Open Recommendations

Remedy $244,233 in unsupported grant funds.

CMS should develop and execute a strategy to ensure that Part D does not pay for drugs that should be covered by the Part A hospice benefit.

We recommend that CBP management continue to make necessary improvements to the CBP's financial management systems and supporting IT security controls. Specific, more detailed recommendations were provided in individual limited distribution (For Official Use Only) Notices of Findings and Recommendations (NFRs) and a separate letter provided to CBP management.

M/OAA/RM/LEMO determine the allowability of the $2,658,301.45 in unsupported questioned costs and the $150,668.35 in ineligible questioned costs and collect any amounts determined to be unallowable from the DPW Training & Associates, LLC.

The Office of Administration should develop effective contract ramifications for instances where timeliness standards are not met.

Take steps, including necessary policy and systems changes, to ensure field offices notify disability determination services about claims in which multiple children are applying for, or receiving, Supplemental Security Income (SSI) payments because of mental impairments and document such actions.

We recommend that the Director of HUD's Newark, NJ, Office of Community Planning and Development instruct City officials to collect and test lead dust samples from the floors and window sills of the 27 homeowner units that received CDBG funds in program years 2012 and 2013 to ensure that the lead dust does not exceed the allowable lead dust standards.

We recommend that the Director of HUD's Buffalo Office of Community Planning and Development instruct City officials to reimburse from non-Federal funds $153,279 spent on ineligible costs for duplicate and preaward costs of an economic development loan ($99,616), non-Federal City salary costs ($46,324), and duplicate subrecipient costs ($7,339).

We recommend that the Director of HUD's Buffalo Office of Community Planning and Development instruct City officials to provide documentation to justify the $291,236 in unsupported costs related to disbursements made to the City's public services subrecipient. Any costs determined to be inadequately supported should be reimbursed from non-Federal funds.

We recommend that the Director of HUD's Buffalo Office of Community Planning and Development instruct City officials to provide documentation in the loan file that HUD approved the withdrawal of funds after the required deadline, and provide an explanation and obtain approval for the untimely disbursement of the $6,724,820 after it had been drawn down. Any costs determined to be inadequately supported should be reimbursed from non-Federal funds.

We recommend that the Director of HUD's Buffalo Office of Community Planning and Development instruct City officials to strengthen controls to ensure compliance with Section 108 contract provisions and regulations requiring disbursement of funds in a timely manner after drawdown.

We recommend that the Director of HUD's Buffalo Office of Community Planning and Development instruct City officials to reimburse the $1,500,000 in CDBG funds spent for the delinquent float loan that defaulted in 1998 through one of the options identified in HUD regulations so that it can be closed out as bad debt, thereby making the funds available for use on other eligible activities.

We recommend that the Director of HUD's Buffalo Office of Community Planning and Development instruct City officials to implement procedures to ensure that any future CDBG float-funded activities are administered in accordance with HUD regulations requiring that the annual action plan identify the float-funded activity and a commitment to undertake one of the options listed in the regulations if the funds are unable to be repaid within the required timeframe.

We recommend that the Director of HUD's Buffalo Office of Community Planning and Development instruct City officials to develop and implement procedures to ensure that the City's liens related to HUD-funded loans are not released without repayment or evidence of due diligence to address delinquent, outstanding loans.

We recommend that the Director of HUD's Buffalo Office of Community Planning and Development instruct City officials to provide documentation to support that the $1,166,000 public facilities and improvements procurement contract price was fair and reasonable and that the sole-source method used was justified. Any costs determined not to be fair and reasonable should be reimbursed from non-Federal funds.

We recommend that the Director of HUD's Buffalo Office of Community Planning and Development instruct City officials to implement procedures to ensure that all HUD-funded procurement is performed in accordance with regulations at 24 CFR 85.36, which require that sealed bid procurements be adequately advertised and involve at least two bids and that independent estimates be documented before bids or proposals are received.

We recommend that the Director of HUD's Buffalo Office of Community Planning and Development instruct City officials to strengthen procedures over subrecipient monitoring to ensure that onsite visits are conducted for all CDBG subrecipients annually as specified in the agreements and that monitoring efforts are adequately tracked.

Sensitive information redacted

Evaluate the results of its actions for the 159 beneficiaries and their families and take appropriate action to notify the remaining population of disabled beneficiaries who may be eligible for higher family benefits.

[Description omitted; DOJ has determined that this recommendation contains information that is limited official use or classified.]

[Description omitted; DOJ has determined that this recommendation contains information that is limited official use or classified.]

We recommend that FWS require the Division to certify that grant-funded, real properties are used for their intended purposes.

We recommend that the Director of the HUD's Buffalo Office of Community Planning and Development instruct City officials to provide documentation to adequately support that $70,538 disbursed and $150,000 obligated were for eligible costs. Any costs determined to be ineligible should be reimbursed from non-Federal funds.

We recommend that the Director of the HUD's Buffalo Office of Community Planning and Development instruct City officials to strengthen monitoring procedures for CDBG-funded subgrantees to ensure compliance with program requirements.

We recommend that the Director of the HUD's Buffalo Office of Community Planning and Development instruct City officials to reprogram unexpended funds of $2,516 on a subgrantee agreement that expired June 30, 2015, for use by other eligible CDBG activities so that these funds are put to better use.

We recommend that the Director of the HUD's Buffalo Office of Community Planning and Development instruct City officials to spend program income of $113,733 on eligible CDBG activities before drawing down additional CDBG entitlement funds, thus ensuring that these funds are put to better use.

We recommend that the Director of the HUD's Buffalo Office of Community Planning and Development instruct City officials to implement procedures to ensure that program income received by subgrantees is properly reported in HUD's integrated Disbursement and Information System and spent before funds are drawn down from the U.S. Treasury.

We recommend that the Director of the HUD's Buffalo Office of Community Planning and Development instruct City officials to strengthen subgrant procedures to ensure that all required documents are received, explanations are obtained when prior performance does not meet goals, and subgrants are executed in a timely manner.

Submit a plan for how it will proceed with respect to the multipurpose facility project, including a schedule that HUD can track to ensure its completion. HUD must reevaluate the feasibility of the activity and determine the eligibility of the $8,111,304 already invested. (Footnote 4: Total investments of $8,232,388 were adjusted to account for $109,084 questioned in recommendation 2A and $12,000 in recommendation 2B.) If HUD determines that the activity has been canceled or is not feasible, the Municipality must commit any unused loan proceeds for future loan repayments.

Submit a plan for how it will proceed with respect to the municipal cemetery project, including a schedule that HUD can track to ensure its completion. HUD must reevaluate the feasibility of the activity and determine the eligibility of the $1,454,801 already invested. If HUD determines that the activity has been canceled or is not feasible, the Municipality must commit any unused loan proceeds for future loan repayments.

Provide supporting documentation showing that it complied with all environmental requirements. If the Municipality does not provide evidence that it complied with all environmental requirements, HUD must initiate appropriate sanctions under 24 CFR 58.77(d)(1)(v) for noncompliance.

Develop and implement a financial management system in accordance with HUD requirements to ensure that program funds can be traced to a level, which ensures that such funds have not been used in violation of the restrictions and prohibitions of applicable statutes.