2023-004 Finding Subject: Child Nutrition Cluster – Procurement, Suspension, and Debarment Summary of Finding: Material Weakness, Other Matters The School Corporation had not properly designed or implemented an effective system of internal controls to prevent, or detect and correct, noncompliance. Procurement: A School Nutrition Cooperative (Co-ops, Education Service Center, Group Purchasing Organization, etc.) that would like to be classified as a School Food Authority (SFA) Cooperative must complete a questionnaire and submit it to the Indiana Department of Education (IDOE). Once a questionnaire is received IDOE will review the answers to determine a Cooperative’s classification. Only Cooperatives that submit the questionnaire and receive a SFA-only Cooperative classification from IDOE in writing will be considered a SFA only Cooperative for the purposes of the procurement process and procurement reviews. When the value of goods or services exceeds the simplified acquisition threshold, the proper purchasing method would be the bidding process, unless the purchase meets certain other qualifications. Federal regulations allow for informal procurement methods when the value of the procurement for goods or services does not exceed the simplified acquisition threshold, which is customarily set at $250,000. However, Indiana Code 5-22-8 has a more restrictive threshold of $150,000 or less for when small purchase procedures may be used. This informal process allows for methods other than the formal bid process. The informal process is divided between two methods based on thresholds. Micro-purchases, typically for those purchases $10,000 or under, and small purchase procedures for those purchases above the micro-purchase threshold, but below the simplified acquisition threshold. Micro-purchases may be awarded without soliciting competitive price rate quotations. If small purchase procedures are used, then price or rate quotations must be obtained from an adequate number of qualified sources. If it is determined a single source provider can be used for a small purchase, documentation must be retained supporting the determination. The School Corporation purchased milk through Region 8 Education Service Center (Region 8). However, Region 8 had not received the SFAonly Cooperative classification from IDOE for fiscal years 2021–2022 and 2022-2023. As such, the School Corporation could not rely on the procurement done by Region 8. Region 8 could be considered one quote for procurement; however, the School Corporation did not obtain any other quotes related to the purchase of milk, therefore, an adequate number of quotes from qualified sources was not obtained. Suspension and Debarment: Prior to entering into subawards and covered transactions with federal award funds, recipients are required to verify that such contractors and subrecipients are not suspended, debarred, or otherwise excluded. “Covered transactions” include, but are not limited to contracts for goods and services awarded under a non-procurement transaction (i.e. grant agreement) that are expected to equal or exceed $25,000. The verification is to be done by checking the SAMs exclusions, collecting a certification from that vendor, or adding a clause or condition to the covered transaction with that vendor. INDIANA STATE BOARD OF ACCOUNTS 47 MADISON-GRANT UNITED SCHOOL CORPORATION Steve Vore., Superintendent Ben Mann, Chief Financial Officer Kristy Drewitz, Transportation Allison McGuire, Payroll/Benefits Anna Richards, Corp Secretary/Deputy Treasurer Inspire, Cultivate, and Promote excellence in every Argyll. Upon inquiry of the School Corporation in order to review the procedures in place for verifying that a vendor with which it plans to enter into a covered transaction is not suspended, debarred, or otherwise excluded, the School Corporation noted that vendor’s were checked against Sam. Gove and verified to not be suspended or debarred. Four covered transactions that equaled or exceeded $25,000 were identified. All for transactions, totaling $213,795, were selected for testing. For three of the four vendors, the School Corporation did not verify the vendor’s suspension and debarment status prior to payment. The total amount spent with the three vendors was $162,733. Contact Person Responsible for Corrective Action: Kathy Bernaix Contact Phone Number and Email Address: 765-536-0008 kbernaix@mgusc.k12.in.us Views of Responsible Officials: We concur with the finding. Description of Corrective Action Plan: Procurement: Three quotes will be requested for “small purchases” and the process will be reviewed to ensure it is performed. Suspension and Debarment: Before purchasing goods that total $25,000 or more from a vendor, the Food Service Director will look up the vendor on SAM.gov for debarment activity. Anticipated Completion Date: February 2024

Management’s Response and Planned Corrective Actions: 1. The corrective action planned: a. Internal control document and procedure that is consistent with the compliance requirement for: i. CFR §200.318, General procurement standards identify all requirements which the offerors must fulfill and all other factors to be used in evaluating bids or proposals i. §200.319, Competition requirements will be met with documented procurement actions using strategic sourcing, shared services, and other similar procurement arrangements ii. §200.320 Methods of procurement to be followed. 2. The name of the contact person(s) responsible for the corrective action a. Kathleen Broadhurst, Sr. Director of Finance, ShelterCare 3. The anticipated completion date: a. The written policies will be updated by 05/01/2024.

