City of PrincetonLocal Government

FINDING 2024-003 Subject: Water and Waste Disposal Systems for Rural Communities - Procurement Federal Agency: Department of Agriculture Federal Program: Water and Waste Disposal Systems for Rural Communities Assistance Listings Number: 10.760 Federal Award Numbers and Years (or Other Identifying Numbers): 92-02, 92-03, 92-04, 92-05 Compliance Requirement: Procurement and Suspension and Debarment Audit Findings: Material Weakness, Other Matters Condition and Context As part of sound management of the federal award, the City was responsible for implementing a system of internal controls that would ensure compliance with the applicable requirements. The City had not properly designed or implemented such a system, which would include appropriate segregation of duties, that would likely be effective in preventing, or detecting and correcting, noncompliance. Federal regulations allow for informal procurement methods when the value of the procurement for property or services does not exceed the simplified acquisition threshold, which is set at $250,000 unless a lower, more restrictive threshold is set by a nonfederal entity. The State of Indiana has established a more restrictive threshold of $150,000 for informal procurement methods. This informal process allows for methods other than the formal bid process. The informal process is divided between two methods based on thresholds: micro-purchases, typically for those purchases $10,000 or under, and small purchase procedures for those purchases above the micro-purchase threshold, but below the simplified acquisition threshold. Small purchase procedures require that price or rate quotations must be obtained from an adequate number of qualified sources or documented reasoning to support a single source provider. Two vendors were identified that were paid $10,500 and $59,408, respectively, during the audit period using federal funds under the award, thereby requiring small purchase procedures for both procurements. Both vendors were selected for testing. The City was unable to provide any documentation for either vendor that the procurement method used was appropriate or that the procurement provided full and open competition or rationale to support the determination to limit competition. Additionally, the history of the procurement, including the rationale for the method of procurement, selection of the vendor, and the basis for the price, was not adequately documented for either vendor. The lack of internal controls and noncompliance were systemic issues throughout the audit period. Criteria 2 CFR 200.303 states in part: "The non-Federal entity must: (a) Establish and maintain effective internal control over the Federal award that provides reasonable assurance that the non-Federal entity is managing the Federal award in compliance with Federal statutes, regulations, and the terms and conditions of the Federal award. These internal controls should be in compliance with guidance in 'Standards for Internal Control in the Federal Government' issued by the Comptroller General of the United States or the 'Internal Control Integrated Framework', issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (COSO). . . ." 2 CFR 200.318 states in part: "(a) The non-Federal entity must have and use documented procurement procedures, consistent with State, local, and tribal laws and regulations and the standards of this section, for the acquisition of property or services required under a Federal award or subaward. The non-Federal entity's documented procurement procedures must conform to the procurement standards identified in §§ 200.317 through 200.327. . . . (i) The non-Federal entity must maintain records sufficient to detail the history of procurement. These records will include, but are not necessarily limited to, the following: Rationale for the method of procurement, selection of contract type, contractor selection or rejection, and the basis for the contract price. . . ." 2 CFR 200.320 states in part: "The non-Federal entity must have and use document procurement procedures, consistent with the standards of this section and §§ 200.317, 200.318, and 200.319 for any of the following methods of procurement used for the acquisition of property or services required under a Federal award or sub-award. (a) Informal procurement methods. When the value of the procurement for property or services under a Federal award does not exceed the simplified acquisition threshold (SAT), as defined in § 200.1, or a lower threshold established by a non-Federal entity, formal procurement methods are not required. The non-Federal entity may use informal procurement methods to expedite the completion of its transactions and minimize the associated administrative burden and cost. The informal methods used for procurement of property or services at or below the SAT include: . . . (2) Small purchases- (i) Small purchase procedures. The acquisition of property or services, the aggregate dollar amount of which is higher than the micro-purchase threshold but does not exceed the simplified acquisition threshold. If small purchase procedures are used, price or rate quotations must be obtained from an adequate number of qualified sources as determined appropriate by the non-Federal entity. . . . (c) Noncompetitive procurement. There are specific circumstances in which noncompetitive procurement can be used. Noncompetitive procurement can only be awarded if one or more of the following circumstances apply: (1) The acquisition of property or services, the aggregate dollar amount of which does not exceed the micro-purchase threshold (see paragraph (a)(1) of this section); (2) The item is available only from a single source; (3) The public exigency or emergency for the requirement will not permit a delay resulting from publicizing a competitive solicitation; (4) The Federal awarding agency or pass-through entity expressly authorizes a noncompetitive procurement in response to a written request from the non-Federal entity; or (5) After solicitation of a number of sources, competition is determined inadequate." Cause The vendors in question had been utilized by the City for various services over the course of multiple years, including for several years under this award with the ongoing multi-year project. For continuity purposes, the City chose to limit competition when procuring the services. The City included the requirements for limiting competition in its purchasing policy but did not follow the established policy. Effect Without a proper system of internal controls in place that operated effectively, noncompliance remained undetected. As a result, proper procurement procedures were not adhered to for all vendors. Without following the required methods for procurement, the City could be overpaying for services by not receiving the most competitive pricing. Noncompliance with the provisions of federal statutes, regulations, and the terms and conditions of the federal award could result in the loss of future federal funding to the City. Questioned Costs There were no questioned costs identified. Recommendation We recommended that the City's management establish a proper system of internal controls to ensure expenditures made from federal awards use the appropriate procurement method and retain the documentation to support the procurement methods used in order to ensure compliance with the terms and conditions of the federal award. Views of Responsible Officials For the views of responsible officials, refer to the Corrective Action Plan that is part of this report.

