Department of Public Works - Bureau of Solid Waste
Biennial Financial Audit
Fiscal Years Ended June 30, 2018 and 2017

 Table of Contents
Independent Auditor’s Report .......................................................................................................1
Basic Financial Statements
Schedule of Revenues, Expenditures and Encumbrances, and Changes
in Fund Balance - Budget and Actual - Budgetary Basis - General Fund .............................4
Schedule of Revenues, Expenditures and Encumbrances, and Changes
in Fund Balance - Budget and Actual - Budgetary Basis – Energy Conservation Fund........5
Statement of Revenues, Expenditures, and Changes in Capital Project Balances ......................6
Statement of Revenues, Expenditures, and Changes in Grant Cash Balances ...........................7
Notes to the Financial Statements................................................................................................8
Independent Auditor’s Report on Internal Control over Financial Reporting and on
Compliance and Other Matters based on an Audit of Financial Statements Performed
In Accordance with Government Auditing
Standards ........................................................................................................................... 11
Schedule of Findings .................................................................................................................. 13
Appendix I: Management’s Response to the Audit Report…...................................................... 17

 CITY OF BALTIMORE
JOAN M. PRATT, CPA
Comptroller

DEPARTMENT OF AUDITS

JOSH PASCH, CPA

City Auditor
100 N. Holliday Street Room 321, City Hall Baltimore,

MD 21202
Telephone: 410-396-4783
Telefax: 410-545-3961

Honorable Joan M. Pratt, Comptroller
and Other Members
of the Board of Estimates
City of Baltimore, Maryland
INDEPENDENT AUDITOR’S REPORT
Report on the Financial Statements
We have audited the accompanying cash basis financial statements of the governmental
activities of the Department of Public Works, Bureau of Solid Waste (Agency), an agency
of the primary government of the City of Baltimore (City), Maryland, which comprise the
Schedule of Revenues, Expenditures and Encumbrances, and Changes in Fund Balance,
Budget and Actual, Budgetary Basis, General Fund; Schedule of Revenues, Expenditures
and Encumbrances, and Changes in Fund Balance, Budget and Actual, Budgetary Basis,
Energy Conservation Fund; Statement of Revenues, Expenditures, and Changes in
Capital Project Funds; and Statement of Revenues, Expenditures, and Changes in Grant
Cash Balances, for the years ended June 30, 2018 and 2017, and the related notes to
the financial statements, which collectively comprise the Agency’s basic financial
statements.
Management’s Responsibility for the Financial Statements
Management is responsible for the preparation and fair presentation of these financial
statements in accordance with the cash basis of accounting described in Note 3. This
includes determining that the cash basis of accounting is an acceptable basis for the
preparation of the financial statements in the circumstances. Management is also
responsible for the design, implementation, and maintenance of internal control relevant
to the preparation and fair presentation of financial statements that are free from material
misstatement, whether due to fraud or error.
Auditor’s Responsibility
Our responsibility is to express opinions on these financial statements based on our audit.
We conducted our audit in accordance with auditing standards generally accepted in the
United States and the standards applicable to financial audits contained in Government
Auditing Standards, issued by the Comptroller General of the United States, except for
peer review requirements. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to
obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements are free from
material misstatement.

 Biennial Financial Audit Report on Department of Public Works – Bureau of Solid Waste

