10/31/2002 Audit t-
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AUDIT REPORT .
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MONROE COUNTY
BICYCLE AND PEDESTRIAN
COORDINATOR/PLANNER GRANT
October 31, 2002
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Prepared by:
Internal Audit Department
Clerk of the Circuit Court
-- Danny L. Kolhage, Clerk
Monroe County, Florida
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BRANCH OFFICE CLERK OF THE CIRCUIT COURT BRANCH OFFICE
3117 OVERSEAS HIGHWAY MONROE COUNTY 88820 OVERSEAS HIGHWAY
MARATHON,FLORIDA 33050 500 WHITEHEAD STREET PLANTATION KEY,FLORIDA 33070
TEL.(305)289-6027 KEY WEST,FLORIDA 33040 TEL.(305)852-7145
FAX(305)289-1745 TEL.(305)292-3550 FAX(305)852-7146
FAX(305)295-3660
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October 31, 2002
The Honorable Danny L. Kolhage
Clerk of the Circuit Court •
RE: Audit of Bicycle and Pedestrian Coordinator/Planner Grant
Dear Mr. Kolhage:
The Clerk's.Internal Audit Department has completed the audit of the Bicycle and Pedestrian
Coordinator/Planner Grant. The purpose of the audit was to assess compliance with the
applicable chapters of the Florida Statutes and the Monroe County Board of County
Commissioners' policies, procedures, resolutions, ordinances and grant agreements.
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We would like to thank the Growth Management Division for their cooperation while conducting
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the audit.
Almost all local governments receive financial assistance from their state government and from
the federal government. Federal and state grants of approximately$17,788,000 were received for.
Monroe County residents during fiscal year 2001. Strong financial and internal controls are
needed for the administration of all grant funding. Documentation should be prepared and
maintained, such that all individuals involved have sufficient information and instructions with
which to perform their respective functions. •
-. The major risk to Monroe County is that once a grant is procured the potential for losing the
funding is significantly increased without adequate monitoring and compliance with the agreed
upon terms and conditions of the individual contract.
The audit report and audit were completed with the assistance of Amy Heavilin.
The accompanying audit report is provided for your information. Additional copies of the report
will be provided upon your request.
Sincerely,
Sandra L. Mathena, CFE, CPA
Director of Internal Audit
Cc: Board of County Commissioners (5)
James Roberts, County Administrator
Timothy McGarry, Division Director of Growth Management
Sheila Barker, Director of Administrative Services
Sandee Carlile, Clerk's Finance Director
Marva Green, External Auditor
TABLE OF CONTENTS
PAGE
Objectives and Scope 1
II. Methodology 1-2
III. Background 3-5
IV. Conclusions 6
V. Audit Findings 7-14
A. Progress Report Filings 7
B. Reimbursement Requests 8
C. Official County Records 8-10
D. Timely Deposits 10
E. Close Out Grants 11
F. Forfeiture of Grants 12
G. Reconciliation and Monitoring 12
H. Initial Training of Grant Procedures 13-14
VI. Exhibits
A. Memo from County Administrator to Clerk of Circuit Courts dated July 18, 1994
(four pages)
B. Rejection Letters from the State (Contract#1 —Invoice#1 and Contract#2—
Invoices #2 and#3)
C. Monroe County Administrative Instruction#1013.1 (two pages)
D. Memo from Growth Management to Finance dated January 13, 2002 (one page)
E. Monroe County Administrative Instruction#4301.4 (three pages)
F. Sample Data Entry Form for Grants—similar sheet currently used by Finance
Department Only(one page)
G. Summary of past 15 years of Management Comments received by external auditors
(thirteen pages)
VII. Auditee Responses
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AUDIT REPORT OF MONROE COUNTY
BICYCLE AND PEDESTRIAN COORDINATOR/PLANNER GRANT
_I I. OBJECTIVES AND SCOPE
At the request of the Monroe County Clerk of the Circuit Court, the Internal Audit
Department conducted an audit of the processes used in Grants Management Programs.
As part of that audit, the auditor's discovered issues with two contracts under the
Growth Management Division and began looking into the discrepancies.
The audit objectives were:
1. to determine compliance with state and local laws, ordinances and contracts
2. to determine that policies and procedures properly document the system
3. to determine whether internal controls have been established and are being
followed
4. to determine whether the results accomplish the goal of securing economy in
expenditure of county funds
II. METHODOLOGY
A. The audit was conducted based on the Standards for the Professional Practice of
Internal Auditing issued by the Institute of Internal Auditors. During the audit, the
following personnel were interviewed to obtain information about the Policies and
Procedures used in Grants Management:
1. Director of Administrative Services
2. OMB Budget Director
3. Growth Management's Coordinator Budget and Personnel
4. Growth Management's Bicycle and Pedestrian Coordinator/Planner
5. Clerk's Finance Director
6. Clerk's Finance Personnel (Grants Accountant)
7. F.D.O.T. Representative, Phil Steinmiller
B. The Internal Audit Department examined the following documents:
1. Executed copy of the JPA/Contract(s) for the Bicycle and Pedestrian
Coordinator/Planner Position (AG-851 and AI-931) between Monroe County
and F. D.O.T.
2. Official County Records and supporting documentation
3. State Rules for Reimbursement of Class C Meals
4. PAF's (Payroll Adjustment Forms)
5. Monroe County "CAFR" and Single Audit Reports for Fiscal years ending
September 30, 2000 and September 30, 2001
6. Monroe County Exhibit C "Sample Grants Application"
7. Monroe County Administrative Instruction#4301.4
8. Monroe County Administrative Instruction#1013.1
9. July 28, 1994 Memo from County Administrator to Clerk of Courts
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10. All five (5) Reimbursement Requests (two under Contract AG-851 and three
under Contract AI-931)
11. OMB Circular No. A-87 Attachment A and B
12. Memos/Correspondence between Growth Management, OMB and Finance
13. ACH/EFT (electronic fund transfers) policy and procedures for both State and
Federal Agencies
14. Past 15 years of Management Comments and Responses from Annual Audit
(CAFR)—specifically"grant management" comments
15. Data Entry Face Sheets used by Monroe County Finance Department and a
sample face sheet used by Hernando County, Florida(Samples)
16. Hernando County Florida Procedures for Grant Activities (Sample)
17. Job Description for Bicycle and Pedestrian Coordinator/Planner
18. Florida Keys Overseas Heritage Trail Master Plan
19. Budget Transfer Requests
20. Monroe County BOCC Administrative Procedures
21. Preliminary Audit Report Monroe County — Grants Management Department
issued on February 22, 1994
22. Monroe County Contract Review Sheets
23. Management Concepts Website and Materials issued at Seminars
C. The Internal Audit Department reviewed contracts to ensure that all terms and
conditions were being complied with as documented within the agreement.
D. Monroe County Administrative Instructions #1013.1 and 4301.4 were reviewed to
understand the Policy and Procedures to be followed by County Personnel for Cash
Management and Grant Management.
E. All five requests for reimbursement were analyzed to ensure that each has received
appropriate supervisory approval and were submitted according to the terms and
conditions outlined in the agreement. The auditor's verified that all supporting
documentation was presented to ensure quick receipt of funds. In addition, the
internal audit staff verified the requests for reimbursement matched the County's
official report "Project Audit Trail" to ensure the data was complete, accurate and
authorized.
F. Memo(s) from Growth Management were reviewed to gain a better understanding
of the procedures followed in the management of the two contracts (AG-851 and
AI-931). They were reviewed to determine if any problems exist or have been
reconciled.
G. Management Comments for the past 15 years were reviewed to understand previous
grant issues and to ensure policies and procedures were being implemented once
adopted by the County.
H. Memo(s) from the County Administrator were reviewed to gain an understanding of
the County's position on the management comments on the annual financial
statements.
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III. BACKGROUND INFORMATION
The audit team closely reviewed two contracts awarded and executed between Monroe County
and the Florida Department of Transportation (F.D.O.T.) for the hiring and funding of a
Bicycle and Pedestrian Coordinator/Planner for Monroe County. These two contracts fell
under the supervision of the Growth Management Division.
The Bicycle and Pedestrian Coordinator/Planner position has the key responsibilities to act as
the Project Manager for the Overseas Heritage Trail Master Plan. The Overseas Heritage Trail
is the first vision for a continuous trail the entire length of the Florida Keys. The concept was
presented at the 1993 Florida Rails to Trails Conference in Dunedin, Florida and later a public
workshop was held as part of an eco-tourism session at Hawk's Cay in Monroe County. The
Monroe County Public Works Department was consistently providing bicycle paths and lanes
throughout the Keys communities. In the year 2000, the Florida Department of Environmental
Protection agreed to construct and manage the trail at the request of the Monroe County BOCC,
in coordination with the F.D.O.T., District 6.
The contracts entered into between the two parties are summarized below as Contract #1 and
Contract#2.
Contract#1:
Joint Participation Agreement (JPA) between Monroe County and the F.D.O.T. was approved
by the BOCC in April 1999 and executed on June 2, 1999. This contract is also known to
County personnel as Contract #AG-851/GW9910. The purpose of the Contract was to create
and fund a position known as the "Bicycle and Pedestrian Coordinator/Planner".
i The original cost of the Project totaled $71,000; detailed as follows:
$64,000 Salary and Benefits
1,500 Travel Expenses
5,500 General/Other Expenses
The State's maximum participation is 80% or $57,000 with the County responsible for the
difference. No front end funding is available.
PAYMENTS: Payments will be made for actual costs incurred as of the date the invoice is
submitted with the final payment due upon receipt of a final invoice. All costs shall be
supported by properly executed payrolls, time records, invoices, contracts or vouchers.
FINAL INVOICE: County will submit final invoice within 120 days after expiration of the
agreement. Invoices submitted after 120 days WILL NOT BE PAID. Contract agreement
terminates June 30, 2001 (120 days equates to October 31, 2001).
EXPIRATIONS: County agrees to complete on or before June 30, 2001 unless a written
extension of time period is requested by the County and approved by the District Secretary of
District 6.
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OTHER REQUIREMENTS: Exhibit A requires that the reports should be submitted
quarterly along with supporting documentation to the State, which are acceptable. The
submitted report will describe the work accomplished, which will adequately justify and
support payment requested.
Contract#2:
Joint Participation Agreement (JPA) between Monroe County and the Florida D.O.T. was
approved by the BOCC in October 2000 and effective on September 19, 2000. This contract
was then amended and approved by the BOCC on June 21, 2001. The amendment authorized
the County to encumber an additional $68,563. This Agreement is also known to personnel as
Contract #AI-931/GW0101. The purpose of the Contract was to fund the second year for the
position known as the "Bicycle and Pedestrian Coordinator/Planner".
Amended Cost of the Project totaled$138,563; detailed as follows:
$135,000 Salary and Benefits (original was $67,500)
3,563 Travel Expenses (original was $ 2,500)
State's maximum participation is 100% or$138,563. No front end funding is available.
PAYMENTS: Payments will be made for actual costs incurred as of the date the invoice is
submitted with the final payment due upon receipt of a final invoice. All costs shall be
supported by properly executed payrolls, time records, invoices, contracts or vouchers.
FINAL INVOICE: County will submit final invoice within 120 days after expiration of
1 agreement. Invoices submitted after 120 days WILL NOT BE PAID. Contract agreement
terminates September 30, 2002 (120 days equates to January 31, 2003).
EXPIRATIONS: County agrees to complete on or before September 30, 2002 unless a
written extension of time period is requested by the County and approved by the District
Secretary of District 6.
OTHER REQUIREMENTS: Exhibit C requires that the reports should be submitted
quarterly along with supporting documentation to the State, which are acceptable. The report
will describe work accomplished, which will adequately justify and support payment requested.
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Monroe County Administrative Instruction#4301.4 (Exhibit E) details the procedures to follow
when applying and receiving grants. Below is a summary outlining the process to be used by
County personnel once a resolution is passed by the BOCC:
o Submit a properly executed grant application and resolution to the grantor.
o Upon notification that a grant has been awarded to the County, the requesting
department will receive a contract outlining the contract requirements and any
special conditions. The contract shall be reviewed by the County Attorney, Risk
Management, Office of Management and Budget and the Division Director.
o A resolution authorizing the acceptance of the grant and the execution of the grant
agreement shall be reviewed by the County Attorney and then attached to the
contract. The resolution and contract shall be scheduled on a subsequent BOCC
agenda.
o Once a contract is fully executed by both parties, a copy of the grant agreement is
forwarded to the Office of Management and Budget for distribution to the Finance
Department and to the Clerk of Courts. Included will be a project control sheet with
the packet for OMB to assign an account number and prepare a Resolution for
Unanticipated Funds. If matching funds are involved, a transfer of those funds are
reflected on a Transfer Resolution. Those departments that receive ongoing grant
awards and are familiar with setting up their accounts, shall continue to do so
including OMB in the process.
o Project implementation shall be the responsibility of the project manager. The
project file shall be established and maintained in a clear and well organized
manner, with records and supporting data in detail sufficient for pre-audit and post-
audit review. The expenditures should be reconciled monthly with the detailed
distribution list. A record keeping and project monitoring system shall be
established and maintained by OMB to insure that reports and reimbursement
requests are completed and filed in a timely manner, in compliance with grant
requirements.
o Closeout of the project shall include a final status report which will be forwarded to
the BOCC, all grant invoices shall be reconciled with project expenditures and grant
revenues, and all project reports and claims shall be filed with the granting agency.
o OMB will provide assistance in each phase of grant proposal development and
administration. The Grants Manager will monitor all County grants for program
compliance. Coordination and communication with the offices and departments as
discussed will insure improvement in grant accountability.