FINDING 2024-004 Subject: Water and Waste Disposal Systems for Rural Communities - Reporting Federal Agency: Department of Agriculture Federal Program: Water and Waste Disposal Systems for Rural Communities Assistance Listings Number: 10.760 Federal Award Numbers and Years (or Other Identifying Numbers): 92-02, 92-03, 92-04, 92-05 Compliance Requirement: Reporting Audit Findings: Material Weakness, Modified Opinion Condition and Context As part of sound management of the federal award, the City was responsible for implementing a system of internal controls that would ensure compliance with the applicable requirements. The City had not properly designed or implemented such a system, which would include appropriate segregation of duties, that would likely be effective in preventing, or detecting and correcting, noncompliance. The City was required to submit two annual data reports to the Department of Agriculture. The Statement of Budget, Income and Equity (Form RD 442-2) report data to be submitted included, but was not limited to, current income and expenditures and budgeted amounts. The Balance Sheet (Form RD 442-3) report data to be submitted included, but was not limited to, current year assets and liabilities. Per the USDA Rural Utilities Service Borrower's Guide, both reports also required inclusion of comparative information for the prior year. Both reports were selected for testing. We were unable to trace either report to the City's records, nor could we verify the accuracy and completeness of either report. The following errors were identified: • The Form RD 442-2, which covered calendar year 2023, reported total income and expenses of $3,792,018 and $1,615,582, respectively. However, the City's ledger for the same period had total income and expenses of $3,985,851 and $3,740,788, respectively. This resulted in net income being overstated by $2,319,039. Additionally, only one amount was reported as comparative data for prior year activity. We were unable to determine what this amount represented and were unable to verify it to the prior period report or to the City's records. • The Form RD 442-3, which covered calendar year 2023, reported total assets and liabilities of $18,229,653 and $10,503,419, respectively. However, the City's records for the same period had total assets and liabilities of $39,216,648 and $12,758498, respectively. Additionally, no comparative amounts from the prior year were reported. The lack of internal controls and noncompliance were systemic issues throughout the audit period. Criteria 2 CFR 200.303 states in part: "The non-Federal entity must: (a) Establish and maintain effective internal control over the Federal award that provides reasonable assurance that the non-Federal entity is managing the Federal award in compliance with Federal statutes, regulations, and the terms and conditions of the Federal award. These internal controls should be in compliance with guidance in 'Standards for Internal Control in the Federal Government' issued by the Comptroller General of the United States or the 'Internal Control Integrated Framework', issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (COSO). . . ." 2 CFR 200.302(b) states in part: "The financial management system of each non-Federal entity must provide for the following . . . (2) Accurate, current, and complete disclosure of the financial results of each Federal award or program in accordance with the reporting requirements set forth in §§ 200.328 and 200.329. . . ." 7 CFR 1780.47 states in part: "(a) Borrowers are required to provide RUS an annual audit or financial statements. . . . (e) Borrowers exempt from audits. All borrowers who are exempt from audits, will, within 60 days following the end of each fiscal year, furnish the RUS with annual financial statements, consisting of a verification of the organization's balance sheet and statement of income and expense by an appropriate official of the organization. Forms RD 442-2, 'Statement of Budget, Income and Equity,' and 442-3 may be used. (f) Management reports. These reports will furnish management with a means of evaluating prior decisions and serve as a basis for planning future operations and financial strategies. In those cases where revenues from multiple sources are pledged as security for an RUS loan, two reports will be required; one for the project being financed by RUS and one combining the entire operation of the borrower. In those cases where RUS loans are secured by general obligation bonds or assessments and the borrower combines revenues from all sources, one management report combining all such revenues is acceptable. The following management data will be submitted by the borrower to the processing office. These reports at a minimum will include a balance sheet and income and expense statement. . . . (2) Annual management reports. Prior to the beginning of each fiscal year the following will be submitted to the processing office. (If Form RD 442-2 is used as the annual management report, enter data in column three only of Schedule 1, and complete all of Schedule 2.) • The Form RD 442-3, which covered calendar year 2023, reported total assets and liabilities of $18,229,653 and $10,503,419, respectively. However, the City's records for the same period had total assets and liabilities of $39,216,648 and $12,758498, respectively. Additionally, no comparative amounts from the prior year were reported. The lack of internal controls and noncompliance were systemic issues throughout the audit period. Criteria 2 CFR 200.303 states in part: "The non-Federal entity must: (a) Establish and maintain effective internal control over the Federal award that provides reasonable assurance that the non-Federal entity is managing the Federal award in compliance with Federal statutes, regulations, and the terms and conditions of the Federal award. These internal controls should be in compliance with guidance in 'Standards for Internal Control in the Federal Government' issued by the Comptroller General of the United States or the 'Internal Control Integrated Framework', issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (COSO). . . ." 