An audit involves performing procedures to obtain audit evidence about the amounts and
disclosures in the financial statements. The procedures selected depend on the auditor’s
judgement, including the assessment of risks of material misstatement of the financial
statements, whether due to fraud or error. In making those risk assessments, the auditor
considers internal control relevant to the Agency’s preparation and fair presentation of the
financial statements in order to design audit procedures that are appropriate in the
circumstances, but not for the purpose of expressing an opinion on the effectiveness of
the Agency’s internal control. Accordingly, we express no such opinion. An audit also
includes evaluating the appropriateness of accounting policies used and the
reasonableness of significant accounting estimates made by management, as well as
evaluating the overall presentation of the financial statements.
We believe that the audit evidence we have obtained is sufficient and appropriate to
provide a basis for our audit opinion.
Opinion
In our opinion, the financial statements referred to above present fairly, in all material
respects, the revenues collected and expenditures paid for governmental activities, of the
Agency, for the years ended June 30, 2018 and 2017 in accordance with the cash basis
of accounting described in Note 3.
Basis of Accounting
The financial statements are prepared on the cash basis of accounting, which is a basis
of accounting other than accounting principles generally accepted in the Unites States of
America. Our opinion is not modified with respect to this matter.
Report on Other Requirements
Management has omitted the Management’s Discussion and Analysis that accounting
principles generally accepted in the United States require to be presented to supplement
the basic financial statements. Such missing information, although not a part of the basic
financial statements, is required by the Governmental Accounting Standards Board who
considers it to be an essential part of the financial reporting for placing the basic financial
statements in an appropriate operational, economic, or historical context. Our opinion on
the financial statements is not affected by this missing information.
In accordance with Government Auditing Standards, we have also issued our report,
dated October 31, 2019, on our consideration of the Agency’s internal control over
financial reporting and on our tests of its compliance with certain provisions of laws,
regulations, contracts, and grant agreements and other matters (see page 11). The
purpose of that report is to describe the scope of our testing of internal control over
financial reporting and compliance and the results of that testing, and not to provide an

2

 Biennial Financial Audit Report on Department of Public Works – Bureau of Solid Waste

opinion on internal control over financial reporting or on compliance. That report is an
integral part of an audit performed in accordance with Government Auditing Standards
in considering the Agency’s internal control over financial reporting and compliance.
Respectfully,

Josh Pasch, CPA
City Auditor
Baltimore, Maryland
October 31, 2019

3

 CITY OF BALTIMORE
Department of Public Works - Bureau of Solid Waste
Schedule of Revenues, Expenditures and Encumbrances, and Changes in Fund Balance
Budget and Actual – Budgetary Basis – General Fund
For Fiscal Years Ended June 30, 2018 and 2017
2018
Actual

Final Budget

Variance

Revenues
Appropriation revenues

$

83,069,514

$

78,648,683

$ 4,420,831

Expenditures and Encumbrances:
Administration - solid waste

1,530,023

1,436,550

93,473

Public right-of-way cleaning

17,339,113

16,691,470

647,643

Vacant/abandoned property cleaning and boarding

9,249,532

10,113,280

(863,748)

Waste removal and recycling

28,080,102

29,475,906

(1,395,804)

Waste re-use and disposals

24,110,881

18,596,078

5,514,803

Administration - DPW

2,759,863

2,335,399

424,464

83,069,514

78,648,683

4,420,831

Excess of Revenues over Expenditures

-

-

-

Beginning Budgetary Fund Balance

-

-

-

Total Expenditures and Encumbrances

Ending Budgetary Fund Balance

$

-

$

-

$

2017
Actual

Final Budget

-

Variance

Revenues
Appropriation revenues

$

80,582,963

$

75,684,114

$ 4,898,849

Expenditures and Encumbrances:
Administration - solid waste

2,238,395

1,604,324

Public right-of-way cleaning

17,422,209

18,587,692

(1,165,483)

Vacant/abandoned property cleaning and boarding

634,071

7,144,152

8,160,106

(1,015,954)

Waste removal and recycling

27,557,493

28,986,969

(1,429,476)

Waste re-use and disposals

21,668,003

17,750,026

3,917,977

4,552,711

594,997

3,957,714

80,582,963

75,684,114

4,898,849

-

-

-

Administration - DPW
Total Expenditures and Encumbrances
Excess of revenues over expenditures
Beginning Budgetary Fund Balance
Ending Budgetary Fund Balance

$

-

$

-

The notes to the financial statements are an integral part of this statement.
4

$

-

 CITY OF BALTIMORE
Department of Public Works - Bureau of Solid Waste
Schedule of Revenues, Expenditures and Encumbrances, and Changes in Fund Balance
Budget and Actual – Budgetary Basis – Energy Conservation Fund
For Fiscal Years Ended June 30, 2018 and 2017
2018
Actual

