Finding 1216743 (2024-004)

Material Weakness Repeat Finding
Requirement
F
Questioned Costs
-
Year
2024
Accepted
2026-06-07
Audit: 403187
Organization: Commonwealth Ports Authority (MP)

AI Summary

  • Core Issue: CPA lacks an effective system to track federally funded assets, relying on manual color-coding, which is prone to errors.
  • Impacted Requirements: Non-compliance with 2 CFR section 200.313(b) and SOPs 216.1, 216.6, 215.1, and 215.2 regarding equipment management and maintenance.
  • Recommended Follow-Up: Implement a formal asset tracking system to accurately identify and manage federally funded assets, along with standardized maintenance procedures.

Finding Text

Finding No.: 2024-004 Federal Agency: U.S. Department of Transportation AL Program: 20.106 Airport Improvement Program Federal Award Nos.: All AIP Grants Area: Equipment and Real Property Management Questioned Costs: Undeterminable Criteria: In accordance with 2 CFR section 200.313(b), a State must use, manage and dispose of equipment acquired under a Federal award by the State in accordance with State laws and procedures. SOP 216.1 and 216.6: • A physical inventory of the property must be taken and the results reconciled with the property records annually. SOP 215.1 and 215.2: • Adequate maintenance procedures must be developed to keep the property in good condition. Condition: 1. CPA does not maintain an equipment listing that designates which federal program the assets belong to. 2. Of twelve equipment tested, aggregating $13,328,054 of a total population of $13,952,859 as of September 30, 2024, we noted deficiencies, as follows: a. One (or 8%) listed the item to be in fair condition in the physical count; however, the custodian represented that item is currently non-operational due to breakage and damage, which occurred in February 2024. b. One (or 8%) was not recorded in the physical inventory count. CPA’s reconciliation, however, acknowledged for it to be corrected. Further, it was represented during field work that the item is in very poor condition and is currently inoperable since May 2023. Finding No.: 2024-004, continued Federal Agency: U.S. Department of Transportation AL Program: 20.106 Airport Improvement Program Federal Award Nos.: All AIP Grants Area: Equipment and Real Property Management Questioned Costs: Undeterminable Condition, continued: c. One (or 8%) failed to show the item in blue color, indicating it is a federal asset as designated in its asset listing legend. Further, fields including purchase order, vendor, or serial number showed item was unknown. Moreover, item was not operational until December 2025. d. One (or 8%) did not submit log sheets or maintenance records to confirm that maintenance work was performed during FY2024. It was also represented that the asset was not in use since October 2025. Cause: CPA does not maintain an effective method of tracking U.S. Federally funded assets as the only method of tracking is through manually designating the asset in a different color within the listing generated from the fixed assets register for CPA as a whole. This manual process is subject to potential errors when produced on an annual basis as part of the audit process. Finding No.: 2024-004, continued Federal Agency: U.S. Department of Transportation AL Program: 20.106 Airport Improvement Program Federal Award Nos.: All AIP Grants Area: Equipment and Real Property Management Questioned Costs: Undeterminable Effect or potential effect: The completeness and accuracy of the program assets could not be determined. Identification as a Repeat Finding: Finding 2023-003. Recommendation: CPA should implement a formal asset tracking system or enhance its existing fixed asset register to clearly identify assets acquired with U.S. Federal grant funds (e.g., through dedicated fields or tagging within the system). This will eliminate reliance on manual color-coding and reduce the risk of errors. Additionally, CPA should establish standardized procedures for maintaining and periodically updating this information to ensure accuracy, completeness, and consistency in tracking federally funded assets. Views of Responsible Officials: Management states agreement with the findings. Refer to separate Corrective Action Plan.