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IV. Audit Conclusions:
A. Progress reports need to be submitted quarterly according to the terms and
conditions of the contracts.
B. Request for reimbursements should be filed quarterly according to the terms and
conditions of the contracts.
C. Official county records should be used as part of each reimbursement request
according to County's Administrative Instructions.
D. Reimbursements should be deposited according to County's Administrative
Instructions.
E. Grants should be formally closed out according to County's Administrative
Instructions.
F. Forfeiture of grants should be the decision of the County Administrator or the
BOCC.
G. Monitoring and reconciliation of grants should be routine.
H. Training should be provided for all employees responsible for grants.
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V. Audit Findings
A. Progress Report Filings
Finding:
Progress reports are required by contract to be submitted on a quarterly basis. Expenses under
Contract #1/AG-851 began to appear in the general ledger in October 1999 which means the
first report should have been submitted on or before December 31, 1999 and then again on or
before March 31, 2000, June 30, 2000 and September 30, 2000. Only two Reports were filed.
The first was submitted on May 1, 2000 and the second was filed on September 6, 2000.
Seven months elapsed before the first report and then four months for the filing of Report #2.
To date, a final reporting has not been submitted to the State. Verbal communications with the
State's representative have confirmed that no final reporting has been submitted (See Finding
E).
Expenses under Contract AI-931 began to appear in the general ledger in May, 2001 (however,
these expenses were recorded to the wrong account which were posted as early as November
2000 (See Finding E). Reports should have been filed on or before January, April, July and
October 2001 and January, April, July and September 2002 when the contract expires. Actual
reports were submitted on May 23, 2001,November 6, 2001 and May 22, 2002, respectively.
According to the Bicycle and Pedestrian Coordinator/Planner, the State representative verbally
requested the Coordinator/Planner to submit the reports on a six-month basis. It is reasonable
to comply with a grantor's requests when practicable; however, staff should consider the
impact on the County. Reporting should be submitted on a routine basis according to the terms
and conditions of the contract to avoid the risk of non-compliance. Both parties must agree in
writing to modify any contract. Non-compliance could result in delaying the receipt of grant
funds as well as other risks should either agency have personnel turnover.
Recommendation(s):
1. Progress reports should be submitted according to the terms of the grants.
2. If it appears that compliance with the terms is not reasonably possible, a formal
written extension of due dates should be requested and obtained.
3. All agreements should be modified in writing.
County Administrator's Response:
The Administrator concurs with the Auditor's findings and recommendations.
Review of Recommendations:
1. The Administrator agrees that progress reports should be submitted according to the
terms of the grants.
2. The Administrator agrees that any time it appears that compliance with the terms of
the grants is not reasonably possible, a formal written extension of due dates should
be requested and obtained.
3. The Administrator agrees that all modifications to agreements will be done in
writing.
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B. Reimbursement Requests
Finding:
According to the agreements, requests for reimbursement should be filed quarterly.
Reimbursement requests for grant funds for the Bicycle and Pedestrian Coordinator/Planner
position have not been consistent with those terms. According to the Bicycle and Pedestrian
Coordinator/Planner, the grantor had asked her to request the funds on a six-month basis. It is
reasonable to comply with a grantor's requests when practicable. However, staff should
consider the impact on the County. Reimbursement requests should be submitted on a routine
basis, at least quarterly, in order that the County has access to all available funds.
Responsibility for this should be assigned such that management control is maintained over
revenues, all reimbursable costs are claimed and cash flow is maximized. Turnover in the Bike
and Pedestrian Coordinator/Planner position precipitated the late filing of reimbursement
request.
Recommendation(s):
1. Reimbursement requests should be submitted according to the terms of the
agreement.
2. All agreements should be modified in writing.
3. The appropriate level of management should review all reimbursement requests to
ensure compliance with the grant contract. This procedure may assist in
consistency in the event of turnover, vacations or other leaves of absences within
the Departments.
County Administrator's Response:
The Administrator concurs with the Auditor's findings and recommendations.
Review of Recommendations:
1. The Administrator agrees that reimbursement requests should be submitted
according to the terms of the agreement.
2. The Administrator agrees that any modification to the agreement should be made in
writing.
3. The Administrator agrees that the appropriate level of management should review
all reimbursement requests to ensure compliance with the grant contact. The
Administrative Instruction will be modified to include this recommendation.
C. Official County Records
Finding:
Official County records should be used to reconcile and prepare reimbursement requests to the
State (See Exhibit A).
Five requests were submitted for reimbursement to the State; the auditor's reviewed all of
them. There were no official records submitted as part of any of the five requests. Items
submitted as supporting documents were expenses paid through accounts payable. Items such
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as salary/wages, worker's compensation, insurance benefits and taxes, had no evidence
supporting those expenses although the County was requesting reimbursement for those
expenditures.
Two invoices were submitted under the first Contract (AG-851/GW9910). Invoice #1 was
submitted on 4/10/00 and rejected for non-compliance. It was corrected, resubmitted and
approved and paid by the State on 4/26/00. On 9/6/00, five months after the Bicycle and
Pedestrian Coordinator/Planner resigned, management submitted the second invoice. A
different State representative reviewed the second invoice and approved as submitted even
though official county records were not submitted as supporting documentation.
On 10/27/00 a replacement was hired for the Bicycle and Pedestrian Coordinator/Planner
position. Invoices under the second contract were submitted by the new coordinator beginning
on March 23, 2001. The second invoice submitted under Contract #2 was submitted and
rejected by the State for non-compliance. Official County records were not reconciled or used
as supporting documentation as required by the agreement. As a result, ten months of expenses
were posted to the wrong project number from September 2000 through June 2001. The
mistake was not discovered until it appeared the County forfeited $29,228.10 in reimbursement
funds due to the expiration of the contract. Another issue arising from this mistake was that
Finance personnel made improper accruals at the end of the fiscal year 2001 which resulted in
that same amount being recognized on the year end financial statements and single audit report.
Due to lack of reconciling and submitting the official county records as part of the
reimbursement request, the County under billed the state by$3,083.60.
The third invoice submitted under Contract#2 was submitted and rejected by the State for non-
compliance. After correcting the $29,228.10 error, total expenses through March 2002 totaled
$91,358.37; however, by using internally prepared documents instead of the County's official
records, the County has over billed the State by$2,020.12.
Although three of the five invoices were rejected, they were not all rejected for the same reason
(See Exhibit B). The State does not review the submitted invoices on a consistent basis. For
example, under Contract #1 the invoice was rejected because a completed invoice summary
was not provided, the lack of acceptable number of copies with sufficient supporting
documents, the lack of a progress report and the lack of a completed invoice summary. Under
Contract #2, invoice #2 was rejected for requesting reimbursement on Class C Meals not
reimbursable by the State in fiscal year 2002. Invoice #3 was rejected because the Program
Manager signed the request. According to the State, the request should be signed by a
Supervisor or Department Head. A second reason given was that each invoice should send
supporting documentation such as the County's official records. Four of the five invoices were
signed and submitted by the Project Manager; only one was rejected for the lack of a
Supervisor or Department head signature.
If the over billing is not corrected before the end of the fiscal year, the financial statements and
single audit reports issued by the County will be in error and the County could be found in
breach of its agreement with the State for non-compliance of the teens and conditions.
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Recommendation(s):
1. Official County records should be used as part of the required supporting documents.
2. Internally generated documents should be used as a monthly reconciling tool and not
used in lieu of the official county records.
3. County policies should be followed when requesting reimbursement.
County Administrator's Response:
The Administrator concurs with the Auditor's findings and recommendations except where
noted below.
Review of Recommendations:
1. Official county records should be used as part of the required supporting
documentation. Although it can be surmised what constitutes "Official County"
records, it would have been helpful to identify specifically some examples in the
"Findings". In addition, the statement in Paragraph 4 of the findings, it is asserted that
the County forfeited funds is misleading. It is true that the County did not spend all the
grant funds; however, the County did not have any expenses for which it was not
reimbursed.
2. Internally generated documents are helpful on routine items, but reimbursement
requests will be tied to official county records in the future.
3. County policies will be followed when requesting reimbursement.
D. Timely Deposits
Finding:
A check in the amount of $18,038.87 was deposited seven (7) months after receipt.
Reimbursements should be deposited as quickly as possible, but in any event, not later than
three (3) business days from receipt according to Administrative Instruction #1013.1 (See
Exhibit C).
The time lag between filing for reimbursement and the deposit of funds to the County's bank
account should be kept to a minimum. Invoice #1 was submitted to the State for
reimbursement on 05/23/01. The state issued and dated the check on June 27, 2001. Finance
received the check from Growth Management on February 5, 2002 and immediately deposited
the same.
The check was obtained due to a third party agency contacting the Finance Department of an
$18,038.87 receivable owed to the County. For a fee, this agency offered to collect and submit
the monies on behalf of the County. As a result of this notification, the Finance Department
enlisted the help of the Internal Audit Department. The Internal Audit Department
immediately began steps to identify those same funds. After several inquiries into the matter,
the internal audit department determined which Department was expecting the funds (See
Exhibit D). As a result, the County lost interest on those funds and ran the risk of the check
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being voided after a certain number of months without being cashed (12 months for the specific
check in question).
Recommendation(s):
1. Reimbursements should be deposited as quickly as possible, but in any event, not later
than three (3) business days from receipt according to Administrative Instruction No.
1013.1 —Cash Management Procedures.
2. When filing a grant application with any agency, the County should encourage all
Departments to request their grant(s) reimbursements to be paid by ACH/EFT
(Electronic Fund Transfers).
County Administrator's Response:
The Administrator concurs with the Auditor's findings and recommendations.
Review of Recommendations:
1. The Administrator agrees to remind employees of Administrative Instruction 1013.
Funds should be deposited within three (3)business days.
2. The administrator agrees that all funds should be transferred by Electronic Funds
Transfer.
The Growth Management Division advises the Administrator that they requested EFT
be used by the Grantor but was told that it was not available for this program.
E. Close Out Grant(s)
Finding:
Due to turnover at the department responsible for the grant, the Finance Department was not
properly notified of the closing of Contract #1; AG-851/GW9910. As a result, grant
receivables were accrued at the end of the year. In addition, these amounts were posted to the
wrong grant and project. During the course of this audit, the Finance and Audit Departments
discovered the discrepancies. These expenses were not reclassified to the proper project
number until June 2002; two years after the last activity.
According to Monroe County Administrative Instruction 4301.4 - Basic Procedures for Filing
Grant Applications (See Exhibit E) revised 10/01/2000 has an instruction related to project
close-outs.
(4) Instructions:
J) The project close-out shall be handled in the following manner: a final
status report shall be forwarded to the Board of County Commissioners,
all grant invoices shall be reconciled with project expenditures and
grant revenues, and all project reports and claims shall be filed with the
granting agency.
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As of June 26, 2002, no final report has been submitted to OMB or to the State Department of
Transportation according to the terms of the contract to finalize Grant/Contract Number AG-
851/GW9910.
This lack of reporting resulted in expenditures being accrued at the end of Fiscal Year
September 30, 2001. It also resulted in $29,228.10 of expenditures being improperly coded to
the wrong project and grant which were not properly identified until June 2002 during the
course of the internal audit. A final status report to the BOCC as required under
Administrative Instruction#4301.4 (J) should have been completed.
Recommendation(s):
1. County Administrative Instruction #4301.4 (J) Project Close-Out procedures should be
followed.
2. Monthly reconciliation of expenditures to the County's official records and continuous
monitoring of grants by appropriate department supervisors.
3. Implementation of a Standard Data Sheet (See Exhibit F) may help facilitate necessary
communication between OMB, Finance and the department receiving the grant funds.
4. A final status report forwarded to the BOCC.
County Administrator's Response:
The Administrator concurs with the Auditor's findings and recommendations.
Review of Recommendations:
1. The Administrator agrees that County Administrative Instruction #4301.4 (J) Project
close-out procedures will be followed.
2. The Administrator agrees that reconciliation of expenditures should be based on
Official County Records and be reviewed at an appropriate management level.
3. The Administrator will have staff review the possibility of using a standard data sheet.
4. The Administrator agrees that we should comply with the Administrative Instruction
and furnish a final status report to the BOCC.
F. Forfeiture of a Grant
Finding:
With Contract#1, the State committed 80% of the total grant amount or $57,000 to the County
for the Bicycle and Pedestrian Coordinator/Planner position. The County used $32,786.90 of
the available funds before switching to the next available Grant. The lack of reconciliation and
monitoring of the County's official records and turnover within the position forced this result
to occur. The effect upon the County was the loss of State Funding in the amount of
$24,213.10.