Final Budget

Variance

Revenues
Appropriation revenues

$

2,437,511

$

595,674

$ 1,841,837

1,486,715

145,944

1,340,771

Other personnel cost

206,949

120,358

86,591

Contractual services

Expenditures
Salaries and wages

659,704

1,369,848

Material and supplies

17,051

2,076

14,975

Minor equipment

64,696

13,658

51,038

2,396

3,471

2,437,511

1,655,355

Other
Total Expenditures and Encumbrances
Deficiency of Revenues over Expenditures

$

-

$

(1,059,681)

(710,144)

(1,075)
782,156
$ 1,059,681

2017
Actual

Final Budget

Variance

Revenues
Appropriation revenues

$

2,289,075

$

1,067,565

$ 1,221,510

Expenditures
Salaries and wages

1,398,334

202,132

1,196,202

Other personnel cost

231,403

162,655

68,748

Contractual services

545,484

1,409,317

(863,833)

Material and supplies

26,390

80

26,310

Minor equipment

65,413

4,573

60,840

Other
Total Expenditures and Encumbrances
Deficiency of Revenues over Expenditures

$

22,051

22,301

2,289,075

1,801,058

-

$

(733,493)

The notes to the financial statements are an integral part of this statement.
5

(250)
488,017
$

733,493

 CITY OF BALTIMORE
Department of Public Works - Bureau of Solid Waste
Statement of Revenues, Expenditures, and Changes in Capital Project Balances
For Fiscal Years Ended June 30, 2018 and 2017
2018

2017

Revenues
General Fund

$

Mayor & City Council

177,755
-

Federal Grant
Other
Total Revenues

$

977,755
1,524,000

-

45,532

4,534,591

591,370

4,712,346

3,138,657

Expenditures
Capital outlay
Excess of Revenues over Expenditures
Beginning Fund Balance
Ending Fund Balance

$

60,021

644,643

4,652,325

2,494,014

2,511,475

17,461

7,163,800

$ 2,511,475

The notes to the financial statements are an integral part of this statement.
6

 CITY OF BALTIMORE
Department of Public Works - Bureau of Solid Waste
Statement of Revenues, Expenditures, and Changes in Grant Cash Balances
For Fiscal Years Ended June 30, 2018 and 2017
July 1, 2017

Revenue

Expenditures

June 30, 2018

State Grants
Administration - energy

$

8,272,691

$ 2,770,253

8,272,691

$

1,230,255

9,812,689

2,770,253

1,230,255

9,812,689

49,020

-

-

49,020

5,600,599

-

-

5,600,599

5,649,619

-

-

5,649,619

1,230,255

$ 15,462,308

Expenditures

June 30, 2017

Total revenues, expenditures and
change in grant balances - State
Other Grants
Administration - solid waste
Waste removal and recycling
Total revenues, expenditures and
change in grant balances - Other
Total Grants

$

13,922,310

July 1, 2016

$ 2,770,253

$

Revenue

State Grants
Administration - energy

$

8,524,280

$ 1,740,609

8,524,280

$

1,992,198

8,272,691

1,740,609

1,992,198

8,272,691

49,020

-

-

49,020

5,600,599

-

-

5,600,599

5,649,619

-

-

5,649,619

1,992,198

$ 13,922,310

Total revenues, expenditures and
change in grant balances - State
Other Grants
Administration - Solid Waste
Waste Removal and Recycling
Total revenues, expenditures and
change in grant balances - Other
Total Grants

