Report No. 2009-60
June 2009
Complete Audit Report

The following findings were included in our audit report on the City of St. Louis, Lead Safe St. Louis Program.

The overall effectiveness of the Lead Safe St. Louis Program (LSSL) could be improved by better communication and sharing of information between the three city agencies responsible for administration of the program: the Department of Public Safety, Building Division (BD), the Department of Health (DOH), and the Community Development Administration (CDA). From January to October 2008, the BD did not share access to a database system to track home inspections and lead remediation work. Without adequate communication between agencies involved in the LSSL, the city may not be reaching its full potential to provide services to at-risk children.

Lead remediation projects are not always completed on a timely basis, and the BD did not always refer applicable cases to court. City ordinance establishes timelines for property owners to complete lead remediation and allows the city to refer cases to court if not completed in a timely manner. In addition, the BD did not re-inspect some residences within the timeframe set by policy, and the BD and CDA did not maintain proper documentation for some remediation projects.

The DOH and BD did not adequately monitor the LSSL temporary relocation process, resulting in expenditures in excess of the maximum allowance for lodging and meals. The DOH approves the expenditure of temporary relocation funds; however, the process of determining eligibility and placing families in temporary lodging is performed by BD employees who typically work more closely with the families. Prior to June 2008, the DOH approved relocation reimbursements without monitoring the eligibility of the families and reasonableness of the expenditures.

The DOH and BD overspent applicable grant funding during the year ended June 30, 2008, and the errors were not corrected in a timely manner. The DOH overspent the Lead Hazard Outreach grant by $96,000 for payroll expenditures. The BD overspent the Lead Hazard Reduction grant by $24,000 for payroll, communications, and transportation expenditures.

Other audit findings included in the report relate to Special Fund receipts.

Complete Audit Report
Missouri State Auditor's Office
moaudit@auditor.mo.gov