2 CFR 200.302(b) states in part: "The financial management system of each non-Federal entity must provide for the following . . . (2) Accurate, current, and complete disclosure of the financial results of each Federal award or program in accordance with the reporting requirements set forth in §§ 200.328 and 200.329. . . ." 7 CFR 1780.47 states in part: "(a) Borrowers are required to provide RUS an annual audit or financial statements. . . . (e) Borrowers exempt from audits. All borrowers who are exempt from audits, will, within 60 days following the end of each fiscal year, furnish the RUS with annual financial statements, consisting of a verification of the organization's balance sheet and statement of income and expense by an appropriate official of the organization. Forms RD 442-2, 'Statement of Budget, Income and Equity,' and 442-3 may be used. (f) Management reports. These reports will furnish management with a means of evaluating prior decisions and serve as a basis for planning future operations and financial strategies. In those cases where revenues from multiple sources are pledged as security for an RUS loan, two reports will be required; one for the project being financed by RUS and one combining the entire operation of the borrower. In those cases where RUS loans are secured by general obligation bonds or assessments and the borrower combines revenues from all sources, one management report combining all such revenues is acceptable. The following management data will be submitted by the borrower to the processing office. These reports at a minimum will include a balance sheet and income and expense statement. . . . (2) Annual management reports. Prior to the beginning of each fiscal year the following will be submitted to the processing office. (If Form RD 442-2 is used as the annual management report, enter data in column three only of Schedule 1, and complete all of Schedule 2.)• The Form RD 442-3, which covered calendar year 2023, reported total assets and liabilities of $18,229,653 and $10,503,419, respectively. However, the City's records for the same period had total assets and liabilities of $39,216,648 and $12,758498, respectively. Additionally, no comparative amounts from the prior year were reported. The lack of internal controls and noncompliance were systemic issues throughout the audit period. Criteria 2 CFR 200.303 states in part: "The non-Federal entity must: (a) Establish and maintain effective internal control over the Federal award that provides reasonable assurance that the non-Federal entity is managing the Federal award in compliance with Federal statutes, regulations, and the terms and conditions of the Federal award. These internal controls should be in compliance with guidance in 'Standards for Internal Control in the Federal Government' issued by the Comptroller General of the United States or the 'Internal Control Integrated Framework', issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (COSO). . . ." 2 CFR 200.302(b) states in part: "The financial management system of each non-Federal entity must provide for the following . . . (2) Accurate, current, and complete disclosure of the financial results of each Federal award or program in accordance with the reporting requirements set forth in §§ 200.328 and 200.329. . . ." 7 CFR 1780.47 states in part: "(a) Borrowers are required to provide RUS an annual audit or financial statements. . . . (e) Borrowers exempt from audits. All borrowers who are exempt from audits, will, within 60 days following the end of each fiscal year, furnish the RUS with annual financial statements, consisting of a verification of the organization's balance sheet and statement of income and expense by an appropriate official of the organization. Forms RD 442-2, 'Statement of Budget, Income and Equity,' and 442-3 may be used. (f) Management reports. These reports will furnish management with a means of evaluating prior decisions and serve as a basis for planning future operations and financial strategies. In those cases where revenues from multiple sources are pledged as security for an RUS loan, two reports will be required; one for the project being financed by RUS and one combining the entire operation of the borrower. In those cases where RUS loans are secured by general obligation bonds or assessments and the borrower combines revenues from all sources, one management report combining all such revenues is acceptable. The following management data will be submitted by the borrower to the processing office. These reports at a minimum will include a balance sheet and income and expense statement. . . . (2) Annual management reports. Prior to the beginning of each fiscal year the following will be submitted to the processing office. (If Form RD 442-2 is used as the annual management report, enter data in column three only of Schedule 1, and complete all of Schedule 2.) (i) Two copies of the management reports and proposed 'Annual Budget'. (ii) Financial information may be reported on Form RD 442-2 which includes Schedule 1, 'Statement of Budget, Income and Equity' and Schedule 2, 'Projected Cash Flow' or information in similar format. (iii) A copy of the rate schedule in effect at the time of submission. . . ." Cause The Clerk-Treasurer had served in the position for less than two years when the reports for 2024 were due and was inexperienced with the reporting requirements of the award. As a result, the Clerk-Treasurer did not properly prepare the reports. Additionally, the