Elizabeth trustees adopt grant policy requiring quarterly reports
The revised policy adds quarterly board oversight and clearer staff responsibilities after trustees said they learned too late that something was amiss with two grants.
The Elizabeth Board of Trustees unanimously adopted a revised grant-management policy Sept. 8 requiring the town administrator to report grant-monitoring findings to the board quarterly.
The change followed concerns that trustees learned too late that something was amiss with two grants. Mayor Angela Ternus said the board “was not aware and didn't find out anything was amiss until it was too late” with “the last two grants.” Interim Town Administrator Chris Lowe described the issue as one of communication and said officials had been dissatisfied with how some grants were finalized. The discussion did not identify the grants or their dollar amounts.
Lowe said the policy had been discussed for several months and that a board request prompted the quarterly review requirement. The adopted resolution directs the town administrator to report on grant status and progress, according to the town's meeting video.
The revised grant-management policy assigns each grant to a department-head Grant Owner, who is responsible from application through closeout. Grant Owners must monitor contractors and subrecipients, verify performance and invoices, meet reporting deadlines, and notify the town administrator and Financial Officer in writing within two business days of material problems, including missed deadlines, cost overruns, questioned or disallowed costs, noncompliance, performance shortfalls or repayment risk.
The Financial Officer will maintain a centralized grant register listing each grant's owner, award amount, town match, reporting deadlines, reimbursements, expenditures and outstanding compliance items. The town administrator must review the portfolio at least quarterly with the Financial Officer and affected department heads.
The policy allows the administrator to require corrective-action plans, suspend grant-funded activity, seek an amendment, reassign responsibility, or decline or return an award when necessary to protect the town. The administrator may approve applications and accept awards within delegated authority when they do not require new matching funds or unbudgeted obligations. Board approval remains required for grants involving unbudgeted matching funds, ongoing operating or staffing commitments, appropriations, board-reserved policy decisions or material financial, legal, operational or reputational risk.