Finding 2023-002 – Child Nutrition Cluster – Procurement and Suspension and Debarment Contact Person Responsible for Corrective Action: Sandy Denny – Food Service Director Contact Phone Number: 812-952-2555 ext. 250 Views of Responsible Official: We concur with the finding. Description of Corrective Action Plan: We will ensure all procurements obtain the required number of quotes and a debarment/ suspension check is performed as required. Anticipated Completion Date: July 2024 (new school year)

MANAGEMENT’S CORRECTIVE ACTION PLAN: Management will review and update as necessary, it’s current procurement policies and procedures to ensure compliance with all applicable sections of the Uniform Guidance, in specific, Sections 2 CFR 200.318(i) and 200.320(a)(2)(i) of the Uniform Guidance, as well as 24 PS 8.807.1. In specific, these procedures will include 1) obtaining all relevant information pertaining to procurements involving federal assistance from any cooperative purchasing group, 2) obtaining quotations from three qualified providers where applicable and documenting those results, and 3) properly document purchases using federal assistance when the vendor meets the criteria as a sole source provider. These three (3) updated procedures will be implemented during the remaining months of the 2023-2024 fiscal year, and all subsequent years, for future purchases where applicable.

FINDING 2023-003 Finding Subject: Special Education Cluster (IDEA) – Procurement and Suspension and Debarment Summary of Finding: Procurement Federal regulations allow for informal procurement methods when the value of the procurement for goods or services does not exceed the simplified acquisition threshold, which is customarily set at $250,000. However, Indiana Code 5-22-8 has a more restrictive threshold of $150,000 or less for when small purchase procedures may be used. This informal process allows for methods other than the formal bid process. The informal process is divided between two methods based on thresholds. Micropurchases, typically for those purchases $10,000 or under, and small purchase procedures for those purchases above the micro-purchase threshold, but below the simplified acquisition threshold. Micro-purchases may be awarded without soliciting competitive price rate quotations. If small purchase procedures are used, then price or rate quotations must be obtained from an adequate number of qualified sources. If it is determined a single source provider can be used for a small purchase, documentation must be retained supporting the determination. The Cooperative did not adhere to the requirements necessary for them to be in compliance with the procurement of small purchases during the audit period. Suspension and Debarment The School Corporation did not have internal controls in place to ensure compliance with the suspension and debarment requirement. The Cooperative did not have adequate internal controls in place to ensure all applicable vendors were not suspended or debarred prior to entering into a covered transaction. As such, the Cooperative never entered into a contract, although their payments to the vendor exceeded $50,000. The INDIANA STATE BOARD OF ACCOUNTS 30 Cooperative did not perform procedures to ensure that the vendor was not suspended or debarred from participation in federal programs. Contact Person Responsible for Corrective Action: Lana M. Miller Contact Phone Number and Email Address: Phone Number-812-689-6282 Email- lmiller@sripley.k12.in.us Views of Responsible Officials: We concur with the finding. Description of Corrective Action Plan: The ROD Special Education Cooperative will make notes in the Board Minutes regarding the fact that only one vendor can provide specific services prior to entering into a contract or purchasing said services. Each company providing services will be checked on the SAM.gov website to ensure that the vendor has not been suspended or debarred. This documentation will be provided to the ROD board for review, and our Superintendent is a member of that board. Anticipated Completion Date: February 1, 2024

Finding 2023 - 004 Procurement - Native Hawaiian Education – Assistance Listing 84.362A KA concurs with the Recommendation. In conjunction with the search and seating of a permanent School Director (in progress), the Reconstituted Governing Board (“RGB”) as a whole, intends to prioritize the: A) Updating and/or creation of policies (that either don’t exist or aren’t documented); B) Cascading policies to related processes and procedures; and C) Training appropriate staff; and D) Monitoring the practices, to ensure the day to day practices are consistent with and aligned to the policies, processes and procedures. Policy Focus: Grant Management (e.g., accounting, reporting, budgeting, compliance, authorized procurement, inventory, federal draws, federal progress report, communication with federal program office, utilization of curriculum, supplies, equipment in compliance with the specific grant). Any questions regarding this response may be directed to Aumoana Kanakaole-Lato, Reconstituted Governing Board Chair at aumoana.kanakaole@kamalaniacademy.org.