$

14,173,899

$ 1,740,609

$

The notes to the financial statements are an integral part of this statement.
7

 CITY OF BALTIMORE
Department of Public Works - Bureau of Solid Waste
Notes to the Financial Statements
1. Description of the Department of Public Works
The Department of Public Work’s (DPW) mission is to enhance and sustain healthy quality
of life for every citizen and customer by providing efficient management of its services. The
DPW consists of three major divisions: (1) Bureau of Solid Waste; (2) Surface Water Service;
and (3) Bureau of Water and Wastewater.
Bureau of Solid Waste
The Bureau of Solid Waste is responsible for providing waste removal and recycling
services, including curbside collection of mixed refuse, recycling, and seasonal waste for
640,000 residents in approximately 210,000 households. The Bureau of Solid Waste also
provides vacant and abandoned property maintenance services, rat control services as well
as public right of way cleaning of streets, alleys and lots. The Bureau of Solid Waste is also
responsible for disposal of refuse in accordance with governmental regulations and
mandates. This includes the management of a 125‐acre active landfill at Quarantine Road
and through agreements with the Wheelabrator Waste to Energy facility, recycling service
providers and maintenance of six closed landfills. The long‐term goal is to reduce volume
and amount of waste deposited in landfills in order to extend the life of these assets and
make the City self‐reliant for the future. The Bureau of Solid Waste also promotes and
markets special initiatives for a cleaner and greener Baltimore.
Surface Water Service
The Surface Water Service consolidates all stormwater related functions and includes the
Watershed Liaison Office, Stormwater Management and Sediment and Erosion Control,
Storm Drain Engineering, Storm Drain and Waterway Maintenance, Water Quality
Monitoring and Inspections, and Environmental Engineering. The Division’s mission is to
restore the City’s surface water to swimmable, fishable conditions in compliance with the
Environmental Protection Agency and the Clean Water Act. The Division is pursing the
establishment of a fee based utility to fund capital projects and operations necessary to meet
State and Federal mandates.
Bureau of Water and Wastewater
The Bureau of Water and Wastewater is responsible for the operation of a water distribution
system that supplies water to 1.8 million customers in the Baltimore Metropolitan Region.
These responsibilities include the operation, maintenance and security of three watershed
systems, three filtration plants, pumping stations and 4,500 miles of water distribution mains.
The collection and treatment of wastewater, the operation and maintenance of two
wastewater treatment plants, approximately 3,100 miles of collection and conveyance lines

8

 CITY OF BALTIMORE
Department of Public Works - Bureau of Solid Waste
Notes to the Financial Statements
pumping stations and the City's system of storm drains are also the Bureau of Water and
Wastewater’s responsibility.
The Financial Statements of the Bureau of Water and Waste Water are not included in these
financial statements because they are audited separately by the City’s outside auditors and
the City Department of Audits.
2. Fund Financial Statements
These financial statements were prepared on the cash basis of accounting, which is a basis
of accounting other than GAAP. Accordingly, they do not represent the financial position of
the City or the Agency. The Agency’s services are reported in the City’s general, internal
service, special revenue and capital projects funds. The Agency annually receives
appropriations from both the general, internal service, special revenue and capital projects
funds. General fund and internal service fund appropriations expire at year end. The special
revenue funds receive grants from the Federal, State and other sources. Appropriations for
special revenue funds do not expire at year end and continue until they are used for grant
related expenditures. Because of these differences, the financial statements of the Agency’s
general and internal service fund activities are reported on a budgetary basis in the Schedule
of Revenues, Expenditures and Encumbrances, and Changes in Fund Balance. The
financial statements of the special revenue and capital project funds are reported in the
Statement of Revenues, Expenditures and Changes in Fund Balance.
3. Summary of Significant Accounting Policies
The financial statements of the Agency are prepared on a cash basis of cash receipts and
disbursements, which is a comprehensive basis of accounting other than GAAP. This basis
of presentation differs from GAAP in that revenues are recognized when received rather
than earned and expenses are recognized when paid rather than when the obligation is
incurred. The accompanying financial statements are not intended to present the financial
position and results of operations in conformity with GAAP.
4. Budget Process
The Agency participates in the City’s Outcome Based Budgeting process. Outcome Based
Budgeting is a budget process that aligns resources with results produced. This budgeting
tool integrates strategic planning, long-range financial planning and performance
management, and is a recommended practice of the Government Finance Officers
Association.

