Finding 1175877 (2025-001)

Material Weakness Repeat Finding
Requirement
I
Questioned Costs
-
Year
2025
Accepted
2026-03-02
Audit: 389848
Organization: City of Independence, Missouri (MO)
Auditor: RUBINBROWN LLP

AI Summary

  • Core Issue: Two out of five contracts did not check vendors for suspension or debarment before using federal funds.
  • Impacted Requirements: Regulations require evaluation of vendors to ensure they are not excluded from federal assistance programs.
  • Recommended Follow-Up: Include a suspension and debarment clause in all future contracts and document any alternative checks for past contracts.

Finding Text

Finding No. 2025-001 Significant Deficiency: Procurement and Suspension and Debarment - Compliance and Control Finding ALN 21.027 - COVID-19 - Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds Federal Agency: US Department of Treasury Pass-Through Entity: Not Applicable Criteria or Specific Requirement: The regulations in 2 CFR Part 180 restrict awards, subawards, and contracts with certain parties that are debarred, suspended, or otherwise excluded from or ineligible for participation in Federal assistance programs or activities. Condition: Audit procedures revealed that two of five contract tested, the vendor was not evaluated for suspension or debarment prior to allocating federal funds to the contract. Cause: The vendor did not include a suspension and debarment clause representing that the vendor is not suspended and debarred, and the City did not evaluate the vendor for suspension and debarment prior to allocating federal funds to the contract. Effect: Suspension and debarment provisions were not met for two of five contracts tested. Questioned Costs: Not Applicable. Context: Out of five contracts tested, two contracts tested did not include a suspension and debarment clause representing that the vendor is not suspended or debarred and that the vendor was not evaluated for suspension or debarment prior to allocating federal funds to the contract. Identification as a repeat finding: This is a repeat finding. Recommendation: We recommend that management include a suspension and debarment clause in all contracts which may get allocated to federal funding prior to allocating federal funds to the contract or perform alternative procedures to ensure vendor is not suspended or debarred. For contracts entered into in previous years under which the City is still allocating federal expenditures, the City should retain evidence of alternative procedures performed to ensure the vendor is not suspended or debarred. Views of Responsible Officials: See Corrective Action Plan.

Corrective Action Plan

During our fiscal year 2025 – the City began requiring vendors to complete and submit a certification form regarding debarment and suspension if funding for the contract or purchase order involved Federal funds. This certification form requires the vendor to certify that they are not debarred, suspended, or otherwise excluded from or ineligible for participation in Federal assistance programs or activities. The certification form is to be submitted prior to the City issuing contracts and purchase orders. We will review and adjust our internal review processes to ensure the form is submitted and not missed as part of our contract and purchase order issuing process. We will also review open purchase orders that were issued prior to fiscal year 2025 to obtain the debarment and suspension certification from the vendors.

Categories

Procurement, Suspension & Debarment Subrecipient Monitoring

Programs in Audit

ALN Program Name Expenditures
21.027 CORONAVIRUS STATE AND LOCAL FISCAL RECOVERY FUNDS $1.44M
14.218 COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT BLOCK GRANTS/ENTITLEMENT GRANTS $650,638
14.251 ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT INITIATIVE, COMMUNITY PROJECT FUNDING, AND MISCELLANEOUS GRANTS $524,443
20.507 FEDERAL TRANSIT FORMULA GRANTS $401,618
97.036 DISASTER GRANTS - PUBLIC ASSISTANCE (PRESIDENTIALLY DECLARED DISASTERS) $331,695
93.323 EPIDEMIOLOGY AND LABORATORY CAPACITY FOR INFECTIOUS DISEASES (ELC) $199,334
32.004 UNIVERSAL SERVICE FUND - SCHOOLS AND LIBRARIES $185,328
16.922 EQUITABLE SHARING PROGRAM $148,273
16.590 GRANTS TO ENCOURAGE ARREST POLICIES AND ENFORCEMENT OF PROTECTION ORDERS PROGRAM $120,560
93.069 PUBLIC HEALTH EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS $113,812
95.001 HIGH INTENSITY DRUG TRAFFICKING AREAS PROGRAM $107,525
20.600 STATE AND COMMUNITY HIGHWAY SAFETY $82,250
16.835 BODY WORN CAMERA POLICY AND IMPLEMENTATION $67,802
93.391 ACTIVITIES TO SUPPORT STATE, TRIBAL, LOCAL AND TERRITORIAL (STLT) HEALTH DEPARTMENT RESPONSE TO PUBLIC HEALTH OR HEALTHCARE CRISES $55,684
93.354 PUBLIC HEALTH EMERGENCY RESPONSE: COOPERATIVE AGREEMENT FOR EMERGENCY RESPONSE: PUBLIC HEALTH CRISIS RESPONSE $50,568
93.008 MEDICAL RESERVE CORPS SMALL GRANT PROGRAM $48,010
14.239 HOME INVESTMENT PARTNERSHIPS PROGRAM $33,938
93.967 CENTERS FOR DISEASE CONTROL AND PREVENTION COLLABORATION WITH ACADEMIA TO STRENGTHEN PUBLIC HEALTH $32,915
93.048 SPECIAL PROGRAMS FOR THE AGING, TITLE IV, AND TITLE II, DISCRETIONARY PROJECTS $31,819
15.904 HISTORIC PRESERVATION FUND GRANTS-IN-AID $30,000
93.994 MATERNAL AND CHILD HEALTH SERVICES BLOCK GRANT TO THE STATES $29,112
93.421 STRENGTHENING PUBLIC HEALTH SYSTEMS AND SERVICES THROUGH NATIONAL PARTNERSHIPS TO IMPROVE AND PROTECT THE NATION’S HEALTH $22,492
97.042 EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT PERFORMANCE GRANTS $18,711
93.667 SOCIAL SERVICES BLOCK GRANT $16,517
10.569 EMERGENCY FOOD ASSISTANCE PROGRAM (FOOD COMMODITIES) $16,435
93.043 SPECIAL PROGRAMS FOR THE AGING, TITLE III, PART D, DISEASE PREVENTION AND HEALTH PROMOTION SERVICES $7,950
10.551 SUPPLEMENTAL NUTRITION ASSISTANCE PROGRAM $4,753
10.331 GUS SCHUMACHER NUTRITION INCENTIVE PROGRAM $3,677
20.616 NATIONAL PRIORITY SAFETY PROGRAMS $3,326
93.575 CHILD CARE AND DEVELOPMENT BLOCK GRANT $3,155
10.559 SUMMER FOOD SERVICE PROGRAM FOR CHILDREN $1,444
16.738 EDWARD BYRNE MEMORIAL JUSTICE ASSISTANCE GRANT PROGRAM $1,435
20.607 ALCOHOL OPEN CONTAINER REQUIREMENTS $1,308
20.205 HIGHWAY PLANNING AND CONSTRUCTION $527
93.116 PROJECT GRANTS AND COOPERATIVE AGREEMENTS FOR TUBERCULOSIS CONTROL PROGRAMS $100
93.045 SPECIAL PROGRAMS FOR THE AGING, TITLE III, PART C, NUTRITION SERVICES $-25,000