Clerk-Treasurer was solely responsible for preparing and submitting the reports with no oversight, review, or approval process that would have allowed for prevention, or detection and correction, of the noncompliance. Effect Without a proper system of internal controls in place that operated effectively, the City did not file an accurate and complete report for either annual report required under the federal award. As a result, material noncompliance occurred and remained undetected. By not reporting the comparative data, all information needed to determine the financial status of the City was not readily available. Noncompliance with the provisions of federal statutes, regulations, and the terms and conditions of the federal award could result in the loss of future federal funding to the City. Questioned Costs There were no questioned costs identified. Recommendation We recommended that the City's management establish a proper system of internal controls and develop and implement reporting policies and procedures to ensure that all required reports are filed timely, accurately, and contain all the required information. Views of Responsible Officials For the views of responsible officials, refer to the Corrective Action Plan that is part of this report.

FINDING 2024-005 Subject: COVID-19 - Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds - Suspension and Debarment Federal Agency: Department of the Treasury Federal Program: COVID-19 - Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds Assistance Listings Number: 21.027 Federal Award Number and Year (or Other Identifying Number): 2024 Compliance Requirement: Procurement and Suspension and Debarment Audit Findings: Material Weakness, Modified Opinion Repeat Finding This is a repeat finding from the immediately prior audit report. The prior audit finding number was 2023-002. Condition and Context As part of sound management of the federal award, the City was responsible for implementing a system of internal controls that would ensure compliance with the applicable requirements. The City had not properly designed or implemented such a system, which would include appropriate segregation of duties, that would likely be effective in preventing, or detecting and correcting, noncompliance. Prior to entering into subawards or covered transactions with COVID-19 - Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds (SLFRF) award funds, recipients are required to verify that vendors or subrecipients are not suspended, debarred, or otherwise excluded from receiving federal funds. "Covered transactions" include, but are not limited to, contracts for goods and services awarded under a nonprocurement transaction (i.e., grant agreement) that are expected to equal or exceed $25,000. The verification can be done by checking the Excluded Parties List System (EPLS), collecting a certification from that person, or adding a clause or condition to the covered transaction with that person. Four covered transactions exceeding $25,000 for goods or services that were paid using SLFRF funds were identified during the audit period and two of them were selected for testing. The City did not verify the vendor's suspension and debarment status prior to entering into the covered transaction with either vendor. The amount paid to both vendors totaled $785,268. The lack of internal controls and noncompliance were systemic issues throughout the audit period. Criteria 2 CFR 200.303 states in part: "The non-Federal entity must: (a) Establish and maintain effective internal control over the Federal award that provides reasonable assurance that the non-Federal entity is managing the Federal award in compliance with Federal statutes, regulations, and the terms and conditions of the Federal award. These internal controls should be in compliance with guidance in 'Standards for Internal Control in the Federal Government' issued by the Comptroller General of the United States or the 'Internal Control Integrated Framework', issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (COSO). . . ." 31 CFR 19.300 states: "When you enter into a covered transaction with another person at the next lower tier, you must verify that the person with whom you do business is not excluded or disqualified. You do this by: (a) Checking the EPLS; or (b) Collecting a certification from that person if allowed by this rule; or (c) Adding a clause or condition to the covered transaction with that person." Cause The City had conducted business with the two vendors in question in prior years, and due to the existing business relationship, opted to utilize both vendors for projects using federal funds under the award. The City included the various methods for verifying a vendor's suspension and debarment status in its purchasing policy but did not follow the established policy. Effect Without a proper system of internal controls in place that operated effectively, the City entered into covered transactions without verifying that the vendors were not suspended, debarred, or otherwise excluded from receiving federal funds. As a result, material noncompliance occurred and remained undetected. Noncompliance with the provisions of federal statues, regulations and the terms and conditions of the federal award could result in the loss of future federal funding to the City. Questioned Costs There were no questioned costs identified. Recommendation We recommended that the City's management establish a proper system of internal control and follow the City's established purchasing policy to ensure procedures for entering into covered transactions are followed and to retain documentation of the verification of a vendor's suspension and debarment status. Views of Responsible Officials For the views of responsible officials, refer to the Corrective Action Plan that is part of this report.

