earthquake

The Hospital must improve its policies, procedures, and business practices to account for and expend FEMA grant funds according to Federal regulations and FEMA guidelines. Specifically, it did not properly document and adequately account for project costs; comply with its overtime policy; and comply with Federal requirements for insurance. Additionally, there were major differences in the damage estimates FEMA and the Hospital calculated.

We audited public assistance (PA) grant funds awarded to the City of Paso Robles, California (City). Our audit objective was to determine whether the City accounted for and expended Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) grant funds according to federal regulations and FEMA guidelines. The City received a PA award of $6.6 million from the California Emergency Management Agency (Cal EMA), 1 a FEMA grantee, for debris removal, emergency protective measures, and permanent repairs to facilities damaged as a result of the San Simeon earthquake of December 22, 2003. City officials accounted for FEMA grant funds on a project-by-project basis, as required. However, they did not comply with federal regulations and FEMA guidelines for $1,110,952 in project charges. Table 1 summarizes our questioned costs.