2023-004 Child Nutrition Cluster – 10.555 – National School Lunch Program, 10.559 – Summer Food Service Program for Children, 10.553 – School Breakfast Program – Procurement, Suspension, and Debarment Condition One procurement was tested for the Food Service Program, and it was found to not have followed the District’s procurement plan. Recommendation The District should ensure that it follows its procurement policy for all applicable transactions. Comments on the Finding The District is aware of the oversight and has implemented procedures to prevent this, in the future. Actions Taken As of the date of this notice, staff involved with this procedure have undergone training through KASB and KSDE and have added the procedure of verifying quotes to ensure the procurement plan is followed to a monthly checklist to ensure that it occurs timely.

Finding 2023-003 – Procurement and Suspension and Debarment Contact Person Responsible for Corrective Action: Michelle Babcock Contact Phone Number: 317-392-2505 Views of Responsible Official: We concur with the finding. Description of Corrective Action Plan: We have already established an improved internal controls procedures for procurement. We have established a checklist process to ensure the Suspension and Debarment Check has been completed for all federal purchases over the threshold. Anticipated Completion Date: October 2022

Views of responsible officials and Corrective Action Plan: Management of the School has noted the 2 CFR Section 200.320 to ensure that the procurement requirements are met.

Corrective Action Planned: When the District decides to utilize cooperative purchasing programs on noncompetitive purchasing arrangements when spending federal funds, it will ensure that it complies with its procurement policy. The District will document its process and how it complies with the procurement standards and keep such documentation with federal award budget/procurement documents. Anticipated Completion Date: Action has already been taken by the District to resolve the underlying issue of the finding for the year ending June 30, 2024. Contact Person Responsible: Eric S. Petery, Business Manager

FINDING 2023-005 Finding Subject: Special Education Cluster (IDEA) – Procurement and Suspension and Debarment Summary of Finding: Procurement Federal regulations allow for informal procurement methods when the value of the procurement for goods or services does not exceed the simplified acquisition threshold, which is customarily set at $250,000. However, Indiana Code 5-22-8 has a more restrictive threshold of $150,000 or less for when small purchase procedures may be used. This informal process allows for methods other than the formal bid process. The informal process is divided between two methods based on thresholds. Micro-purchases, typically for those purchases $10,000 or under, and small purchase procedures for those purchases above the micro-purchase threshold, but below the simplified acquisition threshold. Micro-purchases may be awarded without soliciting competitive price rate quotations. If small purchase procedures are used, then price or rate quotations must be obtained from an adequate number of qualified sources. If it is determined a single source provider can be used for a small purchase, documentation must be retained supporting the determination. The Cooperative did not adhere to the requirements necessary for them to be in compliance with the procurement of small purchases during the audit period. Suspension and Debarment The School Corporation did not have internal controls in place to ensure compliance with the suspension and debarment requirement. The Cooperative did not have adequate internal controls in place to ensure all applicable vendors were not suspended or debarred prior to entering into a covered transaction. As such, the Cooperative never entered into a contract, although their payments to the vendor exceeded $50,000. The Cooperative did not perform procedures to ensure that the vendor was not suspended or debarred from participation in federal programs. Contact Person Responsible for Corrective Action: Julie Dudley Contact Phone Number and Email Address: 812.537.7205 jdudley@lburg.k12.in.us Views of Responsible Officials: We concur with the finding. Description of Corrective Action Plan: The ROD Special Education Cooperative will make notes in the Board Minutes regarding the fact that only one vendor can provide specific services prior to entering into a contract or purchasing said services. Each company providing services will be checked on the SAM.gov website to ensure that the vendor has not been suspended or debarred. This documentation will be provided to the ROD board for review, and our Superintendent is a member of that board. Anticipated Completion Date: February 1, 2024

FINDING 2023-005 Finding Subject: Child Nutrition Cluster - Procurement and Suspension and Debarment Summary of Finding: Management had not developed a system of internal controls that would have ensured compliance with the grant agreement and the Procurement and Suspension and Debarment compliance requirement. The failure to establish an effective internal controls system enabled material noncompliance to go undetected. Noncompliance with the grant agreement and the Procurement and Suspension and Debarment compliance requirement could result in the loss of future federal funds to the School Corporation. We recommended that the School Corporation's management establish a system of internal controls to ensure compliance with the Procurement and Suspension and Debarment compliance requirement. Contact Person Responsible for Corrective Action: Andrea Miller Contact Phone Number and Email Address: 765-564-2100, millera@delphi.k12.in.us Views of Responsible Officials: We concur with the finding. Description of Corrective Action Plan: The Food Service Director will obtain 3 quotes for any purchase over $10,000 from different vendors, in addition if the purchase is over $50,000 a contract will be awarded. Vendors will be verified by SAM.gov for suspension and disbarment, a record of these searches will be printed and kept in the vendor file. In addition, a vendor list will be provided annually to the school board for approval. Anticipated Completion Date: July 2024