Recommendation(s):
1. Decisions to forfeit a grant should be the decision of the County Administrator or
the BOCC.
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�-J
County Administrator's Response:
The Administrator concurs with the Auditor's findings and recommendations, except that
forfeiture did not occur, only not being able to use all the fund in the time allocated.
Review of Recommendations:
1. The Administrator agrees that it should be the decision of the Administrator and/or
the BOCC on forfeiting a grant, should that ever occur.
G. Reconciliations /Monitoring Grants
Finding:
Reimbursement requests have been calculated and submitted using internal documentation.
The requests are not prepared from financial infoiiiiation reported in the general ledger. Such
requests are not consistently compared to the general ledger before they are submitted for
reimbursement. As a result, the amounts being requested do not tie to the County's official
records. Reimbursement requests are not presently reviewed or monitored prior to submission
nor are copies of the reimbursement requests sent to the Financial Department for the
accounting records. The reimbursements requested to date for two Bicycle and Pedestrian
Coordinator/Planner grants through March 31, 2002 exceed the actual expenditures by
$2,020.12. The County's financial statements are in error due to the filing of incorrect
reimbursement amounts.
Recommendations);
1. Reimbursement requests should be reconciled, reviewed and approved by a supervisor
or department head before they are submitted to ensure that all eligible costs are
requested and that the reports are in agreement with the County's official books and
records with a timely copy submitted to the Finance Department.
2. Consideration should be given for any and all differences discovered by the
reconciliation and monitoring process to allow for timely identification and correction
of errors.
3. Monitoring of Grants by a Department Head or Supervisor should be done on a routine
basis to insure they are in compliance with all the teiius and conditions set forth in each
contract. This may prevent future issues from occurring in the event the Project
Manger or other personnel take vacations, turnover or other leaves of absences.
1. Reconciliations should be regularly performed to ensure that postings are
corrected and adjustments have been properly processed.
2. Controls should be established to ensure all transactions are updated accurately.
County Administrator's Response:
The Administrator concurs with the Auditor's findings and recommendations.
Review of Recommendations:
1. The Administrator agrees that the reimbursement requests should be reconciled,
reviewed and approved by the appropriate level of management utilizing the County's
official records.
13
2. The Administrator agrees that all differences discovered during the reconciliation
process should be corrected.
3. The Administrator agrees that the grants should be monitored by an appropriate level of
management.
4. The Administrator agrees that reconciliation should occur on a routine basis and
certainly on the frequency required by the grant.
5. The Administrator agrees that transactions should be updated accurately and with the
appropriate level of managerial review, believes they will be.
H. Initial Training—Grant Procedures
Finding:
All employees responsible for the administration of grant funds should receive sufficient
training of the County's Grant Procedures. These employees should be educated on the terms
and conditions of the grant, become familiar with the funding agency's rules governing
expenditures, reimbursement request policies. Employees should also be educated on the use
of the County's official records and how to read and interpret them. The replacement
- Coordinator hired in October 2001 was considered the new "Project Manager" responsible for
the two outstanding grants. The new employee did not receive any instruction or training
regarding the two grants. According to conversations with the replacement, she understood
that she was hired strictly under the funding of Contract#2. She was under the impression that
Contract#1 was closed prior to her start date.
Issues resulting from the lack of training and monitoring by the project monitoring system
detailed in Administrative Instruction#4301.4 (I) are:
1. Expenses totaling $29,228.10 were improperly coded to the wrong project and
grant.
2. The County forfeited $24,213.10 in reimbursable State funds.
3. Year-end Financial Statements and Single Audit Reports for years 2000 and
2001 included the above errors. (The errors have been corrected in Year-End
2002)
4. Three of the five invoices were rejected by the State and delayed the receipt of
County funds.
5. A check in the amount of $18,038.87 went uncollected for more than seven
months even though the County requested the reimbursement.
6. Request for reimbursements include non-refundable expenses.
Established internal controls for centralization of Grant Management are inadequate and
ineffective. In practice, the majority of County Departments are not in compliance with the
established administrative instructions. On paper, the County has established an adequate
system for monitoring all grant programs for compliance with federal, state and local
general and specific grants requirements; however, according to management personnel, it
is not practiced or enforced. OMB personnel informed the internal auditors that the lack of
personnel, time and funding were the main reasons why the County cannot enforce its own
Administrative Instruction#4301.4.
14
The major risk to the County will be that once a grant is procured, the potential for loosing
the funding is significantly increased due to lack of monitoring and non-compliance with
the agreed upon terms and conditions of individual contracts.
It may benefit the County to have part of the Grants Management team receive monitoring
certification as part of their responsibilities and to then train other Department supervisors
or a representative responsible for maintaining their own departmental grants. By
implementing a continuous training and education for personnel directly responsible for a
grant, it may help eliminate the continuous year end management comments on the
independent audit. For the past 15 years, the County has had one or more grant related
issues at each year-end (See Exhibit G).
Recommendation(s):
1. County should consider appointing a position responsible for monitoring grants.
2. Training and education should be implemented for new hires and other personnel
responsible for grants management.
3. Department heads should review Administrative Instruction #4301.4 with appropriate
personnel with enforcement being emphasized and encouraged.
4. Written communication between Departments should be encouraged. This may help
prevent errors from being made and not discovered timely.
5. Documentation should be prepared and maintained such that all individuals involved
have sufficient information and instructions with which to perform their respective
functions.
County Administrator's Response:
The Administrator concurs that there is room for vast improvement for the manner in which
grants are handled. The comment attributed to the OMB that there was not time, personnel or
funding to enforce their own policies was a recap of the history of the department. The focus
on grants has differed greatly over the past decade. The BOCC established a separate Grants
Department in 1992. The department was made up of 3 people. However, the BOCC
reorganized Management Services in 1994 and the Grants Department was downgraded from
department status to a section of the Office of Management and Budget. It was comprised of
one staff position. In the future there will be additional training for those who handle grant
reporting.
Review of Recommendations:
1. The Administrator agrees there should be a position responsible for monitoring grants.
Budget pressures and downsizing have precluded the establishment of such a position.
Training as identified above will be utilized until a grant's accountant position can be
established.
2. The Grants Administrator should have a copy of all grant agreements approved by the
Board. This will enable the Grant Administrator to contact grant monitor with
information regarding Administrative Instruction #4301. Training of specific grant
handling is the responsibility of the department securing the grant.
3. Administrative Instruction #4301 should be followed by all grant monitors, but
especially reviewed by Department Heads with enforcement and signature
responsibility.
15
4. Written communication will be encouraged where appropriate.
5. Grant monitors will maintain sufficient documentation of grant activity.
County Administrator's General Comments:
Exhibit G, Summary of the past 15 years of Management Comments, contains comments from
audits of grants secured and administered by the Sheriff's Office. The County Administrator
has no control over these grants and are therefore irrelevant to this audit.
Auditor's Response:
Exhibit G, Summary of the 15 years of Management Comments contains 10 comments related
to Monroe County and 4 related to the Sheriff's Office.
16
VI. Exhibits
Exhibit A
Memo from County Administrator to Clerk of Circuit Courts
Dated July 18, 1994 (four pages)
BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS
,,��_ MAYOR,Jack London,Distict 2
0 U N TY ofFLORIDAIR 0 E '" Mayor Pro Tem,A Earl Cheat,District 4
r` F Wilhelmina Harvey,Diclricl 1
KEY WEST FOD 33040 ,� la. Shirley Freeman,District 3
(305)294-4641 �� '_lk j• 1y it •I.i ,1^ Mary Kay Reich,District 5
i)•1 '..in;t2J11 '0
. \;, lim II i;F
-- MEMORANDUM
TO: Danny Kolhage i!,,. '"
Clerk of Court ) :
r
FROM: James L. Roberts i
County Administrator >'
I...r
- SUBJECT: Annual Audit for the year ended r 1; `ir.•'-•IN;•"
September 30, 1993 Li I:
DATE: July 28, 1994 f
The Administration has reviewed the comments by Kemp
and Green, P.A. , in reference to the annual audit for
the year ending September 30, 1993 . The following are
. our comments in reference to that report:
1
PRIOR YEAR' S FINDINGS
The report indicates that there were some items not
-- implemented subsequent to comments made in the audit
for the year ended September 1992. The following are
the responses:
•
GRANTS
Overall, grants functions continue to be somewhat
decentralized due to the history of the handling of
grants and the difficulty of establishing a Grants
Management Department with limi.td resources . Recent-
ly, an internal audit was requested of the Clerk of
the Court' s office and such a draft audit has been
completed. Responses to that performance audit are
being prepared and will be submitted shortly to the
Clerk of the Court so that a final audit document can
be prepared. Similar comments were made in reference
to the grants function there.
IIMII
j - - - - - - .
_, h
4.
1 I.,
<° The computerization of the Grants Monitoring System
has greatly aided in the monitoring of the grants over ,.
which the Grants Management Department has direct . u(_
_ ' control. There has been improvement in compliance v.
reporting and cash flow management in reference to iu
those •grants. 1
However, the unique nature of many of the major grant I',
functions including Airports, Growth Management and i'`:
Social Services, and 'the large amounts of work in-
_ volved with the monitoring and management of those 'a•
grants require that they be handled within the respec- �
tive divisions charged in those subject areas . This ; ;
means that there are staff available who are familiar ':?
with the grants, and who are available to provide _
information, compliance, etc. It is not possible for
the collection of grants of that size to be the gener- 'fi
al responsibility of a two to three person Grants u '
Department. There will be efforts in the future to
assure that all grants are managed and monitored to .'I
the highest- standards. ,_
If the auditor has specifics which need to be ad- ;
dressed it would be appreciated
if they would be L:.,,
forwarded to the County Administrator. ?.
PURCHASING PROCEDURES :.ax:
In reference to appropriate sole source vendors, in
May of 1994, the Monroe County Board of County Commis- ,:
sioners adopted Revised Procurement Policies which };t
include requirements for the utilization of sole '-
source purchases. There are seven conditions which 'j
must be met in order for a sole source purchase to be .'
made. Within the next few months, the Administrator
and Purchasing Department will be developing an Admin- .-
istrative Instruction to implement the new Procurements.
Policies which will also include the conditions for '1
the sole source purchase. h
kq
BUDGETARY COMPLIANCE ut-
The auditor' s comments should take into consideration
`e
that normal bud etas ''`
g y procedures were followed in =G���;
M FE,
conjunction with appropriate legal requirements. In
the future, there will be ongoing reviews to be sure
that contingency funds at the Marathon Airport do not ',
exceed 10% of the total fund budget. -
L / •
DUE TO CUSTOMERS
In reference to the auditor' s comments, a procedure r
._ will be established to review the status of accounts
to determine whether credits are refundable to Munici-
pal Service District customers. In the event that
1 such refundable credits are determined, action will be
taken to have the 'refunds implemented.
CURRENT YEAR FINDINGS
CASH MANAGEMENT PROCEDURES
The Administration recognizes the importance of funds
being deposited in a timely manner. All departments •
will be advised in writing that funds received should
be deposited as quickly as possible, but in any event,
no later than three ( 3) business days.
CARD SOUND BRIDGE REVENUE
During this past year, the Administration has been
aware that there might be some difficulties in refer-
ence to the issues raised by the auditor. An internal •
audit from the office of the Clerk of the Court was
completed and recommendations were developed. In
order to resolve the issues raised, including the
issues in this auditor' s report, a number of actions
are being taken. First, the computer system will be :a
upgraded to be sure that the capacity for reporting an
analysis is there. Second, there will be a fiscal
change to the treadle gear mechanisms so that there is :?
a more exact accounting. Third,' the formula as it ;4,
7
pertains to the treadle count, and the ultimate deter-
mination of the number of vehicles is being reviewed
for greater accuracy. These should all be accom- ''
plished during this current fiscal year. The report
identified by the auditor will also be modified to be '_
sure to reflect greater accuracy.
GRANTS
1. It is the policy of the Administration that Y
single audit funds will ultimately be responded to and
resolved by the County Administrator. Once those
findings have been made known to the Administrator,
they will be reviewed by the appropriate staff with
recommendations and proposed responses to the Adminis-
- -
{
3
�_. e , eft..
-- 7
ti
.
.
trator.
Any formal responses required will then be
submitted.
•
2 . It is the Count 's
grant
reimbursements in conjunction policy h the officialt County
records;'"-- With each Division/Department dealing with ti
the grants, there is, an individual identified who is grant ,M
�
responsible for the maintenance of theft
in conjunction .•with the 'official records of the records
ty• „.,-'. All Division/Departments will be advised byL(a
, :',:Administrator that their grant reimbursement request
.must.• be in conjunction with the official County x
.,,.records and that an appropriate audit trail be• avail-
1 `able.
r
.
;tit
These comments are provided by way of explanation in
�t
reference to the annual audit for the r;
September 30, 1993 . ny
year ending
clarification is. needed, the Administration will bfurther information e
pleased to supply it, be
w4
/ �t
J yy
i
it
tly
1
•
ti
1
7
r
•
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1
Y
i • •
,
4 .
