Update and implement policies and procedures to ensure that all procurements are conducted in a manner that promotes full and open competition and avoids any arbitrary action in the procurement process, including ensuring that contractors are given sufficient time to respond to solicitations.
Publication Report
2018-LA-1005 | July 03, 2018
The City of Modesto, CA, Did Not Use Community Development Block Grant Funds in Accordance with HUD Requirements
We audited the City of Modesto’s Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program. We selected the City based on a hotline complaint (HC-2017-2082) regarding the City’s rehabilitation program and the U.S. Department of Housing Development’s (HUD)… moreRelated Recommendations
Community Planning and Development
- Status2018-LA-1005-001-AOpenClosedClosed on March 27, 2019$592,266.00Questioned Costs
Recommendations with questioned costs identify costs: (A] resulting from an alleged violation of a law, regulation, contract, grant, or other document or agreement governing the use of Federal funds; (B] that are not supported by adequate documentation (also known as an unsupported cost]; or (C] that appear unnecessary or unreasonable.
Support that the $592,266 spent on the HACS rental rehabilitation projects was reasonable or repay the program from non-Federal funds.
- Status2018-LA-1005-001-BOpenClosedClosed on March 27, 2019$401,614.00Questioned Costs
Recommendations with questioned costs identify costs: (A] resulting from an alleged violation of a law, regulation, contract, grant, or other document or agreement governing the use of Federal funds; (B] that are not supported by adequate documentation (also known as an unsupported cost]; or (C] that appear unnecessary or unreasonable.
Support that the $401,614 spent on STANCO rental rehabilitation projects was reasonable and met one of HUD’s national objectives and that it completed an environmental review or repay the program from non-Federal funds.
Develop and implement policies to safeguard HUD funds by ensuring that its projects meet national objectives, have a completed environmental review, and have executed agreements for all projects and verify that work is complete before approving payment, including its rental rehabilitation projects.
Update policies and procedures to ensure that costs are reasonable, including preparing an independent cost estimate and a detailed scope of work for each project.
- Status2018-LA-1005-001-EOpenClosedClosed on April 25, 2019$173,508.00Questioned Costs
Recommendations with questioned costs identify costs: (A] resulting from an alleged violation of a law, regulation, contract, grant, or other document or agreement governing the use of Federal funds; (B] that are not supported by adequate documentation (also known as an unsupported cost]; or (C] that appear unnecessary or unreasonable.
Support that $173,508 spent on homeowner rehabilitation project expenses was reasonable or repay the program from non-Federal funds.
- Status2018-LA-1005-001-GOpenClosedClosed on March 27, 2019$257,737.00Questioned Costs
Recommendations with questioned costs identify costs: (A] resulting from an alleged violation of a law, regulation, contract, grant, or other document or agreement governing the use of Federal funds; (B] that are not supported by adequate documentation (also known as an unsupported cost]; or (C] that appear unnecessary or unreasonable.
Repay from non-Federal funds $257,737 from voucher 6035061 for the duplicate draw.
- Status2018-LA-1005-001-HOpenClosedClosed on September 13, 2019$49,666.00Questioned Costs
Recommendations with questioned costs identify costs: (A] resulting from an alleged violation of a law, regulation, contract, grant, or other document or agreement governing the use of Federal funds; (B] that are not supported by adequate documentation (also known as an unsupported cost]; or (C] that appear unnecessary or unreasonable.
Support that $45,304 drawn in advance met eligibility and procurement requirements and costs were reasonable or repay the unsupported amount from non-Federal funds.
Update its policies and procedures to ensure that the City issues payments to vendors and obtains reimbursement from HUD only after the City’s Community and Economic Development Department has verified that work is complete.
- Status2018-LA-1005-001-JOpenClosedClosed on September 04, 2019$323,563.00Questioned Costs
Recommendations with questioned costs identify costs: (A] resulting from an alleged violation of a law, regulation, contract, grant, or other document or agreement governing the use of Federal funds; (B] that are not supported by adequate documentation (also known as an unsupported cost]; or (C] that appear unnecessary or unreasonable.
Support that $323,563 spent on rehabilitation administration charged in program year 2015 costs was reasonable and benefited the City’s rehabilitation program or repay the program from non-Federal funds any amount determined to be unreasonable or ineligible.
- Status2018-LA-1005-001-KOpenClosedClosed on September 04, 2019$69,794.00Questioned Costs
Recommendations with questioned costs identify costs: (A] resulting from an alleged violation of a law, regulation, contract, grant, or other document or agreement governing the use of Federal funds; (B] that are not supported by adequate documentation (also known as an unsupported cost]; or (C] that appear unnecessary or unreasonable.
Reclassify $69,794 in employee payroll and benefits for City employees that did not work on rehabilitation-related activities or repay the program from non-Federal funds.
- Status2018-LA-1005-001-LOpenClosedClosed on August 28, 2019$67,036.00Questioned Costs
Recommendations with questioned costs identify costs: (A] resulting from an alleged violation of a law, regulation, contract, grant, or other document or agreement governing the use of Federal funds; (B] that are not supported by adequate documentation (also known as an unsupported cost]; or (C] that appear unnecessary or unreasonable.
Support that expenses were related to rehabilitation activities for $66,910 in payroll expenses charged to the rehabilitation delivery expenses activity for its former environmental review specialist or repay the program from non-Federal funds.
- Status2018-LA-1005-001-MOpenClosedClosed on August 28, 2019$16,272.00Questioned Costs
Recommendations with questioned costs identify costs: (A] resulting from an alleged violation of a law, regulation, contract, grant, or other document or agreement governing the use of Federal funds; (B] that are not supported by adequate documentation (also known as an unsupported cost]; or (C] that appear unnecessary or unreasonable.
Support that expenses were related to rehabilitation activities for $13,263 in unsupported payroll or repay the program from non-Federal funds.
- Status2018-LA-1005-001-NOpenClosedClosed on April 01, 2019$517.00Questioned Costs
Recommendations with questioned costs identify costs: (A] resulting from an alleged violation of a law, regulation, contract, grant, or other document or agreement governing the use of Federal funds; (B] that are not supported by adequate documentation (also known as an unsupported cost]; or (C] that appear unnecessary or unreasonable.
Reclassify $517 in miscellaneous expenses that was incorrectly prorated or repay the program from non-Federal funds.
Provide training for its staff to ensure sufficient knowledge of CDBG requirements regarding when to charge delivery costs, including when to charge payroll to rehabilitation administration, versus general administrative costs.
Implement policies and procedures to ensure that the City includes all recipients of CDBG funds in its monitoring plan and that it selects objective sample items for monitoring.