The City agrees with the finding. Over the past several years, the City has developed a significant number of guidance documents and trainings in the area of federal procurement. All of the guidance documents for Central Purchasing are housed in the Purchasing SharePoint site. The guidance and training have in the past been directed at the members of the Purchasing Liaison User Group, but given the continued findings, the City intends to reach out to a much broader group to ensure compliance, including Directors, Deputy Directors, and program representatives. This will be complete by June 30, 2024.

This document serves as the response to the 2022-2023 Financial Audit on behalf of BELIEVE Schools, Inc. We’ve identified and reviewed the finding outlined below: The results of our auditing procedures disclosed one instance of noncompliance which is required to be reported in accordance with Title 2 U.S. Code of Federal Regulations Part 200, Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards (“Uniform Guidance”) and which is described in the accompanying schedule of findings and questioned costs as Finding No. 2023- 001. Our opinion on the major federal programs is not modified with respect to these matters. In an effort to address the finding and to ensure the school's alignment with federal compliance standards, the following corrective action plan has been implemented for all purchases made with federal and state program funds: 1. For any procurement or contract ranging from $10,000-$250,000, The Principal, Angel Jackson-Anderson, should seek to acquire as many quotes as possible, aiming for up to five. Prior to finalizing any purchase order, invoice, or commencement of production, the school is mandated to receive and assess three price comparisons from different businesses or organizations. These price comparisons must be logged in the BCCHS Quote Comparison Template and reviewed by the following parties: a. The individual conducting the price comparison b. Building Level Operations Leader c. Executive Director for purchases or contracts exceeding $20,000 2. For any purchase or contract exceeding $250,000, a formal bidding process is required. BELIEVE Schools has adopted resources provided by the Indiana Department of Education: a. Procurement Checklist b. Procurement Plan Template (accessible through DOE) This protocol has been incorporated into the Standard Operating Procedures and School Handbooks, with all relevant stakeholders duly informed on February 16th, 2024.

FINDING 2023-003 Finding Subject: Subject: Child Nutrition Cluster - Procurement Summary of Finding: An adequate number of quotes were not obtained for small purchases. Contact Person Responsible for Corrective Action: Kellie Romer (Corporation Treasurer/Finance Director), Shelley Gardner (Corporation School Food Authority) Contact Phone Number and Email Address: 765-653-9771 Ext. 1010, kromer@greencastle.k12.in.us, 765-653-9771 Ext. 1011, sgardner@greencastle.k12.in.us Views of Responsible Officials: We concur with the finding Description of Corrective Action Plan: The procurement (small and micro purchases) will be verified by a two-person internal control; the food services director and food services assistant, finance director or deputy treasurer. We will also establish a process to address small and micro purchases. This would include acquiring bids for any combined expenditure(s) over a $150,000, acquiring quotes for any small purchase(s) between $10,000 and $150,000, and documenting equitable distribution among vendors concerning any micro purchases under $10,000. All vendor contracts will be approved yearly. All quotes and purchases will be verified by two-person internal control. Anticipated Completion Date: Immediately 2/8/2024

Condition: The organization did not have adequate controls in place to ensure compliance with the applicable procurement and suspension and debarment standards and its own internal procurement policy. Planned Corrective Action: Management has revised the Finance Management Manual with an updated procurement policy in accordance with federal regulations. The Council has developed detailed procedures and required documentation for staff to ensure compliance. Mandatory training will be provided to staff that engage in purchasing activities. Contact person responsible for corrective action: Misty Jordan, Director of Administration Anticipated Completion Date: 11/14/2023