Exhibit B
Rejection Letters from the F.D.O.T. Representatives
Contract #1 — Invoice #1 Rejection
Contract #2 - Invoice #2 Rejection
Contract #2 —Invoice #3 Rejection
County of Monroe
Planning Department T • Board of County Commissioners
2798 Overseas Highway y�, ,, Mayor Shirley Freeman,Dist.3
Suite 400 ; '' ' ' Mayor Pro Tem George Neugent,Dist.2
Marathon,Florida 33050 Commissioner Wilhelmina Harvey,Dist.l
Voice:(305)289-2500 Commissioner Nora Williams,Dist.4
FAX: (305)289-2536 - Commissioner Mary Kay Reich,Dist.5
•
April 20,2000
Marie S.Ladouceur
Transportation Planner
Florida Department of Transportation,District 6
602 South Miami Avenue
Miami,Florida 33130
Re: JPA/Monroe County Bicycle/Pedestrian Coordinator Position-Revised Invoice#1
FM#252077-1-14-01 ,
Contract#: AG-851
Dear Ms. Ladouceur:
Please find enclosed a revised invoice for the above referenced JPA agreement. Monroe County
has submitted numerous invoices for various JPA agreements and was surprised to see this invoice
rejected as it followed the same format as previous submittals. At your request, the following
revisions have been made to this invoice:
1) A completed invoice summary is provided;
2) One original and four copies of the entire package are enclosed along with sufficient
supporting documentation;
3) This letter serves as the project progress report. As the bicycle/pedestrian planner for
Monroe County, I have coordinated very closely with Gus Pego, Gary Donn, and Chris
Dube for bicycle/pedestrian issues. Additional progress reports beyond the one contained
in this letter can be obtained from these District 6 individuals.
4) Total reimbursable amounts,travel expenses, etc. are in line with the agreement contract.
Progress Report: Monroe County hired a bicycle/pedestrian coordinator in September 1999 to
manage the Overseas Heritage Trail Master Planning Process. Other duties include coordination
with DOT for programmed enhancement projects. Since September, the bicycle/pedestrian
coordinator has worked to bridge communication gaps between participating agencies and to
develop a successful implementation plan for the Overseas Heritage Trail. Future plans include
administration of programmed enhancement funds along the US 1 corridor by the Florida
Department of Environmental Protection (DEP). As a LAP certified organization, the DEP has
agreed to work in partnership with DOT to design and construct the trail. The DEP will also
maintain the trail through a maintenance agreement with the DOT.
If you need any additional information to process this invoice, please contact me at (305) 289-
2521. Thank you in advance for you timely review of the invoice.
Sincerely,
.2400447
Trish Stratton,AICP
Bicycle/Pedestrian Planner
c: Chris Dube,District 6
Kim Ogren, Monroe County
Mayra Tezanos, Monroe County
•
INVOICE SUMMARY NO. 1
.
Department of Transportation,District
ATTN: nee UC-PUV
District Public Transportation Manages
In accordance with Chapt�-�"1'I ��.( .
S.,(it J0' t Participation Agreement and
dated� l.t�►'t� D- Q any Supplemental Agreements
r 1 between the Florida De• partment of Transportation and
n at ( rd
. The Agency incurred the indebtedness listed below between 4 1 22.):1,3___and /?S 0 v
This invoice(is)(is not)for costs incurred on a prequalified Joint Participation Agreement
(Documentation of indebtedness or coati attar
TOTAL ESTIMATED PROJECT COST:
FRONT END FUNDED PROJECT:YES( )NO( $- t 0�0
MAXIMUM FDOT PARTICIPATION PER AGR�• $ �r
TOTAL ELIGIBLE PROJECT COSTS INCURRED TO DATE: Y S
FDOT PARTICIPATION INELIGIBLE COSTS INCURREDS = CO�f�
PREVIOUSLY BILLED: TO DATE: S • I
THIS BILLING:(FDOT participation in eligible oats incurred S /'
to date minus amount previously trilled.) g 61-10 • r
1 NET REQUEST FOR PAYMENT: S
$
I terrify that 16e aforesaid listing it true and correct. .
r certify,ender penalties of Perjury,that the agency has oomp6ed with the
APPROVED provisions of this Agreement
District Public Trans.Manager BY Is/ • •
Agency Head or Authorized Rep.
(Date) et .
" itle) I1-rl eT
1 ���
APPROVED AS MEETING TERMS OF CONTRACT L O
(Date)
District Project Manager WPI# �o. G�7 0
Job# —
(Date) Contract# 6 T -Sr /
J
•
June 1995
1 _J
•
fl
Florida Department of Transportation
ru OFFICE OF PLANNING-DISTRICT SIX THOMAS F.BARRY,JR.
45 602 SOUTH MIAMI AVENUE,MIAMI,FLORIDA 33130 SECRETARY
PHONE:305.377.5910 (SC)452.5910
FAX:305.377.5684 (SC)452.5684
November 19, 2001
Elizabeth Holloway
Monroe County
2798 Overseas Highway, Suite 410
Marathon, FL 33050
SUBJECT: Invoice Summary No. 2
FM #: 25207711401
Contract: AI-931
Dear Ms. Ho'fi
gar
I am returning Invoice No. 2, for correction for the following:
1. "Class C"meals are no longer reimbursable; this came into effect on Julyl, 2001;
2. Travel has to cover a radius of at least 80 miles to qualify for meals.
If you have additional questions,please contact me at 305.377.5683. Thank you.
Kenneth Jeffries
Transportation Planner
www.dot.state.fl.us ®RECYCLED PAPER
305-209-2536 PLANNING DEPT PAGE 04
• J 3.
i
71
fM r "•:
" Florida Department of Transportation• n
OFFICE OP PLANNING-D18TRIei'srx ,
JEB BUSH 602 SOUTH MIAMI AVENUE,MIAMI,FLORIDA 33130 THOMAS F.HARRY,M. • • ,
GOVERNOR PHONE:(305)377-5910 (SC)452-5910 SECRETARY
FAX: (305)377-5684 (SC)452-5684
•
tft
'
}'.r
June 6, 2002
Ms. Elizabeth Holloway --
j Bicycle and Pedestrian Planner • . :;
Monroe County Planning Department
•
2798 Overseas Highway, Suite 400
Marathon,Florida 33)50
Dear Ms. Holloway:
SUBJECT: REJECTION OF INVOICE#3 A
Centre et No.: AI-931
-- • FM No: ,- 25207711401 -
The referenced invoice has been rejected for the reasons we discussed in our phone conversation
earlier today. invoice summary ,,
Y page must be signed by the Agency Director, or authorized ; .-
representative, such tus Tim McGarry, or Marlene Conaway. I have attached an example of an i
invoice summary page that I have used in the past. As we discussed, one copy of the accounting
- ledger printout is acceptable, however, we need to receive an original and four(4) copies of any
invoice (including expense forms) submitted for payment. Also included, for your files, are tw •
o
k
copies of the current F DOT travel reimbursement form. Please use this form when documenting all
future travel-expenses.
Please make the necessary revisions and resubmit for payment. Do not hesitate to contact me if'yqu
have t.r
ally questions. Thank you. :,:
•
- Sincerely, .;
Phil Steinmill , MCI:P i;
Planning Project Manager i ;,.
•
I', , cc: Financial Services
t; •
14 wwW.dot stet ;.PLUS 0 RECYCLED PAPER #
t
I
305-289-2536 PLANNING DEPT '
PAGE 02
FDOT INVOICE NO. 3 .�
Florida Department of Transportation
602 South Miami Avenue
Miami,Florida 3:t 130
ATTN: Mr: Gary Donn
District Director ofPlanning and Programs .
In accordance with JPA dated June 25, 2001 between the Florida Department of
Transportation and Monroe County, Florida,represented by the Monroe County Growth
Management located at 2798 Overseas Highway, Marathon,Florida,33050, the Public 1
Body has-incurred the indebtedness listed below from September 19, 2000 until
31, 2002. Support documentation is attached. March
Total Project Cos':
$138,563.00
Maximum D.O.T Participation per Agreement
$138,563.00
Total eligible Prc ject Costs to date
$ 93, 378.49
D.O.T Participation-in Eligible Costs Incurred to Date .4
Less Previous Billings $ 93,3789
Amount Due this Billing Pay $ 56,684,$9
$ 36,693.60
Balance $ 45,274.51
-
I certify that the aforesaid listing is true and correct
oruoe cow_
_ix_ By 1I -/
Public Body , I�,
K. Marlene Conaway
Director of Pla n and Environmental Resources
Title
FM No. 25207711401
Approved as Meeting
-
Terms of Contract Cont act No T-931
.
-
i
•
a_-- �� cjed c,. .n 1� Jry°Pi-CO (tcs.n"
/ 't- y-f) sLaias
ALJti
INVOICE SUMNIaOWNO. 3
/ lament orTransportaGoo,District 6,
•
/Arfl.x: Mr. Kenneth Jeffrien
�
District Public Transportation Manager
In accordance wick Chydcr 334.044(21$.5.,the Joint Participation Agreement and any Supplcmcntitl Agreements
dated__Junt. 25 t11, 29 01 between the F1ot•:da Department of Transportation and
•
tIonroq CSiunty, 2;'99 Overdeao 114:zhway, Stiite 410
jlarattuj Florida,33050 .
.The Agency itl:tured the bide:blarnn+s listed below between September 19, 20021d March.31,2002
tuwvt nx uw�-— ttaar-
This invoice(iii)(is not)for costs incurred on a prequalificd Joint Participation Agreement.
(beettmagaliao of tntla6uda44 a lade Fak ad)
TOTAL ESTIbIATEDPRDJECTCOST: • S 1.38.563.00 FRONT END FUNDED P ROJECT:YES( )NO(y)
MAXIMUM F.JOTPARTICIPATIONPIItAO' ei• I ;_ion y. • S
TOTAL ELIGIBLE PROM ECT COSTS INCURRED TO DA"E: S 93.512.39
FDOT PARTICIPATION:N MOBILE COSTS INCURRED TO DATE: S g3.512-39.
/ PREVIOUSLY BILLED: • S 5[L fill G,E19.
THIS BIL INC I:(2 DOT Judi alp'don is eligible twa metaled
ro date min W mount previa.lybilled.) S 16.827,50
NET REQUEST FORPA!PtvtENT: S, 16.827.50
I certify that the afa;oaid Hating le true end meat.
t Ds*terktpaulua of pgjvey,nue the agcnay}aa cempliod will,the
APPROVED pcovii o a at thin Agreome3L
t.-14
District Public Trans.Mac lager Agee I I d or Authorize R p.
(Date) Bicycle and Pedestriat Pl.ainfr
APPROVED A5 MEETIN a TERMS OF CONTRACT May 22,2002 ' ate)
WPI# 25207711401
District Proji:ct Manager
Job it
•
_(Date) Contract# AI 931
•
•
•
Jana 19f S
•
Exhibit C
Monroe County Administrative Instruction
1013.1
Cash Management Procedures
,l ,
-��
• tit �.. �
'�' I BOA,.,,#)FCOtw fY COMMISSIONERS
-" MAYOR Wilhelmina Harvey,District I
t I. �t`�' Mayor Pro tem Shirleyreeman District 3 •
• OUNTY o MONROE ';liri' '• ,• .';;��,"� y y Freeman,
KEY WEST FLORIDA 33tM0 011A
George Neugent,District 2
1305)244.4641 iPita ^ ,•; Nora Williams,District4
�,•�. � ; Mary,Kay Reich,District S •
4 40:
JW
'ti
OFFICE OF THE COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR
Key West, Florida
MONROE COUNTY ADMINISTRATIVE INSTRUCTION 1013.1
Date: August 9, 1999
Subject: Cash Management Procedures
Reference: (A) Annual Audit Report— 1993
Enclosure: N/A
Effective Date: Upon Receipt
(1) Background:
An independent audit was conducted on the general purpose financial statements of the •
Board of County Commissioners on Monroe County for the year ending September 30,
1993. A report was issued by the Auditors and specifically addressed a deficiency found in
the County's cash management procedures.
(2) Purpose:
To establish a standardized cash management procedure that will eliminate the risk of loss
or misappropriation of funds.
(3) Cancellation:
This instruction is to remain continuously in effect unless specifically revised or canceled.
- (4) Instruction:
A. All Divisions/Departments will have in effect a policy for all cash funds received to
be deposited as quickly as possible,but in any event, not later than three(3)
business days from receipt.
B. Advise appropriate employee(s) from your Division/Department who will be
responsible for the cash deposits of the policy.
Administrative le 1P" 1 •
August 9,1999 •
Page 2
• C. Periodically review the cash management procedure to ensure efficiency and
compliance with the policy.
(5) Action:
All Divisions/Departments are to implement this policy immediately upon receipt and
periodically review the efficiency of this system.
James L. Roberts
County Administrator
Distribution: List III
Originator: CAD
Review: August,2001
•
•
' 2
Exhibit D
Memo from Growth Management to Finance
Dated January 13, 2002
A 4 v Biter r p=i.
