Audit office finds 2023 grant solicitation cannot be relied upon; recommends reevaluation

The committee heard from the Performance Director (reporting for Mark De La Rosa) that the City Services Auditor's public-integrity review of the City Administrator's Community Challenge Grant 2023 solicitation concluded the process "cannot be relied upon." The audit, issued Oct. 17, found that the former program director, identified in the report as Lanita Henriques, misrepresented key aspects of the solicitation and that adequate internal controls and documentation (for example, evaluator counts and scoring-sheet records) were lacking.

The CSA recommended that the Office of the City Administrator re-evaluate the applications received for the 2023 grant cycle to ensure that all applicants received a fair opportunity. Committee members asked for specifics about what controls were missing; the Performance Director said the audit details those items and offered to follow up with the full report and with Director De La Rosa for additional briefing.

The committee also received a broader update that CSA audits continue to focus on contracting, procurement, public integrity, nonprofit fiscal compliance and a forthcoming triennial peer review of audit standards.

Next steps: staff committed to provide the audit report link and to arrange follow-up briefings so committee members and relevant officials can review recommendations and determine any corrective actions and reassessment steps for the 2023 grant cycle.