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AUDIT REPORT ON FINAL AUDIT OF CONSTRUCTION GRANT C120405-01 ....,'EO $J..... ~... , '. ~oS' ."'ft'T ~ I,) i~~ c ... \ # 1-,. 4( PRf1't.c," I I UNITED STATES ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY OFFICE OF INSPECTOR GENERAL SOUTHERN DIVISION. SUITE 51 5 1371 PEACHTREE STREET, N.E. ATLANTA, GEORGIA 30309 REGIONAL OFFICE: EARLE CABELL BLOG.. RM. 2F50 DALLAS. TX 75242 May 25, 1983 MEMORANDUM SUBJECT: Audit Report No. E2cW2-04-0278-31114 Report on Final Audit of Construction Grant C120405-01 City of Clearwater, Florida FROM: Inspector General TO: Chief, Facilities Construction Branch Region IV Transmitted are three copies of the subject audit report. We have no objection to the further release of this report at the discretion of the action official. In accordance with EPA Orders 2750.1A and 2750.2A, you are required to submit a report of action taken within 120 days. However, since there are no unresolved audit issues, a report of action taken is not required. Please refer to the audit report number on related correspondence. Contact Mr. Richard Solomon or Mr. Leslie Buie, Southern Division, at (404) 881-3623 or FTS 257-3623 if you have any questions concerning this report. M7: I / "--"'.,---~. .' /' . ,- ., f t7(;: '\ -Lz.-L"'-'"" ,;( v( n,...."..-'-- ~ the Inspector General Enclosure cc: Regional Administrator, Region IV Chief, Financial Management Branch, Region IV Robert Hess, EPA Auditor Chief, Grants Admfnistration Unit ,1EO S r4}' ,,'" , ('01' '" ...... .,. ~ .. u ~~..~~ () '" \,~ ! .".~ 4t Pl101tC,.... I , UNITED STATES ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY OFFICE OF INSPECTOR GENERAL SOUTHERN DIVISION. SUITE 515 1371 PEACHTREE STREET. N.E. ATLANTA. GEORGiA 30309 REGIONAL OFFICE: EARLE CABELL BLOG.. RM. 2F50 DALLAS. TX 75242 Audit Report No. E2cW2-04-0278-31114 Report of Final Audit Construction Grant C120405-01 City of Clearwater, Florida PURPOSE AND SCOPE We have completed the audit of costs reported by the City of Clearwater, Florida under grant number C120405-04 through final Outlay Report and Report for Reimbursement number five. The purpose of our audit was to determine whether the costs claimed were reasonable, allowable and allocable under the terms of the grant and applicable regulations. The audit was made in accordance with generally accepted auditing standards and, accordingly, included such tests of the accounting and other records and such other auditing procedures as were considered necessary in the circumstances. Our review was a limited field review and did not encompass all areas as specified in the EPA Audit Guide for Construction Grants Program dated May 1980. J:i ~ tt t!"~ ~ R i .,' BACKGROUND The grant was awarded on September 30, 1974 under P.L. 92-500 and provides for seventy five percent federal participation. The amount of the grant through Amendment number 2 is as follows: I Total Eligible Cost $7,662,187 Grant Amount $5,746,640 The approved grant project was for the expansion and upgrading of the grantee's existing Marshall Street 4.0 MGD secondary treatment facility to a 8.0 MGD modified advanced waste treatment activated sludge facility. Final inspection of the project was completed by EPA technical representatives in September 1980. The EPA engineer reported that construction of the facilities had been satisfactorily completed and the facilities ~/ere operating satisfactorily and meeting all the NPDES permit requirements. J~. If' . v (, I , RESULTS OF AUDIT The results of audit, detailed in Exhibit A, are: Claimed Accepted Questioned For Federal Participation $7,756,289 $7,662,187 $94,102 Federal Share @ 75% $5,817,217 $5,746,640 EPA Payments through 8/16/82 Funds Due EPA 5,746,640 $ -0- ENGINEERING FEES We noted that compensation for engineering services was based upon the percentage-of-construction-costs and multiplier methods of contracting. The use of these methods of computing engineering fees has been accepted because at the time the contractual arrangement was made, these methods of contracting were not prohibited and were in accordance with industry practice. The fee curve method of contracting is prohibited by.40 CFR, Part 35, Subpart E, Appendix D, dated December 17, 1975. If additional audit assistance is required, please contact Mr. Richard Solomon on (404) 881-3623. ,.