We recommend that HUD’s Deputy Assistant Secretary for Grant Programs require the City to provide documentation showing that payments made under the Rockaway Boardwalk construction management services contract complied with Davis-Bacon and Related Acts requirements and that restitution is made to affected workers for any underpayments identified.

Follow up on the 15 properties in our sample to ensure that the code enforcement violations have been corrected, that the necessary documentation has been gathered and retained in the code enforcement file for the property, and that the code enforcement process has been completed.

Provide documentation to support $671,838 in code enforcement costs or repay the program from non-Federal funds for any amount that it cannot support.

Develop and implement policies and procedures to ensure that its Block Grant-funded code enforcement activities comply with HUD requirements, including documentation requirements, thereby ensuring that funds totaling $301,866 can be put to better use.

Provide documentation to support $1 million in community policing salary costs or repay the program from non-Federal funds for any amount that it cannot support.

Develop and implement policies and procedures to ensure that Block Grant-funded community policing salaries and benefits comply with HUD requirements, including documentation requirements, thereby ensuring that funds totaling $295,935 are put to better use.

Update and revise the CPD Notice to further improve the code enforcement guidance.

Provide mandatory training on the revised Notice to the local field offices and to grantees that use CDBG funds for the code enforcement program to ensure compliance with requirements.

Ensure that the updated and revised notice is issued with the appropriate clearance.

Obtain HUD approval of policies and procedures before executing its subrecipient agreements and ensure that its finalized policies and procedures include but not limited to financial management, procurement, duplication of benefits, and monitoring.

Establish adequate financial controls to ensure that its disaster funds are properly classified and allocated to the correct grant and ensure that DRGR drawdowns are conducted in a timely manner.

Provide adequate training to staff on the appropriate classification of disaster recovery activities to ensure costs are accurately allocated and recorded.

Continue to establish a data sharing agreement with FEMA for Hurricanes Hermine and Matthew to ensure that all sources of funding are included in its disaster policies and procedures to prevent duplication of benefits and ensure that the term of the agreement is sufficient.

Continue to negotiate with SBA to extend its data-sharing agreements for the term of the expenditure requirements set forth in public laws or the Federal Register.

Continue to fill its vacancy and assess staffing resources as it prepares for additional disaster funds.

Repay from non-Federal funds the $1,190,977 in ineligible costs charged to the program.

Repay from non-Federal funds the $434,970 in unreasonable costs charged to the program

Support $249,015 in program costs spent on a 2014 grant for which the grantee was unable to provide a tier one environmental review record or repay from non-Federal funds any amount that cannot be supported

Support $676,922 for contracts that were improperly procured or repay from non-Federal funds any amount that cannot be supported.

Support $422,600 in program income that was not used before additional grant fund drawdowns or repay from non-Federal funds any amount that cannot be supported