FINDING 2024-006 Subject: COVID-19 - Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds - Reporting Federal Agency: Department of the Treasury Federal Program: COVID-19 - Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds Assistance Listings Number: 21.027 Federal Award Number and Year (or Other Identifying Number): 2024 Compliance Requirement: Reporting Audit Findings: Material Weakness, Modified Opinion Condition and Context As part of sound management of the federal award, the City was responsible for implementing a system of internal controls that would ensure compliance with the applicable requirements. The City had not properly designed or implemented such a system, which would include appropriate segregation of duties, that would likely be effective in preventing, or detecting and correcting, noncompliance. The City was required to submit an annual Project and Expenditure (P&E) report to the U.S. Department of the Treasury. The P&E report data to be submitted included, but was not limited to, current period and total cumulative obligations and current period and total cumulative expenditures. We were unable to trace the annual P&E report to the City's records. The errors identified were as follows: • Total cumulative obligations were overstated by $23,337. • Total cumulative expenditures were understated by $171,136. • Current period expenditures were understated by $163,789. The lack of internal controls and noncompliance were systemic issues throughout the audit period. Criteria 2 CFR 200.303 states in part: "The non-Federal entity must: (a) Establish and maintain effective internal control over the Federal award that provides reasonable assurance that the non-Federal entity is managing the Federal award in compliance with Federal statutes, regulations, and the terms and conditions of the Federal award. These internal controls should be in compliance with guidance in 'Standards for Internal Control in the Federal Government' issued by the Comptroller General of the United States or the 'Internal Control Integrated Framework', issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (COSO). . . ." 2 CFR 200.302(b) states in part: "The financial management system of each non-Federal entity must provide for the following . . . (2) Accurate, current, and complete disclosure of the financial results of each Federal award or program in accordance with the reporting requirements set forth in §§ 200.328 and 200.329. . . ." 31 CFR 35.4(c) states in part: "Reporting and requests for other information. During the period of performance, recipients shall provide to the Secretary periodic reports providing detailed accounting of the uses of funds, . . ." Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds Compliance and Reporting Guidance, page 10, states in part: ". . . 10. Reporting. All recipients of federal funds must complete financial, performance, and compliance reporting as required and outlined in Part 2 of this guidance. Expenditures may be reported on a cash or accrual basis, as long as the methodology is disclosed and consistently applied. Reporting must be consistent with the definition of expenditures pursuant to 2 CFR 200.1. Your organization should appropriately maintain accounting records for compiling and reporting accurate, compliant financial data, in accordance with appropriate accounting standards and principles. . . ." Cause The Clerk-Treasurer had served in the position for two years when the report for 2024 was due and was inexperienced with the reporting requirements of the award. As a result, the Clerk-Treasurer did not properly prepare the report. Additionally, the Clerk-Treasurer was solely responsible for preparing and submitting the report with no oversight, review, or approval process that would have allowed for prevention, or detection and correction, of the noncompliance. Effect Without a proper system of internal controls in place that operated effectively, the City did not file an accurate annual P&E report as required under the federal award. As a result, material noncompliance occurred and remained undetected. Noncompliance with the provisions of federal statutes, regulations, and the terms and conditions of the federal award could result in the loss of future federal funding to the City. Questioned Costs There were no questioned costs identified. Recommendation We recommended that the City's management establish a proper system of internal controls and develop and implement reporting policies and procedures to ensure that all required reports are complete and accurate when submitted. Views of Responsible Officials For the views of responsible officials, refer to the Corrective Action Plan that is part of this report.