�; 1 t �� � LD FEB 0
e ,�L u i yk,�;:. 2
l'i�� , refs
C0.
4 £ ;z' MEMORANDUM
4
'w xr , 1 / Tina Bo an
' . " ' Finance Department
•,,,, ,,,-*:r:6,,* -,:,i.,;.,i-:
4: 'x,kiv . FROM: Mayra Tezanos
i ivii.`, Coordinator, Budget& Personnel
ed Growth Management Division
,� ' SUBJECT: Check from FDOT-Bicycle Pedestrian Grant AI-931
DATE: January 31, 2002
v Hi Tina,
Enclosed please find a check for$18,038.87 for the above referenced grant. Please
deposit it into account 125-50106-GW0101.
5050 7
Ms. Mathena from your office had called me looking for a check that was outstanding for
the amount of money referenced above. I went looking through our grant files and found
this check in the Bicycle Pedestrian Grant file. Apparently, it had been misplaced. Please
let her know I found it and that now you have it. I have tried reaching her all last week
but was unsuccessful.
Thanks.
Exhibit E
Monroe County Administrative Instruction
4301.4
Basic Procedures for Filing
Grant Applications
•
t 'l BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS
�� MAYOR Shirley Freeman.District 3
O U N TY M O N R O E � �'M Mayor Pro tem Jack London.District 2
� 4.
KEY WEST FLORIDA33040 ti. vq•;• •• •• •�' t Wilhelmina Harvey,District I
(303)294-4641 i4.44 i 1'0�/1 '
r• ,; ��� ► it Keith Douglass,District 4
onikav'� '•y'' Mary Kay Reich.District 5
•
Office of the County Administrator
__ • Key West,Florida
MONROE COUNTY ADMINISTRATION INSTRUCTION 4301.4
Date: October 1, 1998 •
Jubject: Basic Procedure for Filing Grant Applications
leference: (A)Monroe County Purchasing Policy Procedures
nclosure: (1)Resolution authorizing grant application
(2) Grant Summary Data Sheet
(3)Proposed Budget .
. (4) Resolution accepting grant award
• (5)Project Control Sheet • •
affective Date: Upon Receipt •
•
(1) Background: In order to insure standard procedures are followed in procuring grants, grant administration,
Ind final grant close-out,the Office of Management and Budget(OMB) oversees and coordinates the
--development of grant proposals, grant administration,and final grant close-out. OMB also serves to coordinate
between the various county departments, granting agencies, and Finance.
- (25 Purpose: The purpose of this instruction is to set forth the procedures that each department shall follow in
-submitting grant applications,in accounting for the use of federal and state funds, and in maintaining records for
I pre-audit and post-audit review.
•
—(3) Cancellation: This instruction hereby replaces M.C.A. 4301.3 and is to remain in effect until revised or
(canceled.
(4) Instructions:
A. The feasibility of submitting a grant application on behalf of Monroe County shall be
determined by the Department I-Iead, OMB,the County Administrator,and the Monroe County Board of
A. Inst.4301.4 ------ --
.ober 1, 1998.
age 2
Commissioners. The relationship of project costs to benefits and any underlying or ongoing costs should k
be considered in that determination.
B. The first step in developing a grant proposal is to thoroughly research the law which governs
the program.grant ro . Consider: the grant period timelines;contract/agreement provisions, budgetp o o the
sal
requirements,project feasibility, and who will serve as project director. All grant projects require
proposal identify the person who will serve as project director. This person shall be responsible for all
aspects of project implementation which includes,but is not limited to, the following: grant proposal
preparation, execution of grant agreement,creation of grant account,filing project reports and financial
claims,and accompanying close-out documentation. In cases where the grant program crosses fiscal
years,the project director shall insure that grant funds are rolled over into the following fiscal year.
•
C. The Board of County Commissioners shall review the grant application or a project narrative at
a regularly scheduled meeting with a resolution authorizing the submission of the grant application
(reference enclosure 1). The resolution shall specifically name the granting agency,the proposed use of
funds,the amount of matching funds and their source,and.the purpose of the proposed
grant
arySheet ect. The
resolution must be reviewed by the County Attorney for legal sufficiency. A grant
(reference enclosure#2) is to be incorporated into the agenda packet with signatures of the Department
Head,Division Director,Project Director,and the Grants Manager. Submit the number of original grant
applications required by the granting agency for execution to the County Attorney's office for processing.
Be sure to allow enough time for the Board's execution. �=
D. Once approval has been secured from the Board of County Commissioners, submit a properly
executed grant application and resolution to the grantor. The grant rules governing grant programs vary
widely among funding departments and agencies,and therefore cannot be detailed in this instruction.
B. Upon notification that a grant award is to be made to Monroe County, the requesting
department will receive a contract outlining the contract requirements and any'special conditions attached
thereto. The contract shall be reviewed by the County Attorney, Risk Management,the Office of
Management and Budget, and the Division Director.
F. A resolution(prepared by the project director,referenceshall be reviewed by the County
• acceptance of the grant and the execution of the grant agreement
Attorney,and then attached to the contract. The resolution and contract shall be scheduled on a
subsequent Board of County Commissioners agenda.
•
G. Once a contract has been fully executed by both parties,a copy of the grant agreement is to be
forwarded to the Office of Management and Budget for distribution to the Finance Department and the
Clerk of Courts. Include a project control sheet(reference enclosure#5) with the packet for OMB to
assign an account number and prepare a Resolution for Unanticipated esolut Resods.lution. deptching artments that receive
ds are
involved, a transfer of those funds is reflected on a Transfer
ongoing grant awards and are familiar with setting up their accounts, shall continue to do so including
OMB in the process.
•
1 --- - -
/I.C.A.Inst. 4301.4
October 1, 1998
Page 3
•
H. As each funding agency has its own rules governing applications, each also has different
governing expenditures. These standards will be outlined in the contract
tra t accompanying
advanced,different
i standards gov g P
grant. In general, grants are awarded on a reimbursement basis. If the gran money
is
i
ure
procedures are followed. Both methods require close ce° enttofund it I0MBfun to
s hawse to tbehe
time gated,
ly
• drawdown of funds and appropriate expenditure ofg°
coordination with OMB is critical.
le
I. Project implementation shall be the responsibility of the project manager. The project data in shall
- be established and maintained in a clear and well organizedSupporting
rt�a manner,with
documentation of phone
detail sufficient for pre-audit and post-audit revte pp
and all correspondence relative to the grant program. The record
ecd d of
expenditures
pent monitoringiissystem
calls,meetings,
be reconciled with the detailed di by
ution list OMB to monthly.
tha,r Ports and reimbursement requests are
shall be established and maintained
completed and filed in a timely manner,in compliance with grant requirements.
J. The project close-out shall be handled in the following manner:all venalrec status
report
with phallje be
t
forwarded to the Board of County Commissioners,all grant invoices
expenditures and grant revenue,and all project reports and claims shall be filed with the granting agency.
K. OMB will provide assistance in•each phase of grant proposal development and grant project
administration. The Grants Manager will monitor all County grants for program compliance.
Coordinati
on and communication with the offices and departments as discussed in this document will
insure improvement in grant accountability.
(5) Action:
• complywith the above instructions by insuring timely
A. All affected Divisions/Departments shall proper Board of County
placement of all resolutions, grant applic filingsdandeadhnestrand to avoid the possible loss of grant funds.
acts on the-- Commissioners agenda in order to meet
i
✓�(-
James L.Roberts
County Administrator
Distribution List: III
Originator: DGT
-- Review: 10/01/2000
•
l_ 1
Exhibit F
Sample Data Entry Form for Grants
JlATUS:
1. APPROVED Funding for County Fiscal Year: /
2. UPDATE: Department Name/Number:
. CLOSE: Grant Name/Number:
Project Administrator/Phone Number:
Funding Agency:
Funding Agency Address:
Funding Agency Contact(s):
Funding Agency Phone/Fax: FAX: E-mail:
Purpose of Grant/Funding:
CFDA#(if applicable)Federal Grant: CSFA#(if applicable)State Grant:
Federal Grant YES/NO(Circle One) State Grant YES/NO(Circle One)
Federal/State Pass-Through Grantor Name&Number:
Record Retention Period(begins date project is closed)
Funding Amount: Match Amount(if applicable) TOTAL
Match Type/Source&Account Number:
Term of Grant/Project(Start/End Dates)
Request for Reimbursement Schedule
Revenue Account Number Date of Application
Date Returned`;by Grantor with Approval
= Date Budget Resolution approved by BOCC
Budget Information; Capital:
CAFR Mailing: CAFR Due Date:
• (CAFR Information for Finance Personnel
to complete.)
MISC Information:
NOTES/COMMENTS:
Completed by: Approved by:
Project Administrator/Manager Supervisor of Project Adm.
COPY TO FINANCE DEPARTMENT& COPY TO OMB
ATTACH COPY OF EXECUTED RESOLUTION
1_i
Exhibit G
Management Comment Summaries
On Internal Controls from External Audits
For Monroe County
1989 through 2001
L__�
"EXHIBIT G"
Management Comments on Internal Controls from Annual External Audits - (Grants Only)
MEMO FROM COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR TO CLERK OF COURTS DATED 6/14/90 IN
REFERENCE TO ANNUAL AUDIT YEAR ENDING 9/30/89
Prior Year Comments:
DCA Grants:
While timely reporting is the issue at hand, it should be noted that the instant case is different
than that reported in the previous year.
Procedures are being formulated by staff in conjunction with our grants consultant to assure that
compliance with the terms and conditions of grant contracts is maintained.
Current Year Comments:
Grants
The fiscal management of Grants is an issue that is being addressed at the present time. The role
of the Grants Manager has been redefined to better address the fiscal issues of grants
management, rather than the project management.
The County's grants consultant, in conjunction with OMB, is developing procedures that will
-- assure compliance with grant contracts.
Should further information regarding any of the above mentioned issues be desired,please do not
hesitate to contact me at your convenience.
MANAGEMENT COMMENTS BYKEMP AND GREEN FOR YEAR ENDING 9/30/89 Not
implemented as of 9/30/89:
Reports pursuant to State of Florida, Department of Community Affairs Grants held by the
Planning,Building and Zoning Department were not submitted with the time specified by the
grant contracts, thereby causing lack of compliance with the terms of the grant and delaying the
receipt of grants funds.
Reports should be submitted in a timely manner according to the terms of the grants. If it
appears that compliance with the terms is not reasonable possible, a formal extension of due
dates should be requested and obtained.
Grants:
Grant funds for airport projects have not been requested on a timely basis, whether
reimbursement is obtained by wire transfer or the filing of reimbursement requests.
"EXHIBIT G"
Management Comments on Internal Controls from Annual External Audits - (Grants Only)
Responsibility for this are should be assigned such that management control is maintained over
revenues, all reimbursable costs are claimed and cash flow is maximized.
Grants budgets were not recorded in the accounting records to conform to the grant contract.
Matching funds were not reported correctly in airport and planning grants line item expenditures
were not appropriately amended for a social services grant.
All budgets should be reviewed by the appropriate level of management to insurance compliance
with the grant contract.
Grants appear to be under the direction of the recipient department. We have noted wide
variation in the quality of management, compliance procedures, reporting procedures and cash
flow management.
Grants management should be centralized to the extent practicable to insure consistency with
County policies and contract requirements.
MEMO FROM COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR TO CLERK OF COURTS DATED JULY30,
1991 IN REFERENCE TO FY1990 ANNUAL AUDIT REPORT RESPONSE:
Grants Management:
Problems noted in audit report included:
1. Untimely submittal of grant reports and reimbursement requests
2. Non compliance between grant programs and grant contracts
3. Variation in the quality of management, compliance procedures, reporting procedures and
cash flow management
4. Improper accounting and recording of the grant budgets
Action Taken:
OMB, Grants Management, has taken a pro active role in monitoring all grants. This is a
new direction for this department from project management to grant monitoring. The transition
period has proved to be timely and will continue to show progress.
Grants Management has established a tickler file to alert the project managers of report and
reimbursement request deadlines. The grants manager will continue to review grant program(s)
to assure compliance with the grant agreement(s) on a random basis. The variation in the
management of grants continues to be a concern due to the wide range of county grant programs
and efforts are underway to streamline department efforts.
Social Services and Airport grants are currently reviewed by the OMB Director. They are
numerous and specific in nature and it has been determined to be more effective to be handled in
this manner. Although the airport grants have continued to be an area of audit comments, an
effort is being made to correct all problems. Airport projects include grants from FAA and
FDOT and are complicated in budget structure. The budgets are being established with
"EXHIBIT G"
Management Comments on Internal Controls from Annual External Audits - (Grants Only)
L
consideration to all the grants associated with the project. Research is being conducted to resolve
all reimbursement errors made in the past and to define the procedure for filing those requests.
Additional Action Needed:
1. An administrative procedure will be established to provide specific direction for grants
and project managers. This procedure will include all phases of the grant process from
authorization to apply to the closing reports.
2. Coordination between all departments with the Grants Manager needs to be stressed from
all levels of management.
