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1UUIIDA811[J <br /> _40" <br /> corm9, <br /> Ilauii Island's rao0 Boob <br /> 2. Include County personnel in the purchase process <br /> For small purchases, discretion should be given to grantees to expend funds in a timely manner. For <br /> larger acquisitions, such as bulk food purchases, the County may want to consider playing a more active <br /> role in the approval process. For example, a Finance department employee with signatory authority for <br /> the County could have been added as a co-signer to any check over$10,000. This process would allow <br /> the County to be involved when large purchases were made, ensuring the purchases fit the intent and Cost <br /> Principals of the approved measures. Furthermore, TFBI and the County would be in communication <br /> regarding purchases, eliminating speculation as to the destination of the funds. <br /> 3. Release funds in measured allotments <br /> TFBI is aware most County grants are disbursed in allotments on a quarterly basis. For the bill and <br /> resolution in question, this practice was not adhered to. Quarterly allotments would have allowed TFBI <br /> to determine demand and compare this to inventory on hand to make more informed purchases. It would <br /> have cut TFBI's storage costs and eliminated much of the salvage product. Disbursements over time <br /> would also allow TFBI to be more immediately responsive to the needs of the community during the <br /> specific time period. Since quarterly allotments are the County standard, further discussion is not <br /> warranted. <br /> 4. Researching current regulations <br /> Non-profits already are subject to Federal, State, and local law,as well as stipulations required from <br /> private funders. Because of safety issues with regard to food, extensive regulation currently exists. TFBI <br /> understands that trust is not considered an auditable control and some measure of accountability must be <br /> put into place. However if the County aligned their paperwork and eligibility with our USDA program or <br /> our standard soup kitchen or pantry programs,the enrollment of agencies in the COHEF program would <br /> most likely have been above the 20%participation we are currently experiencing. <br /> Additional paperwork means additional staff time to process and check, and this costs non-profits money. <br /> If the County is trying to collect specific data or conduct research above and beyond the simple <br /> distribution of food, these services should come with an accompanying funding source to compensate the <br /> researcher for time spent. <br /> 6 <br />