--------- { . / ---y / ,()/1 -I,. 1~r' the'! rl~pecto:r'Gen'er~l. 2 I I Audit Report No. E2cW2-04-0278 EXHIBIT A REPORT OF FINAL AUDIT CONSTRUCTION GRANT C120405-01 CITY OF CLEARWATER, FLORIDA SUMMARY OF COSTS REPORTED THROUGH FINAL OUTLAY REPORT NO. 5 AND RESULTS OF AUDIT COST CATEGORY CLAIMED ACCEPTED QUESTIONED REFER. Administrative Expense $ 24,866 $ 302 $24,564 Note 1 A&E Basic Fees 403,170 402,272 898 Note 2 Other A&E Fees 50,000 50,000 -0- Project Inspection Fees 244,192 227,997 16,195 Note 3 Construction Costs 7,034,061 7,015,585 18,476 Note 4 ( 33,969) 33,969 Note 5 Total for Federal Participation $7,756,289 $7,662,187 $94,102. ~ Federal Share @ 75% $5,817,217 $5,746,640 EPA Payments Through 8/16/82 $5,746,640 Funds Due EPA $ -0- Note 1: Administrative Expense - Fees charged by the consulting engineer, Briley, Wild and Associates, for services considered to be out- side the scope of the grant project are questioned as follows: A. Services performed during the period April 1971 through September 27, 1974, prior to the grant award on September 30, 1974, re- lated to the preparation and coordination of grant application, I/I analysis, environ- mental assessment statements, project interim plan and miscellaneous correspondence, are questioned as being outside the scope of the grant project per CFR 35.940-2(e). $21,512 B. Services performed during the period 9/28/74 through 2/28/75 related to preparation and coordination of the grant application are questioned per CFR 35.940-2(g) 3,052 $24,564 To ta 1 3 I , . Note 2: A&E Basic Fees - The engineer's fee at two percent of con- construction cost for the construction phase applicable to construction cost determined to be ineligible by the EPA Project Officer are questioned as follows: Biltmore Construction Co. - C.O #1 C.O.#3 C.0.#4 C.0.#5 C.0.#6 C.O.#7 $ 1,500 299 900 23,658 1,786 16,744 $44,887 X 2% = $898 Note 3: Project Inspection Fees - The engineer's fees for inspection services performed after the approved contract completion date of 8/15/79 are questioned as not being allowable per EPA Construction Grants Handbook of Procedures and EPA's Audit Guide. These costs are questioned as being outside the scope of the grant project per CFR 35.940-2(g). Services performed from 8/25/79 thru 9/18/81 ~.$16,195 Note 4: Construction Costs - Construction costs determined to be ineligible by the EPA Project Officer are questioned as follows: Amount of Change Orders #1 through 7 to Biltmore Construction Co. contract determined to be ineligible as detailed in Note 2 above $44,887 Less: Amount eliminated from claim by grantee - Total contract price $7,060,472 Amount Claimed 7,034,061 26,411 $18,476 Balance questioned Note 5: Remainder of Costs Claimed In Excess of Total Eligible Grant Costs - The grantee claimed costs in the amount of $94,102 in excess of the total eligible grant costs. Since costs questioned as unallowable or ineligible in Notes 1 through 4 above amount only to $60,133, the balance of the excess costs of $33,969 is also questioned as ineligible. Total costs reported Total eligible costs through Grant Amendment #2 $7,756,289 7,662,187 Excess Cost Claimed $ Less: Costs questioned in Notes 1 - 4 94,102 60,133 33,969 Balance of excess costs questioned $ 4