OIG Report: Department Of Finance Failed To Bill Company For ‘Right Of Way’ Permits, Costing City $46K

2 years ago 307

BALTIMORE (WJZ) — The Baltimore City Department of Finance failed to invoice a contractor for much than $46,000 successful “right of way” permits fees, according to a caller study from the Office of the Inspector General.

The watchdog was scrutinizing the permits aft receiving a ailment alleging 2 executive-level members of the Department of Transportation were waiving oregon reducing fees for 2 companies, but investigators did not find immoderate inappropriate behaviour to enactment those claims.

“Right of way” permits are issued for driveways and curb cuts; thoroughfare closures for cranes, scaffolding, dumpsters oregon moving trucks; and the installation oregon repair of utilities.

Investigators did, however, find the Department of Finance had not billed 1 institution for $46,660 successful fees owed to “untimely invoicing practices,” the study said.

A 2nd institution received “right of way” permits that lone lasted for 2 weeks, adjacent though the emblematic duration for the permits is simply a afloat year, the study said.

A manager with DOT told investigators they believed the institution had a unsocial 20-year statement with the metropolis that caps “costs astatine 2 weeks per permit, careless of
the permit’s existent duration,” according to the report. No specified statement exists, investigators determined.

The Office of the Inspector General recovered that, successful 5 of 19 instances, the institution completed enactment successful little than 14 days but inactive paid for a two-week permit. An enforcement with the institution admitted nary peculiar statement existed with the metropolis but pushed for a memorandum of knowing to formalize specified an agreement.

In a effect letter, Laetitia Griffin, DOT’s lawman of administration, wrote the bureau would conscionable with the Law Department to draught an statement with the 2nd company.

“The DOT has met with the Department of Finance liable for forwarding invoices to the vendors mentioned successful your investigation,” Griffin wrote.

Yoanna X. Moisides, lawman of the Department of Finance, wrote a abstracted missive saying the agency’s Bureau of Accounting and Payroll Services was unaware of immoderate billing issues due to the fact that an accounting adjunct was not notified of the enactment by DOT. Billing accusation is typically forwarded implicit email.

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“[M]anagement was unaware of immoderate untimely billing and our records amusement nary DOT emails that went unbilled,” Moisides wrote.