MEMO FROM COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR TO SANDRA CARLILE FINANCE
DIRECTOR DATED JULY24, 1992 IN REFERENCE TO INDEPENDENT AUDITORS
REPORT ON INTERNAL CONTROL STRUCTURE AND MANAGEMENT COMMENTS
FOR YEAR ENDING 9/30/91
GRANTS:
To insure that standard procedures are followed in grant procurement, administration and final
grant close-out, on 7/21/92 the MCBOCC approved establishment of a separate County Grants
Department which is headed by the new position of Director, Grants Acquisition and
Management Programs. The responsibilities of this depaitiiient include coordinating the fiscal
and management oversight of all on-going grants to insure compliance with Federal, State and
local regulations and with the terms and conditions of the grants.
Monroe County Administrative Instruction 4301.2 has been drafted which provides for the
procedures that each department shall follow in submitting grant applications, in accounting for
the use of federal and state funds, and in maintaining records for pre-audit and post-audit review
INDEPENDENT AUDITORS'REPORT ON INTERNAL CONTROL STRUCTURE BASED
ONANAUDIT OF THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND MANAGEMENT COMMENTS
DIRECTED TO CLERK OF COURTS AND BOCC FROM KEMP AND GREEN DATED
2/26/93 FOR YEAR ENDING 9/30/92:
MANAGEMENT COMMENTS REPORTED IN PRIOR YEAR'S REPORT AND NOT
IMPLEMENTED AS OF 9/30/92:
GRANTS:
Observation: Grants appear to be under the direction of the recipient department and monitored
to some degree by the grants management department. We have noted wide variation in the
quality of management, compliance procedures,reporting procedures and cash flow
management. Further, there seems to be some confusion as to the areas of responsibility between
the recipient department and grants management department.
"EXHIBIT G"
Management Comments on Internal Controls from Annual External Audits - (Grants Only)
Recommendation: Grants management should be centralized to the extent practicable to insure
consistency with County policies, contract requirements and financial reporting requirements. In
addition, it should also provide review procedures relative to the preparation of reports,budget
set up and contract compliance independent of the recipient department. A point of contact
should be designated to respond to requests for information.
MEMO FROM COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR TO CLERK OF COURTS DATED JUNE 24,
1993 IN REFERENCE TO THE ANNUAL AUDIT REPORT FOR YEAR ENDED 1992
PRIOR YEAR FINDINGS:
GRANTS:
The grant's management department has drafted an amendment to Monroe County
Administration Instruction 4301.2 which redefines the standard procedures for the administration
and oversight of the County's Grants. Additionally, liaison was conducted with the Finance
Director in an attempt to obtain a firm definition of what is desired by the auditors regarding
exactly what is meant by"... Centralize (grants) to the extent practicable".
The Grants Depattiiient has acquired a computerized Grants Monitoring System which alerts that
coordinator to upcoming deadlines. The Department also receives bimonthly trial balance
reviews which are used to reconcile grant expenditures and revenue receipts for comparison with
the reimbursement requests and support documentation. A monthly report is accordingly
prepared for review and analysis by the Grants Management Director and County Administrator.
All grants over which the Grants Department has authority or oversight are in the proper order,
If the auditors believe otherwise, please provide the specifics.
On May 13, 1993, a request was originated for a copies of all grant contracts, financial reports
and related items held by the individual departments. This information will be incorporated into
the computerized grants monitoring system and appropriately utilized.
The grants management department is the point of contact designated to respond to requests for
information regarding grant programs. However, the Airport and Social Services programs, due
to their uniqueness, have their own staff who serve as additional points of contact.
The grants department areas of responsibility are clearly defined as reflected in the Strategic Plan
for Grants Procurement and in the respective position descriptions of the Grants Department
employees. It is therefore requested the Auditors provide specifics as to where there appears to
be"...some confusion as to the areas of responsibility between the recipient department and
grants management department.
"EXHIBIT G"
Management Comments on Internal Controls from Annual External Audits - (Grants Only)
MEMO FROM COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR TO CLERK OF COURTS dated July 28, 1994:
IN REGARDS TO ANNUAL AUDIT FOR YEAR ENDING 9/30/93
GRANTS:
Overall, grants functions continue to be somewhat decentralized due to the history of the
handling of grants and the difficulty of establishing a Grants Management Depailruent with
limited resources. Recently, an internal audit was requested of the Clerk of the Court's office
and such a draft audit has been completed. Responses to that performance audit are being
prepared and will be submitted shortly to the Clerk of the Court so that a final audit document
can be prepared. Similar comments were made in reference to the grants function there.
• The computerization of the Grants Monitoring System has greatly aided in the monitoring of the
grants over which the Grants Management Department has direct control. There has been
improvement in compliance reporting and cash flow management in reference to those grants.
However, the unique nature of many of the major grant functions including Airports, Growth
Management and Social Services, and the large amounts of work involved with the monitoring
and management of those grants required that they be handled within the respective divisions
charged in those subject areas. This means that there are staff available who are familia with the
grants, and who are available to provide information, compliance, et. It is not possible for the
collection of grants of that size to be the general responsibility of a two to three person Grants
Department. There will be efforts in the future to assure that all grants are managed and •
monitored to the highest standards.
If the auditor has specifics which need to be addressed, it would be appreciated if they would be
forwarded to the County Administrator.
Grants
1. It is the policy of the Administration that single audit funds will ultimately be responded
to and resolved by the County Administrator. Once those findings have been made known to the
Administrator, they will be reviewed by the appropriate staff with recommendations and
proposed responses to the Administrator. Any formal responses required will then be submitted.
2. It is the County's policy to request grant reimbursements in conjunction with the official
County records. With each Division/Department dealing with the grants, there is an individual
identified who is responsible for the maintenance of the grant records in conjunction with the
official records of the County. All Division/Departments will be advised by the Administrator
that their grant reimbursement request must be in conjunction with the official County records
and that an appropriate audit trail be available.
"EXHIBIT G"
Management Comments on Internal Controls from Annual External Audits - (Grants Only)
INDEPENDENT AUDITORS'REPORT ON THE INTERNAL CONTROL STRUCTURE
AND MANAGEMENT COMMENTS BASED ON AN AUDIT OF THE GENERAL
PURPOSE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS BYKEMP& GREEN FOR YEAR ENDING
9/30/93 DATED 2/28/94
Management comments reported in prior years reports but not implemented as of 9/30/93:
GRANTS:
Observation: Grants appear to be under the direction of the recipient department and monitored
to some degree by the grants management department. We have noted wide variation in the
quality of management, compliance procedures, reporting procedures and cash flow
management. Further, there seems to be some confusion as to the areas of responsibility between
the recipient department and grants management department.
Recommendation: Grants management should be centralized to the extent practicable to insure
consistency with County policies, contract requirements and financial reporting requirements. In
addition, it should also provide review procedures relative to the preparation of reports, budget
set up and contract compliance independent of the recipient department. A point of contact
should be designated to respond to requests for information.
Grants:
Observation: Two Single Audit findings have recurred for a number of years. It appears that
there is no procedure in place for designating the responsibility for resolving single audit
findings.
Recommendation: A policy should be developed which designates the responsibility for
resolution of these findings.
Observations: The county received a major reimbursement grant which was allocated between
two funds. Cost centers could not be readily located which supported the allocation of the grant
between the funds or which supported the amount of funds reimbursed. The reimbursement
request submitted to the grantor consisted of copies of original invoices and was prepared
without reference to the official books and records of the County. Although further research
determined that the expenditures requested were appropriate, there was not an adequate audit
trail between the funds received and expended for a portion of the grant.
Recommendation: Requests for grant reimbursements should never be developed independently
of the County's official financial records. County procedures require that cost centers and
budgets be created for all grant funds received. The appropriate level of management should be
responsible for the coordination of the grant contract with the financial records to provide the
necessary accountability.
"EXHIBIT G"
Management Comments on Internal Controls from Annual External Audits - (Grants Only)
MEMO FROM MARY CLEVENGER, FINANCE DIRECTOR TO SHERIFF RICHARD D.
ROTH DATED JUNE 14, 1994 RE INTERNAL ACCOUNTING CONTROL MEMO
RESPONSES FOR YEAR ENDING 9/30/93 ANNUAL AUDIT
Grant Accounting:
As a result of procedures perfoiiued as part of the BOCC Single Audit, we reviewed the State
Crime Lab grant and the Federal DARE grant. These grants provide some of the funding for the
Sheriff's budget. There is not a clear audit trail between expenditures per the Sheriff's financial
records and expenditures per grant reports
The monies received from the grants are received by the County. The expenditures are budgeted
and expended by the Sheriff's Office. We maintain a separate manual file system for all
disbursements and reports and will be changing to a computerized system in October, 1992.
The money for the State Crime Lab Grant is received by the County on a quarterly basis and
there is no reimbursement request required to receive the money which is based on a calculation
by FDLE The expenditures for the Crime Lab are maintained on Lotus spreadsheets. The
County has copies of all records necessary for the DARE grant. The State Auditor who has
reviewed the records which we maintain here has, for the last two years, commended the Finance
Assistant responsible on her record keeping.
GRANTS COORDINATOR:
The Sheriff is receiving a significant amount of federal and state funds from various sources. As
a result, numerous compliance and reporting requirements must be met. Presently, no single
person is responsible for monitoring the Sheriff's compliance with the general and specific
requirements associated with these federal funds. In addition, documentation of grant
agreements and requirements does not appear to be accumulated in such a way as to make such
monitoring easily accomplished.
The Sheriff has designated one individual to act as Grants Coordinator and Finance has
designated one person to be responsible for the financial compliance and documentation.
GRANT ACCOUNTING:
Four instances were noted where the Sheriff requested reimbursement from FEMA under the
Hurricane Andrew grant for repairs and supplies using prices from purchase orders. Actual
expenditures should have been used to request reimbursement under this grant agreement.
The FEMA grants was audited by both the State and Federal auditors and they were provided
with all necessary documentation required and fully reimbursed all claims except for damages
and repairs on two vehicles which were minor. The items addressed were for Fix a Flat and tires
which were of an immaterial amount to the overall claim and to which a specific invoice could
not be identified as these were items from the Supply Store. The situation was an emergency and
"EXHIBIT G"
Management Comments on Internal Controls from Annual External Audits - (Grants Only)
procedures for such an event had not been planned for. In the event of another such emergency,
we will be better equipped to handle the claims submitted.
INDEPENDENT AUDITORS'REPORT ON THE INTERNAL CONTROL STRUCTURE
AND MANAGEMENT COMMENTS FOR YEAR ENDING 9/30/94-NO COMMENTS IN
REGARDS TO GRANTS.
MEMO FROM COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR TO CLERK OF COURTS dated June 10, 1996
IN REFERENCE TO MANAGEMENT COMMENT LETTER FROM INDEPENDENT
AUDITOR FOR YEAR ENDING 9/30/95
GRANTS
Observation: A single audit finding relative to vendor contracts funded by Federal Grants has
recurred for a number of years. It appears that there is no procedure in place for designating the
responsibility for resolving single audit findings."
ANSWER: The administrative instruction that governs the grant application and monitoring
process will be amended to indicate that OMB Grants section will be responsible for
determining, through the County Administrator, how single audit findings are to be resolved.
MEMO TO CHARLES LESTER, STATE AUDITOR GENERAL FROM EVA LIMBERT,
FINANCE DIRECTOR OF SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT DATED JUNE 13, 1996 IN
RESPONSE TO INDEPENDENT AUDITOR'S MANAGEMENT LETTER:
SUBMISSION OF GRANT REPORT
The standard HIDTA grant agreement requires the submission of a semiannual reports. The
Sheriff grants coordinator received a verbal waiver of these reports from the HIDTA contract
manager. We were able to obtain confirmation of compliance in this area from HIDTA.
However the Sheriff had no documentation of a change in the terms of any HIDTA contracts.
The grant coordinator is helping to make sure that all future waivers a re documented and sent to
our legal division so that the grant contract can be properly amended.
YEAR ENDING 9/30/96--KEMP& GREEN NO COMMENTS RELATED TO GRANTS
"EXHIBIT G"
Management Comments on Internal Controls from Annual External Audits - (Grants Only)
MEMO FROM COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR TO CLERK OF COURTS DATED AUGUST
17, 1998 IN RESPONSE TO MANAGEMENT COMMENT LETTER FROM
INDEPENDENT AUDITOR OF YEAR END 9/30/97
ANSWER TO AIRPORT GRANT REVENUES OBSERVATION: Airport management has
reviewed the recommendations and is making efforts to comply.
ANSWER TO SOCIAL SERVICES OBSERVATION: Social Services management has
reviewed the recommendations and is making efforts to comply.
KEMP& GREEN LETTER TO CLERK/BOCC for YEAR ENDING 9/30/97 CURRENT
YEAR FINDINGS: dated 2/7/98
Airport Grant Revenues:
Observation: Significant grant receivables were recorded based on the amounts expended on a
project and the portion of the expenditures available for grant funding. Significant amounts of
these receivables have not been collected to date because reimbursement requests had not been
filed by the airport accountant. According to the airport accountant, the grantor had asked her to
not request the funds until the amounts became "significant." Although the amount for each
grant might not to considered significant, the aggregate unrequested amount was significant.
