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Provide documentation to support $671,838 in code enforcement costs or repay the program from non-Federal funds for any amount that it cannot support.

Publication Report

2018-PH-1008 | September 26, 2018

The City of Erie, PA, Did Not Always Administer Its Code Enforcement and Community Policing Activities in Accordance With HUD and Federal Requirements

We audited the City of Erie, PA’s Community Development Block Grant program because we received a complaint regarding its code enforcement program and we had not audited the City’s program since 1997.  The complaint alleged that the City targeted… more

Related Recommendations

Community Planning and Development

  •  
    Status
      Open
      Closed
    2018-PH-1008-001-A
    Closed on April 03, 2019

    Follow up on the 15 properties in our sample to ensure that the code enforcement violations have been corrected, that the necessary documentation has been gathered and retained in the code enforcement file for the property, and that the code enforcement process has been completed.

  •  
    Status
      Open
      Closed
    2018-PH-1008-001-C
    Closed on April 02, 2019
    $301,866.00
    Funds Put to Better Use

    Recommendations that funds be put to better use estimate funds that could be used more efficiently. For example, recommendations that funds be put to better use could result in reductions in spending, deobligation of funds, or avoidance of unnecessary spending.

    Develop and implement policies and procedures to ensure that its Block Grant-funded code enforcement activities comply with HUD requirements, including documentation requirements, thereby ensuring that funds totaling $301,866 can be put to better use.

  •  
    Status
      Open
      Closed
    2018-PH-1008-001-D
    $1,000,000.00
    Questioned 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.

    Provide documentation to support $1 million in community policing salary costs or repay the program from non-Federal funds for any amount that it cannot support.

  •  
    Status
      Open
      Closed
    2018-PH-1008-001-E
    Closed on April 01, 2019
    $295,935.00
    Funds Put to Better Use

    Recommendations that funds be put to better use estimate funds that could be used more efficiently. For example, recommendations that funds be put to better use could result in reductions in spending, deobligation of funds, or avoidance of unnecessary spending.

    Develop and implement policies and procedures to ensure that Block Grant-funded community policing salaries and benefits comply with HUD requirements, including documentation requirements, thereby ensuring that funds totaling $295,935 are put to better use.