Corrective Action Plan

CORRECTIVE ACTION PLAN: Finding No 2024-004 “ALN #20.106 Equipment and Real Property Management” Name of Contact Person(s): Sheryl Sizemore, Comptroller Ida S. De Brum, Accounting Manager Zack A. Diaz, Internal Auditor Alex Tudela, Procurement Officer Condition 1: CPA agrees with the finding. Although CPA does not maintain an equipment listing that designates which federal program (ALN number) the assets belong to, we are able to trace it through the account number, grant number, U.S. Department designation, and other specific identifying details. Condition 2a: CPA agrees with this finding. The "Fair" condition recorded during the FY24 inventory list was an error. While the asset was physically sighted, it was inoperable in February 2024. Due to funding uncertainty and higher airport priorities, repairs were not made. Current Status: This asset was officially decommissioned in March 2026. Condition 2b: CPA agrees with this finding. It has been inoperable since May 2023. This asset was not on the FY24 inventory list. The reconciliation did not include this asset and it is unclear how the oversight occurred as the inventory listing and fixed asset system records matched at the time. Current Status: This asset is on the FY25 and FY26 inventory list. However, it is still pending decommission. Condition 2c: CPA agrees with this finding. This asset was not listed in blue and data fields (PO, Vendor, Serial No.) are missing because of historical records. We have not been able to properly identify this asset and need more information. Current Status: Wendi (CIP Administrator) has sent an email to the FAA for their help in determining if there are some equipment at the Tower that’s still operational. Condition 2d: CPA agrees with this finding. Log sheets and maintenance records for this asset were not submitted. This was due to the ARFF Truck undergoing radiator repairs prior to being taken out of service in October 2025. Current Status: We are currently awaiting the final assessment report and/or the completed decommission form from ARFF Mechanic. CPA has developed the following corrective action plan related to Equipment Management findings: 1. Established Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) for Equipment Management CPA has established Equipment Management SOPs that were implemented and effective on June 30, 2022. The SOPs detail the equipment management requirements, details, and responsibilities. In addition, the SOPs include an annual mandatory schedule for inventory, disposals, and reconciliation. The Department Heads are reviewing their equipment listings to verify the accuracy of equipment details, provide additional identifying information and confirm existence of all assets listed. The Department Heads will be providing monthly updates to the Procurement Department for entry into the Equipment Management System. 2. Implemented Standard Equipment Management Forms Standard procurement forms have been developed to establish additional controls and reviews for all equipment. These standard forms include requirements such as identifying details for all fixed assets. 3. Developed a Training Plan for Equipment Management Procedures CPA developed an Equipment Management training plan that was implemented on June 17, 2022. The training plan includes annual requirements for training on equipment management and compliance requirements. The training is based on the established SOPs and best practices and is mandatory for all staff involved in equipment management. 4. Internal Auditor Position An internal auditor position was created on May 16, 2022 and hired on August 29, 2022. Part of the internal auditor’s responsibilities include reviewing inventory records and equipment management files for compliance. The internal auditor reports directly to the CPA Board of Director and provides monthly reports. The internal auditor monthly reports are used as a tool to identify areas of equipment management non-compliance for immediate correction. Although equipment SOPs were implemented in 2022, certain issues have continued to occur. These controls, nonetheless, have enabled CPA to identify, address, and correct errors on an ongoing basis, improving accuracy and compliance moving forward. Proposed Completion Date: June 30, 2026

Categories

Equipment & Real Property Management

Other Findings in this Audit

  • 1216741 2024-004
    Material Weakness Repeat
  • 1216742 2024-005
    Material Weakness Repeat
  • 1216744 2024-005
    Material Weakness Repeat

Programs in Audit

ALN Program Name Expenditures
20.106 AIRPORT IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM, INFRASTRUCTURE INVESTMENT AND JOBS ACT PROGRAMS, AND COVID-19 AIRPORTS PROGRAMS $1.88M
97.056 PORT SECURITY GRANT PROGRAM $129,938
97.039 HAZARD MITIGATION GRANT $39,267
15.875 ECONOMIC, SOCIAL, AND POLITICAL DEVELOPMENT OF THE TERRITORIES $14,654