Recommendation: it is reasonable to comply with grantor requests when practicable. However,
staff should consider the impact on the County. Reimbursement requests should be submitted on
a routine basis, at least quarterly, in order that the County has access to all available funds.
Observation: It appears that the reimbursement requests prepared and filed by the airport
accountant are not prepared from financial information reported in the general ledger and such
requests are not consistently compared to the general ledger before they are submitted for
reimbursement. There were eligible expenses which had not been requested for reimbursement.
Reimbursement requests are not presently reviewed prior to submission nor are copies of the
reimbursement requests sent to the Financial Department for the accounting records.
Recommendation: Reimbursement requests should be reviewed before they are submitted to
insure that all eligible costs are requested and that the reports are in agreement with the County's
official books and records.
Federal Grants Payroll:
Observation: Employees whose salaries are funded by federal grants are not completing time
certifications as required by the Common Rule. The amount of payroll is not significant to the
federal grant. County staff has not been able to agree as to whose duty it is to implement the new
requirement.
r
"EXHIBIT G"
Management Comments on Internal Controls from Annual External Audits - (Grants Only)
Recommendation: Responsibility should be determined for designing procedures to insure
compliance. Payroll certification procedures should be implemented to meet federal funding
requirements.
MEMO FROM THOMAS FAVENEL, FINANCE DIRECTOR OF SHERIFF'S OFFICE TO
CHARLES LESTER, STATE AUDITOR GENERAL dated May 25, 2000 in response to
Independent Auditor's Management Letter FOR YEAR ENDING 9/30/99
Grant Revenues:
"The Sheriff received two small grants. Once was recorded as miscellaneous income; the other
was netted against expenditures. Sheriff staff did not know if the grants were from federal or
state sources or if there was a related Catalogue of Federal Domestic Assistance Number required
for Single Audit reporting. This accounting treatment was inconsistent and did not permit
compliance with grantor reporting requirements for the Sheriff's financial statements."
Response: Appropriate revenue accounts have been established in the general ledger to record
grant revenue. Finance staff has been trained on the appropriate recording of grant revenue. In
addition, a procedure has been established to identify the source of all grants, as well as the
CFDA Number.
Page 28 of the Single Audit Report Management's Comments:
Grant Revenues Recommendation to the above: At the time the grant is recorded, Sheriff staff
should have the information necessary for Single Audit reporting requirements. All grants
should be recorded as intergovernmental revenue.
March 10, 2000 letter from KEMP& GREEN to the CLERK/BOCC REGARDING YEAR
ENDING 9/30/99
Social Service Grants Payroll
Observation: Employees whose salaries are funded by federal grants are not completing time
certifications as required by the Federal Office of Management and Budget Circular A-87, Cost
Principles for State, Local and Indian Tribal Governments. The amount of payroll is not
significant to the federal grant.
Recommendation: The procedure should be implemented to meet federal funding requirements.
County's Response was "Administration will request that Finance review provisions in OMB
Circular A-87 for possible substitutions of equivalent documentation, i.e. Allocation of costs
based on random moment statistical sampling, to replace the more costly, time-consuming daily
time reports. Pending such review, the Administration will request that Finance provide the
appropriate sampling or payroll forms and written procedures for grant employees, including
Social Services grant employees.
"EXHIBIT G"
Management Comments on Internal Controls from Annual External Audits - (Grants Only)
MEMORANDUM FROM SHERIFF TO CHARLES LESTER, STATE AUDITOR
GENERAL dated July 13, 2001 in REFERENCE TO ANNUAL AUDIT YEAR ENDING
9/30/00
Grant Revenues:
"The Sheriff received a small grant which was recorded as miscellaneous income. This
accounting treatment is inconsistent with other grant revenues received and does not permit
compliance with grantor reporting requirements for the Sheriff's financial statements."
RESPONSE: The appropriate persons have been educated on differentiating grant revenues from
miscellaneous income, and the proper recording thereof.
MEMORANDUM FROM COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR TO CLERK OF COURT dated April
26, 2001 IN REFERENCE TO MANAGEMENT COMMENT LETTER FROM
INDEPENDENT AUDITOR FOR YEAR ENDING 9/30/00
"Grant Reports for FEMA and airport improvements were prepared and submitted based on
estimates or accounting records maintained by the department preparing the grant revenue
request. The reports did not agree to the general ledger. In some instances, the department will
identify differences but not resolve them. Accordingly, because of the lack of reconciliation
procedures, some grant revenues were deferred until the reports could be reconciled.
Answer: Airport Management has reviewed the recommendations and is making efforts to
comply.
INDEPENDENT AUDITORS'MANAGEMENT LETTER DATED 3/13/02 BYMARVA
GREEN FOR FYENDING 9/30/01 ADDRESSED TO CLERK AND BOCC:
NOT IMPLEMENTED AS OF 9/30/01 REPORTED IN PRIOR YEAR'S MANAGEMENT
REPORT
Interdepartmental Communication
Observation: Several service units for the Community Care for the Elderly grant (CCE)were
disallowed pursuant to the grantor's programmatic monitoring. The amount of the related refund
was not significant to the grant. The County staff was notified of the refund in early January,
2000. The refund had not been paid nor has the refund been recorded as a payable, although the
County staff did not dispute the grantor findings. There is some dispute within the depaitiiient as
to who is responsible for resolving the dispute.
"EXHIBIT G"
Management Comments on Internal Controls from Annual External Audits - (Grants Only)
Recommendation: any monitoring results that have a financial impact should be communicated
to the Finance Depaitiiient on a timely basis for entry into the financial records. Management
should designate a staff member to resolve the disputes.
Observation: Grant reports for FEMA and airport improvements were prepared and submitted
based on estimates or accounting records maintained by the depaitiuent preparing the grant
revenue request. The reports did not agree to the general ledger. In some instances, the
department will identify differences but not resolve them because of the lack of reconciliation
procedures. Some grant revenues were deferred until the reports could be reconciled because of
the lack of reconciliation procedures. Reconciliation's were still in process at March 13, 2002
causing delays in the year-end closing procedures, financial statement preparation and Single
Audit reporting.
Recommendation: Before these grant reports are submitted to any grantor, a reconciliation to the
general ledger should be documented. Differences identified should be resolved before the
reports are submitted. Reports should not be submitted without approval from the finance
department to insure that a report was successfully reconciled to the general ledger. Outstanding
reconciliation's should be given priority.
Observation: FEMA receivables relative to the period immediately following Hurricane George
have not been collected to date.
Recommendation: The appropriate level of management should assign responsibility for the
prompt collection of these amounts.
CURRENT YEAR FINDINGS:
GRANTS RECEIVABLE:
Observation: A FEMA receivable from the year 2000 is still outstanding. There was no
documentation provided to us as to whether the funds have been requested. Most of the 2001
FEMA receivables have not been collected to date because funds have not been requested. Staff
claims that the requests for 2001 have not been made because the projects are not complete or the
contract is being renegotiated. It appears that staff is not focused on collecting funds to recover
Board expenditures.
Recommendation: The present accounting system provides "project reports" on each grant
which can include expenditures and cash collected to date. The appropriate level of management
should review these reports to determine that collection efforts are adequate.
"EXHIBIT G"
Management Comments on Internal Controls from Annual External Audits - (Grants Only)
MEMO FROM COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR TO CLERK OF COURT DATED JUNE
28, 2002 IN RESPONSE TO MANAGEMENT COMMENTS FROM INDEPENDENT
AUDITOR FOR YEAR ENDING 9/30/01
Interdepartmental Communication:
Observation: Several service units for the Community Care for the Elderly grant(CCE) were
disallowed pursuant to the grantor's programmatic monitoring. The amount of the related refund
was not significant to the grant. The County staff was notified of the refund in early January
2000. The refund had not been paid nor has the refund recorded as a payable, although the
County staff did not dispute the grantor findings. There is some dispute within the department as
to who is responsible for resolving the dispute.
Answer: Management will direct the Senior Director Social Services to review grant and
prepare paperwork necessary to issue refund.
Observation: Grant reports for FEMA and airport improvements were prepared and submitted
based on estimates or accounting records maintained by the department preparing the grant
revenue request. The reports did not agree to the general ledger. In some instances, the
department will identify differences but not resolve them because of the lace of reconciliation
procedures. Some grant revenue was deferred until reports could be reconciled because of the
lack of reconciliation procedures. Reconciliations were still in process at March 13, 2002,
causing delays in the year-end closing procedures, financial statement preparation and Single
Audit reporting.
Answer: Management recognizes the improtance of these issues. Management is looking at
ways to improve the compliance of all grants.
Grants Receivable
Observation: A FEMA receivable from the year 2000 is still outstanding. There is no
documentation provided to us as to whether the funds have been requested. Most of the 2001
FEMA receivables have not been collected to date because funds have not been requested. Staff
claims that requests for 2001 have not been made because the projects are not complete or the
contract is being renegotiated. It appears that staff is not focused on collecting funds to cover
Board expenditures.
Answer: Management is very focused on collecting funds due to the Board. During 1992 the
BOCC created a Grants Department with 3 employees. After reorganization in 1994 this
department has been reduced to 1 employee. We believe that with the addition of a Grants
Acquisition Administrator there is a real need for additional support function to adequately
monitor all grants received by the County.
VII. Auditee Response
, ;; €� e�� BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS
_—.it, .i ,er MAYOR Charles"Sonny"McCoy,District 3
O U N TY o fM 0 N R 0 E —f� ��'r Mayor Pro tem Dixie Spehar,District 1
KEY WEST FLORIDA 33040 �• �`7/. 4•
i; George Neugent,District 2
(305)294-4641 .,;.;`• , , ,.;.,'• Bert Jimenez,District 4
4, 'r.;• : ,z . ..I„S, Murray E.Nelson,District 5
Monroe County
Administrative Services 1-7 , ,.,
1100 Simonton Street } �,
Key West, FL 33040 = ,; ff'�
(305) 292-4470
MEMORANDUM
•
-- To: Danny Kolhage
Clerk of Court
- From: James L. Roberts
County Administrator •
Subject: Bike Path Coordinator Grant
Internal Audit—Letter of July 18, 2002
Date: October 21, 2002
The Administration has reviewed the comments by the Internal Audit Department regarding
internal controls of Grant Management. The following are our comments in reference to that
report:
General Comments
There is confusion on the titles of the personnel interviewed.
- OMB Senior Director: That position was eliminated in 2002. I believe you mead
__ Director of Administrative Services if you are referencing conversations with Sheila A. Barker.
.
Growth Management's Personnel Director. We have no such title. I believe you mean
Coordinator Budget and Personnel if you are referencing conversation with Mayra Tezanos.
Bicycle Path Coordinator should be changed to Bicycle and Pedestrian
-- Coordinator/Planner in all references.
Exhibit G, Summary of past 15 years of Management Comments, contains comments
from audits of grants secured and administered by the Sheriff's Office. The County
Administrator has no control over these grants and are therefore irrelevant to this audit.
1 .
A. Progress Report Filings
Findings
Progress reports are required by contract to be submitted on a quarterly basis. Expenses under
Contract #1/AG-851 began to appear in the general ledger in October, 1999 which means the first
report should have been submitted on or before December 31, 1999 and then again on or before
March 31, 2002, June 30, 2000 and the second was filed on September 6, 2000. Seven months
elapsed before the first report and then four months for the filing of Report number 2. To date a
final reporting has not been submitted to the State. Verbal communications with the State's
representative have confirmed that no final reporting has been submitted. (See Finding E).
Expenses under Contract AI-931 began to appear in the general ledger in May, 2001 (however,
these expenses were recorded to the wrong account which were posted as early as November,
2000. (See Finding E). Reports should have been filed on or before January, April, July and
October 2001 and January, April, July and September 2002 when the contract expires. Actual
reports were submitted on May 23, 2001, November 6, 2001, and May 22, 2002 respectively.
According to the Bicycle Path Coordinator, the State representative verbally requested the
Coordinator to submit the reports on a six-month basis. It is reasonable to comply with a
grantor's request when practicable; however, staff should consider the impact on the County.
Reporting should be submitted on a routine basis according to the terms and conditions of the
contract to avoid the risk of non-compliance. Both parties must agree in writing to modify any
contract. Non-compliance could result in delaying the receipt of grant funds as well as other
risks should either agency have personnel turnover.
County Administrator's Response:
The Administrator concurs with the Auditor's findings and recommendations.
Review of Recommendations: , •
1. The Administrator agrees that progress reports should be submitted according to the terms of
the grants.
2. The Administrator agrees that any time it appears that compliance with the terms of the
grants is not reasonably possible, a formal written extension of due dates should be requested
and obtained.
3. The Administrator agrees that all modifications to agreements will be done in writing.
2
B. Reimbursement Requests
Findings: According to the agreements, requests for reimbursement should be filed quarterly.