2023-001 Procurement Corrective action: Competitive quotes should be obtained and retained as specified in the procurement policy. Non-competitive procurement should be documented and approved prior to incurring expenses. Vendor debarment checks should be performed and documented prior to entering into covered transactions. Management Response: The audit uncovered a non-compliance with required competitive quotes for a procurement of meeting services which did not comply with CASIS policy. The predecessor management team had previously advised the responsible purchaser that these services did not require competitive quotes. This matter is also complicated by the fact that the procurements are not just for meeting space, logistics and meals, but also includes lodging, which is not subject to the three quote rule. Management acknowledges that this was a process escapement and provides for the following corrective action. Typically lodging expenses are included in the procurement because it results in discounts that are unavailable if not included. CASIS implemented a policy of requiring competitive quotes for purchases over $1,000 in the most recent revision of the procurement policy. This change was made to assure compliance with Federal Regulations. While the amount noted is within the limits established by Federal Micro-purchase regulations, it did not comply with internal policies as noted. Meeting space is a commonly used service that is highly competitive in pricing and most facilities charge competitive rates, but most of the time those quotes are not useable given the time of year, and more importantly the occupancy rate of the facility. Starting in 2024, we are requesting quotes from three facilities in the local area that will be valid for a period of one year. These rates will be updated manually and a single additional quote will be obtained to assure the “reasonableness” of the price. This process will represent an annual price survey that will satisfy the three quote rule of our procurement policy. For rental of facilities outside of the local area, we will obtain a minimum of three quotes as required by our procurement policy. Management also acknowledges the process escapement for SAM checks on new vendors. Our normal process is that annually, Finance performs a SAM check for all approved vendors. The agreement for Trust Factory came in late during the year resulting in this deficiency. When a new vendor is setup in our system, it will automatically trigger a SAM check. Responsible Party: Jonathan Bobbitt, CPA, Finance Manager Date Expected to be Corrected: September 30, 2024

The District subsequently confirmed vendors receiving over $25,000 in FY 2023 were not included on the Federal SAM.gov website as exclusions and going forward, will review procedures and train staff to ensure that the District's procurement policy is consistently followed. Responsible official: Denise Guex, Interim Finance Director – dguex@shawanoschools.org Anticipated Completion Date: June 30, 2024

Corrective Action Planned: This was first brought to the Authority’s attention in the current year. At such a late date in the federal project that has been in the works for multiple years, the Authority determined established procurement procedures would not be written and approved. The Authority did not make this decision in haste. The Authority met compliance guidelines for the procedures of items during the project. What we lack is an approved written document, which at this time is something we do not have the resources to undertake. Anticipated Completion Date: Ongoing Contact Person Responsible: Jennie Weary, Treasurer/Secretary

THE DISTRICT DOES NOT HAVE DOCUMENTED PROCUREMENT PROCEDURES IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE PROCURMENT STANDARDS SET OUT AT 2 CFR SECTION 200.318 THROUGH 200.326. STATEMENT OF OCCURRENCE: MANAGEMENT AGREES WITH THE AUDIT FINDING CORRECTIVE ACTION: THE INTERIM EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR WILL DEVELOP A PROCURMENT POLICY IN ACCORDANCE WITH FEDERAL STANDARDS TO INCLUDE ALL GENERAL REQUIREMENTS SUCH AS OVERSIGHT OF CONTRACTORS' PERFORMANCE, MAINTAINING WRITTEN STANDARDS OF CONDUCT FOR EMPLOYEES INVOLVED IN CONTRACTING, AWARDING CONTRACTS ONLY TO RESPONSIBLE CONTRACTORS, MAINTAINING RECORDS TO DOCUMENT HISTORY OF PROCUREMENTS AND CONDUCTING PROCUREMENT TRANSACTIONS IN A MANNER PROVIDING FULL AND OPEN COMPETITION. PROJECTED COMPLETION DATE OF FINDING: FULL IMPLEMENTATION OF CORRECTIVE ACTION IS EXPECTED IN CALENDAR YEAR 2024. NAME OF CONTACT PERSON REGARDING FINDINGS: BRIAN KALOSKY, INTERIM EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR (860) 489-2535 BJKALOSKY@CT-TRANSWB.COM

To mitigate this issue in the future, County Counsel reminded departments of the importance of understanding the requirements tied to the source being used to procure goods and services and to notify Counsel when federal monies are being used. Furthermore, County Counsel will include the suspension and debarment clause in the County’s standard contract templates, and the County Purchasing Policy (4-03) will be updated to reflect the importance of complying with requirements tied to a specific funding source. Lastly, County Counsel and Internal Audit will develop and provide training to departments. Antipcated Completion Date: 04/01/2024. Responsible Contact Person: Peter Philbrick

Polk County acknowledges the finding stated in the audit and is in the process of developing a corrective action plan. To address the finding the County will increase its monitoring of procurement procedures related to federal award purchases. Increased monitoring will include additional reviews and discussions by County staff (Finance Director/Administrative Officer/County Counsel) during the initial stages to be certain we meet all federal requirements.