FINDING 2023-002 Information on the federal program: Subject: Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds - Procurement and Suspension and Debarment Federal Agency: U.S. Department of Treasury Assistance Listing Number: 21.027 Federal Award Number: CY 2021 Pass-Through Entity: Direct Grant Compliance Requirements: Procurement and Suspension and Debarment Audit Findings: Material Weakness, Other Matters Criteria: 2 CFR section 200.303 states in part: "The non-Federal entity must: (a) Establish and maintain effective internal control over Federal award that provides reasonable assurance that the non-Federal entity is managing the Federal awards in compliance with Federal statutes, regulations, and the terms and conditions of the Federal award. These internal controls should be in compliance with guidance in 'Standards for Internal Control in the Federal Government' issued by the Comptroller General of the United States or the 'Internal Control Integrated Framework', issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (COSO). . . ." 2 CFR section 200.303 states in part: "The non-Federal entity must use one of the following methods of procurement… (b) Simplified acquisition thresholds. The non-Federal entity is responsible for determining an appropriate simplified acquisition threshold based on internal controls, an evaluation of risk and its documented procurement procedures which must not exceed the threshold established in the FAR. When applicable, a lower simplified acquisition threshold used by the non-Federal entity must be authorized or not prohibited under State, local, or tribal laws or regulations. Condition: An effective internal control system was not in place at the City to ensure compliance with requirements related to the grant agreement and the respective procurement method of the Procurement and Suspension and Debarment compliance requirement. Cause: Management had not established a system of internal control that would have ensured proper procurement procedures are followed. Effect: The failure to establish an effective internal control system enabled noncompliance with the grant agreement and the simplified acquisition procurement method of the Procurement and Suspension and Debarment compliance requirement. Questioned Costs: There were no questioned costs identified. Context: Two procurements were selected for testing in the current year. For the small purchase transaction, management only provided the contract. No other procurement support showing evidence of bids was provided. Additionally, support showing that the City had performed a suspension and debarment check was not provided. For the simplified acquisition transaction, management performed procurement for similar services in 2016. The vendor selected in 2016 was used for the transaction charged to the federal grant without obtaining additional bids. Identification as a repeat finding, if applicable: No Recommendation: We recommended that the City’s management establish controls related to the grant agreement and the simplified acquisition purchase procurement method of the Procurement and Suspension and Debarment compliance requirement. Management should ensure that the City’s procurement policy as well as federal guidelines are followed, which includes ensuring the appropriate procurement type is determined and the corresponding requirements are followed. The procurement process and determination should be documented and the appropriate records maintained. We recommend that as part of the procurement process, management perform suspension and debarment checks before entering into contracts with vendors that meet the required threshold. The suspension and debarment checks should be documented and appropriate support maintained. Views of Responsible Officials and Planned Corrective Actions: Management agrees with the finding and has prepared a corrective action plan.

FINDING 2022-002 Information on the federal program: Subject: Water and Waste Disposal Systems for Rural Communities – Equipment and Real Property Management Federal Agency: U.S. Department of Agriculture Assistance Listing Number: 10.760 Federal Award Number: 92-02 92-03 Pass-Through Entity: N/A Compliance Requirements: Equipment and Real Property Management Audit Finding: Significant Deficiency Criteria: 2 CFR 200.303 states in part: "The non-Federal entity must: (a) Establish and maintain effective internal control over Federal award that provides reasonable assurance that the non-Federal entity is managing the Federal awards in compliance with Federal statutes, regulations, and the terms and conditions of the Federal award. These internal controls should be in compliance with guidance in 'Standards for Internal Control in the Federal Government' issued by the Comptroller General of the United States or the 'Internal Control Integrated Framework', issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (COSO)...." 2 CFR 200.313(d)(1) states in part: "Property records must be maintained that include a description of the property, a serial number or other identification number, the source of funding for the property (including the federal award identification number), who holds title, the acquisition date, cost of the property, percentage of federal participation in the project costs for the federal award under which the property was acquired, the location, use and condition of the property, and any ultimate disposition data including the date of disposal and sales price of the property" Condition: An effective internal control system was not in place at the City to ensure compliance with requirements related to the grant agreement and the Equipment and Real Property Management compliance requirement. Cause: Management had not established a system of internal control that would have ensured proper procedures are followed to comply with the Equipment and Real Property Management compliance requirements. Effect: The failure to establish an effective internal control system enabled noncompliance to go undetected and the proper tracking of assets acquired with federal funds was not taking place. Noncompliance with the grant agreement and the Equipment and Real Property Management compliance requirement could have resulted in the loss of federal funds to the City. Questioned Costs: There were no questioned costs identified. Context: The City did not maintain an updated asset listing that reflects the construction in process balance related to the project funded with federal funds. Identification as a repeat finding, if applicable: No Recommendation: We recommend that the City’s management establish controls related to the grant agreement and the Equipment and Real Property compliance requirement to ensure that assets being purchased with federal funds are added to the capital asset listing and all required information is maintained on the capital asset listing. Views of Responsible Officials and Planned Corrective Actions: Management agrees with the finding and has prepared a corrective action plan.