Reimbursement requests for grant funds for bicycle path coordinator position have not been
consistent with those terms. According to Bicycle Path Coordinator, the grantor had asked her
to request the funds on a six-month basis. It is reasonable to comply with a grantor's requests
when practicable. However, staff should consider the impact on the County. Reimbursement
requests should be submitted on a routine basis, at least quarterly, in order that the County has
access to all available funds. Responsibility for this should be assigned such that management
control is maintained over revenue, all reimbursable costs are claimed and cash flow is
maximized. Turnover in the Bike Path Coordinator position precipitated the late filing of
reimbursement requests.
County Administrator's Response:
The Administrator concurs with the Auditor's findings and recommendations.
Review of Recommendations:
1. The Administrator agrees that reimbursement requests should be submitted according to the
terms of the agreement.
2. The Administrator agrees that any modification to the agreement should be made in writing.
3. The Administrator agrees that the appropriate level of management should review all
reimbursement requests to ensure compliance with the grant contract. The Administrative
Instruction will be modified to include this recommendation.
C. Official County Records
Finding: Official County records should be used to reconcile and prepare reimbursement
requests to the State.
Five requests were submitted for reimbursement to the State; the auditors reviewed all of them.
There were no official records submitteiPas part of.any of the five requests. Items submitted as
supporting documents were expenses paid through accounts payable. Items -such as
salary/wages, workers' compensation, insurance benefits and taxes, had no evidence supporting
those expenses although the County was requesting reimbursement for those expenditures.
Two invoices were submitted under the first Contract (AG-851/GW9910). Invoice #1 was
submitted on 4/10/00 and rejected for non-compliance. It was corrected, resubmitted, and
approved and paid by the State of 4/26/00. On 9/6/00, five months after the Bicycle Path
Coordinator resigned, management submitted the second invoice. A different State
3
representative reviewed the second invoice and approved as submitted even though official
county records were not submitted as supporting documentation.
On 10/27/00 a replacement was hired for the Bicycle Path Coordinator position. Invoices under
the second contract were submitted by the new coordinator beginning on March 23, 2001. The
second invoice submitted under Contract #2 was submitted and rejected by the State for non-
compliance. Official County records were not reconciled or used as supporting documentation
as required by the agreement. As a result, ten months of expenses were posted to the wrong
project number from September 2000 through June 2001. The mistake was not discovered until
it appeared the County forfeited $29,228.10 in reimbursement funds due to the expiration of the
contract. Another issue arising from this mistake was that Finance personnel made improper
accruals at the end of the fiscal year 2001 which resulted in that same amount being recognized
on the year-end financial statements and single audit report. Due to lack of reconciling and
submitting the official county records as part of the reimbursement request, the County under
billed the sate by$3,083.60.
The third invoice submitted under Contract #2 was submitted and rejected by the State for non-
compliance. After correcting the $29,229.80 error, total expenses through March 2002 totaled
$91,358.37; however, by using internally prepared documents instead of the County's official
records; the County has over billed the state by$2,020.12.
Although three of the five invoices were rejected, they were not all rejected for the same reason.
The State does not review the submitted invoices on a consistent basis. For example, under
Contract #1 the invoice was rejected because a completed invoice summary was not provided,
the lack of acceptable number of copies with sufficient supporting documents, the lack of a
progress report and the lack of a completed invoice summary. Under Contract #2, invoice #2
was rejected for requesting reimbursement on Class C Meals not reimbursable by the State in
fiscal year 2002. Invoice #3 was rejected because the Program Manager signed the request.
According to the State, the request should be signed by a Supervisor or Department Head. A
second reason given was that each invoice should send supporting documentation such as the
County's official records. Four of the five invoices were signed and submitted by the Project
Manager; only one was rejected for the lack of a Supervisor or Department Head signature.
If the over billings is not corrected before the end of the fiscal year, the financial statements and
single audit reports issued by the County will be in error and the County could be found in breach
of its agreements with the State for non-compliance of the terms and conditions.
County Administrator's Response:
The Administrator concurs with the Auditor's findings and recommendations except where noted
below.
4
Review of Recommendations:
1. Official county records should be used as part of the required supporting documentation.
Although it can be surmised what constitutes "Official County" records, it would have been
helpful to identify specifically some examples in the "Findings". In addition, the statement
in Paragraph 4 of the findings, it is asserted that the County forfeited funds is misleading. It
is true that the County did not spend all of the grant funds; however, the County did not have
any expenses for which it was not reimbursed.
2. Internally generated documents are helpful on routine items, but reimbursement requests will
be tied to official county records in the future.
3. County policies will be followed when requesting reimbursement.
D. Timely Deposits
Findings: A check in the amount of$18,038.97 was deposited seven (7) months after receipt.
Reimbursements should be deposited as quickly as possible, but in any event, not later than three
(3)business days from receipt according to Administrative Instruction#1013.1.
The time lag between filing for reimbursement and the deposit of funds to the County's bank
account should be kept to a minimum. Invoice#1 was submitted to the State for reimbursement
on 5/23/01. The state issued and dated the check on June 27, 2001. Finance received the check
from Growth Management on February 5, 2002 and immediately deposited the same.
The check was obtained due to a third party agency contacting the Finance Department of an
$18,038.87 receivable owed to the County. For a fee, this agency offered to collect and submit
the moneys on behalf of the County. As a result of this notification, the Finance Department
enlisted the help of the Internal Audit Department. The Internal Audit Department immediately
began steps to identify those same funds. After several inquires into the matter, the internal
audit department determined which Department was expecting the funds. As a result, the
County lost interest on those funds and ran the risk of the check being voided after a certain
number of months without being cashed(12 months for the specific check in question).
County Administrator's Response:
The Administrator concurs with-the Auditor's findings and recommendations
Review of Recommendations:
1. The Administrator agrees to remind employees of Administrative Instruction 1013. Funds
should be deposited within three (3)business days.
2. The Administrator agrees that all funds should be transferred by Electronic Funds Transfer.
The Growth Management Division advises the Administrator that they requested EFT be
used by the Grantor but was told that it was not available for this program.
5
•
E. Close out Grant(s)
Findings: Due to turnover at the department responsible for the grant, the Finance Department
was not properly notified of the closing of Contract #1: AG-851/GW9910. As a result, grant
receivables were accrued at the end of the year. In addition, these amounts were posted to the
wrong grant and project. During the course of this audit, the Finance and Audit Departments
discovered the discrepancies. These expenses were not reclassified to the proper project number
until June 2002; two years after the last activity.
According toe Monroe County Administrative Instruction #4301.4 —Basic Procedures for Filing
Grant Applications revised 10/01/2000 has an instruction related to project close-outs
(4) Instructions:
J) The project close-out shall be handled in the following manner: a final
status report shall be forwarded to the Board of County Commissioners,
all grant invoices shall be reconciled with project expenditures and grant
revenues, and all project reports and claims shall be filed with the
granting agency.
As of June 26, 2002, no final report has been submitted to OMB or to the State Department of
Transportation according to the terms of the contract to finalized Grant/Contract Number AG-
851/GW9910.
This lack of reporting resulted in expenditures being accrued at the end of Fiscal Year September
30, 2001. It also resulted in $29,228.10 of expenditures being improperly coded to the wrong
project and grant which were not properly identified until June 2002 during the course of the
internal audit. A final status report to the BOCC as required under Administrative Instruction
4301.4 (J) should have been completed.
County Administrator's Response:
The Administrator concurs with the Auditor's findings and recommendations.
Review of Recommendations:
1. The Administrator agrees that County Administrative Instruction #4301.4 (J) Project close-
out procedures will be followed.
2. The Administrator agrees that reconciliation of expenditures should be based on Official
County Records and be reviewed at an appropriate management level.
3. The Administrator will have staff review the possibility of using a standard data sheet.
4. The Administrator agrees that we should comply with the Administrative Instruction and
furnish a final status report to the BOCC.
6
F. Forfeiture of Grant
Findings: With Contract #1, the State committed 80% of the total grant amount or $57,000 to
the County for the Bicycle Path Position. The County used $32,786.90 of the available funds
before switching to the next available grant. The lack of reconciliation and monitoring of the
County's official records and turnover within the position forced this result to occur. The effect
upon the county was the loss of State Funding in the amount of$24,213.10.
County Administrator's Response:
The Administrator concurs with the Auditor's findings and recommendations, except that a
forfeiture did not occur, only not being able to use all the fund in the time allocated.
Review of Recommendations:
The Administrator agrees that it should be the decision of the Administrator and/or the
BOCC on forfeiting a grant, should that ever occur.
G. Reconciliations/Monitoring Grants
Findings: Reimbursement request have been calculated and submitted using internal
documentation. The requests are not prepared from financial information reported in the general
ledger. Such requests are not consistently compared to the general ledger before they are
submitted for reimbursement. As a result, the amounts being requested do not tie to the
County's official reimbursement. Reimbursement requests are not presently reviewed or
monitored prior to submission nor are copies of the reimbursement requests sent to the Financial
Department for the accounting records. The reimbursements requested to date for two Bicycle
Path Coordinator grants through March 31, 2002 exceed the actual expenditures by $2,020.12.
The County's financial statements are in error due to the filing of incorrect reimbursement
amounts.
County Administrator's Response:
The Administrator concurs with the Auditor's findings and recommendations
Review of Recommendations: ti
1. The Administrator agrees that the reimbursement requests should be reconciled, reviewed
and approved by the appropriate level of management utilizing the County's official records.
2. The Administrator agrees that all differences discovered during the reconciliation process
should be corrected.
3. The Administrator agrees that the grants should be monitored by an appropriate level of
management.
4. The Administrator agrees that reconciliation should occur on a routine basis and certainly on
the frequency required by the grant.
7
5. The Administrator agrees that transactions should be updated accurately and with the
appropriate level of managerial review, believes they will be.
H. InitialTraining—Grant Procedures
Findings: All employees responsible for the administration of grant funds should receive
sufficient training of the County's Grant Procedures. These employees should be educated on
the terms and conditions of the grant, become familiar with the funding agency's rules governing
expenditures, reimbursement request policies. Employees should also be educated on the use of
the County's official records and how to read and interpret them. The replacement Coordinator
hired in October 2001 was considered the new "Project Manager" responsible for the two
outstanding grants. According to conversations with the replacement, she understood that she
was hired strictly under the funding of Contract#2. She was under the impression that Contract
#1 was closed prior to her start date.
Issues resulting from the lack of training and monitoring by the project monitoring system
detailed in Administrative Instruction#4301.4 (I) are:
1. Expenses totaling $29,228.10 were improperly coded to the wrong project and grant.
2. The County forfeited$24,213.10 in reimbursable State funds.
3. Year-end Financial Statements and Single Audit Reports for years 2000 and 2001 included
the above errors (The errors were corrected.)
4. Three of the five invoices were rejected by the State and delayed the receipt of County funds.
5. A check in the amount of $18,038.87 went uncollected for more than seven months even
though the County requested the reimbursement.
6. Request for reimbursements are including non-refundable expenses.
Established internal controls for centralization of Grant Management are inadequate and
ineffective. In practice, the majority of County Departments is not in compliance with the
established administrative instructions. On paper, the County has established an adequate
system for monitoring all grant programs for compliance with federal, state, and local general
and specific grants requirements; however, according to management personnel, it is not
practiced or enforced. OMB personnel informed the internal auditors that the lack of personnel,
time and funding were the main reasons why the County cannot enforce its own Administrative
Instruction#4301.4.
The major risk to the County will be that once a grant is procured, the potential for losing the
funding is significantly increased due to lack of monitoring and non-compliance with the agreed
upon terms and conditions of individual contracts.
It may benefit the County to have part of the Grants Management team receive monitoring
certification as part of their responsibilities and to then train other Department supervisors or a
representative responsible for maintaining their own departmental grants. By implementing a
continuous training and education for personnel directly responsible for a grant, it may help
8
eliminate the continuous year end management comments on the independent audit. For the past
15 years, the County has had one or more grant related issues at each year-end.
County Administrator's Response:
The Administrator concurs that there is room for vast improvement for the manner in which
grants are handled. The comment attributed to OMB that there was not time, personnel or
funding to enforce their own policies was a recap of the history of the department. The focus on
grants has differed greatly over the past decade. The BOCC established a separate Grants
Department in 1992. The department was made up of 3 people. However, the BOCC
reorganized Management Services in 1994 and the Grants Department was downgraded from
department status to a section of the Office of Management and Budget. It was comprised of
one staff position. In the future there will be additional training for those who handle grant
reporting.
Review of Recommendations:
1. The Administrator agrees there should be a position responsible for monitoring grants.
Budget pressures and downsizing have precluded the establishment of such a position.
Training as identified above will be utilized until a grant's accountant position can be
established.
2. The Grants Administrator should have a copy of all grant agreement approved by the Board.
This will enable the Grant Administrator to contact grant monitor with information regarding
Administrative Instruction #4301. Training of specific grant handling is the responsibility
of the department securing the grant.
3. Administrative Instruction #4301 should be followed by all grant monitors, but especially
reviewed by Department Heads with enforcement and signature responsibility.
4. Written communication will be encouraged where appropriate.
5. Grant monitors will maintain sufficient documentation of grant activity.
9