CITIZEN PAGEt!
City att mpt to fix .mism
Community Developmen
(616) 926-1936
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BENTON HARBOR
-Ben ton Harbor City
Commission Monday, July
9, gave City Man ger Steve
Manning consensus
approval to go abead witb
plans to reconstruct tbe
City's Community
Development Department,
despite complaints from
several commissioners tba t
Manning already bad too
beavy of a load.
Al 0 the commi sion
requested that M nning
keep them informed at al�
times about the program.
M nning first presented
tbe proposal to construct
tbe Community
Development Department
at t e commission' July
5th - orkshop.
The proposal stated tbat
Manning and Evan M.
LuDuc, of Benton Harbor,
a Development Specialist
and Architect would work
24 bours per week for =.
months with Manning
working only durinR
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�345-42221
evenings and weekends.
approval to expend no more
than $40,000 over the next
six month to restructure
tbe CDBG program. Place
tbe City Manager on
special off-duty
assignment along with one
.other person experienced in
administering a CDBG
program. This team would
continue to opera te tbe
existing program includin
submitting an application
for new funding by tbe
August 31, 1990 deadline. •
Tbey would also:
-Develop
computerized - policies,
procedures, a d checklists
so that tbe administration
of tbe program could be
spread to other City
departments such as
Accounting, Engineering,
and Inspections.
- Identify and train a
Com ity Developm t
Directo for oversigbt f
the program wi thin HUD'
administrative ceiling.
- Seek ways to leverage
programs so
administ
expendi tures
justified.
- Wor wit
resolve all ope findings
and questioned sts.
- Provide ayor and
City Commis ion with
monthly - report detailing
progress, and recap of
time expende on the
project.
AUDIT R VEALS
MISMANAGE ENT
·An udit was onducted
of tbe City's C mmunity
Development BI k Grant
(CDBG) Progra , by the
request of the De roit HUD
Office because t City had
repeatedly been fund to be
in noncomplia ce with
HUO Regulati ns and
cont�act.��I ... �,. ee,?t��!!: I •
The purpose of e review
was to evaluate the city's
policies, proce ures and
controls relati g to its
administrauon the
CDBG and deter ine the
caus for the Ci ty' s
repeated noncompli nces,
acco ding to the a udi t
sum ary.
"The City of Benton
Harbor has not developed
or I maintained a
comprehensive set of
written procedures. and
con trols for the
management of funds in the
CDBG accounts," said the.
summary. "City staff were
not fully aware of this
specific duties and
responsibilities. In
addition, the City bad not
developed an effective
system of checks nd
balances to assure
employees compl ied wi th
established policies and
procedures. As a result,
COBG funds were not
a4 gately protected �
could be used for ineligible
pruposes. In our opinion,
the City's lac of
Co linuer 0 P e 16
SET SALARIES
LuDuc will be paid
$45.00 per hour for the
mount of $25,920 and
Manning, 22.50 per hour
for the amount of $12,960.
It also stated in the
proposal that $1,120 would
be used for worksbop and
other training expense for
staff, comi g to an
anticipated cost of $40,000.
The restructuring will be
financed with CDBG
funds.
Luduc is a former
Director of Comm-unity
Development, former
Planning Division M ger
and former Long Range
Planning Head of the City
of Kalamazoo.
He also holds options
from tbe city to purcbase
properries . in tbe
downto D.
The proposal from
Manning stated the strategy
was to "obtain HUD
WILLIE ICKHAM
Ower
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