Finding Text
Finding #2022-002 ? Education Stabilization Fund ? ESSER II (#84.425D) and ESSER III (#84.425U) Condition: There was Education Stabilization Fund construction performed by a contractor. Grant expenditures for the project totaled $170,925. There was not a prevailing wage clause in the contracts and certified payrolls were not received. Effect: A reimbursement request was made for expenditures that did not comply with wage rate requirements. Cause: The District was not aware that wage rate requirements applied to the construction project until after it was completed. Criteria: Wage rate requirements apply to the Education Stabilization Fund when laborers and mechanics employed by contractors or subcontractors work on construction contracts more than $2,000. Laborers must be paid wages not less than those established for the locality of the project (prevailing wage rates) by the Department of Labor (DOL). Nonfederal entities shall include in their contracts subject to wage rate requirements a provision that the contractor or subcontractor comply with those requirements and the DOL regulations. This includes a requirement for the contractor or subcontractor to submit to the District weekly payrolls and a statement of compliance (certified payrolls). Questioned Costs: $170,925. Context: The construction projects began and were completed in June 2022 before the District was aware of wage rate requirements. After becoming aware of the requirement, there were no further construction projects. Recommendation: Establish controls to comply with wage rate requirements related to the Education Stabilization Fund. Consider determining if the contractor performing the project in 2021-2022 paid prevailing wage rates for costs reimbursed by the grant. Response: The District became aware of wage rate requirements after finishing the project. Before bidding any future construction project more than $2,000, the request for bid and contract will include a prevailing wage rate clause. Certified payrolls will be received for any such contracts.