FINDING 2022-003 Information on the federal program: Subject: Water and Waste Disposal Systems for Rural Communities – Reporting Federal Agency: U.S. Department of Agriculture Assistance Listing Number: 10.760 Federal Award Number: 92-02 92-03 Pass-Through Entity: N/A Compliance Requirements: Reporting Audit Findings: Significant Deficiency Criteria: 2 CFR 200.302(b) states in part: "The financial management system of each non-Federal entity must provide for the following: (2) Accurate, current, and complete disclosure of the financial results of each Federal award or program in accordance with the reporting requirements set forth in §§ 200.328 Financial reporting . . . ." 34 CFR 76.722 states: "A State may require a subgrantee to submit reports in a manner and format that assists the State in complying with the requirements under 34 CFR 76.720 and in carrying out other responsibilities under the program." Condition: The City did not have proper controls in place to ensure that the annual report was accurately filled out and agreed to underlying detail. Cause: There were not sufficient internal controls in place to ensure the accuracy of the annual report prior to its submission. Effect: The failure to establish an effective internal control system placed the City at risk of noncompliance with the grant agreement and the Reporting compliance requirements. Questioned Costs: There were no questioned costs identified. Context: Variances to key line items were noted when comparing the Form RD442-2 and Form RD442-3 to supporting documents. Identification as a repeat finding, if applicable: No Recommendation: We recommend someone other than the preparer thoroughly review and document the review of the report prior to submission to validate the accuracy and completeness of the data submitted. Views of Responsible Officials and Planned Corrective Actions: Management agrees with the finding and has prepared a corrective action plan.

FINDING 2021-002 Subject: Water and Waste Disposal Systems for Rural Communities - Reporting Federal Agency: Department of Agriculture Federal Program: Water and Waste Disposal Systems for Rural Communities Assistance Listings Number: 10.760 Federal Award Number and Year (or Other Identifying Number): 92-02 92-03 Compliance Requirement: Reporting Audit Finding: Material Weakness Condition and Context An effective internal control system, which would include segregation of duties, was not in place at the City to ensure compliance with requirements related to the grant agreement and the Reporting compliance requirement. The City had not established a system of internal control or separated incompatible activities related to Reporting. The Clerk-Treasurer prepared and submitted all required reports without any documented oversight, review, or approval process to ensure accuracy. The lack of internal controls was a systemic issue throughout the audit period. Criteria 2 CFR 200.303 states in part: "The non-Federal entity must: (a) Establish and maintain effective internal control over the Federal award that provides reasonable assurance that the non-Federal entity is managing the Federal award in compliance with Federal statutes, regulations, and the terms and conditions of the Federal award. These internal controls should be in compliance with guidance in 'Standards for Internal Control in the Federal Government' issued by the Comptroller General of the United States or the 'Internal Control Integrated Framework', issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (COSO). . . ." Cause Management had not developed a system of internal control that would have ensured compliance with the compliance requirement listed above. Effect The failure to establish an effective system of internal control could have enabled material noncompliance to go undetected. Questioned Costs There were no questioned costs identified. Recommendation We recommended that the City's management establish a system of internal control related to the grant agreement and the Reporting compliance requirement. Views of Responsible Officials For the views of responsible officials, refer to the Corrective Action Plan that is part of this report.