9

 CITY OF BALTIMORE
Department of Public Works - Bureau of Solid Waste
Notes to the Financial Statements
5. Advance from the City
Advances from the City represent cash advances by the City that have not been reimbursed
by the grantor(s). Cash advances not reimbursed by the grantor(s) will be the responsibility
of the City.
6. Risk Management
The City is exposed to various risks of loss related to torts; theft of, damage to, and
destruction of assets; errors and omissions; injuries to employees and members of the
public; and natural disasters. The Agency is a chartered agency within the City municipal
government. Therefore, its exposure to various risks is managed by the City’s Office of Risk
Management.
7. Subsequent Events
No subsequent events have occurred that would require recognition or disclosure in the
financial statements.

10

 INDEPENDENT AUDITOR'S REPORT ON INTERNAL CONTROL OVER FINANCIAL
REPORTING AND ON COMPLIANCE AND OTHER MATTERS BASED ON AN AUDIT OF
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS PERFORMED IN ACCORDANCE WITH
GOVERNMENT AUDITING STANDARDS

 DEPARTMENT OF AUDITS

JOSH PASCH, CPA

CITY OF BALTIMORE

City Auditor
100 N. Holliday Street Room 321, City Hall Baltimore,

JOAN M. PRATT, CPA
Comptroller

MD 21202
Telephone: 410-396-4783
Telefax: 410-545-3961

Honorable Joan M. Pratt, Comptroller
and Other Members
of the Board of Estimates
City of Baltimore, Maryland
In planning and performing our audit of the financial statements, we considered the
Department of Public Works Bureau of Solid Waste’s (Agency) internal control over
financial reporting (internal control) as a basis for designing the audit procedures that are
appropriate in the circumstances for the purpose of expressing our opinion on the
financial statements, but not for the purpose of expressing an opinion on the effectiveness
of the Agency’s internal control. Accordingly, we do not express an opinion on the
effectiveness of the Agency’s internal control.
Our consideration of internal control was for the limited purpose described in the
preceding paragraph and was not designed to identify all deficiencies in internal control
that might be material weaknesses or significant deficiencies and therefore, material
weaknesses or significant deficiencies may exist that were not identified. However, as
described in the accompanying schedule of findings, we identified certain deficiencies in
internal control that we consider to be a material weakness and a significant deficiency.
A deficiency in internal control exists when the design or operation of a control does not
allow management or employees, in the normal course of performing their assigned
functions, to prevent, or detect and correct, misstatements on a timely basis. A material
weakness is a deficiency, or a combination of deficiencies, in internal control such that
there is a reasonable possibility that a material misstatement of the entity’s financial
statements will not be prevented, or detected and corrected on a timely basis. We
consider the deficiency described in the accompanying schedule of findings to be a
material weakness as Finding 1.
A significant deficiency is a deficiency, or a combination of deficiencies, in internal control
that is less severe than a material weakness, yet important enough to merit attention by
those charged with governance. We consider the deficiency described in the
accompanying schedule of findings to be a significant deficiency as Finding 2.
Compliance and Other Matters
As part of obtaining reasonable assurance about whether the Agency’s financial
statements are free from material misstatement, we performed tests of its compliance
with certain provisions of laws, regulations, contracts, and grant agreements,
noncompliance with which could have a direct and material effect on the determination of
financial statement amounts. However, providing an opinion on compliance with those
provisions was not an objective of our audit, and accordingly, we do not express such an

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 Biennial Financial Audit Report on Department of Public Works – Bureau of Solid Waste

opinion. The results of our tests disclosed no instances of noncompliance or other matters
that are required to be reported under Government Auditing Standards.
Department of Finance and the Agency’s Response to Findings
The Department of Finance’s and the Agency’s response to the findings identified in our
audit are described in the accompanying schedule of findings and Appendix I. The
Department of Finance’s and the Agency’s responses were not subjected to the auditing
procedures applied in the audit of the financial statements and, accordingly, we express
no opinion on it.
Purpose of this Report
The purpose of this report is solely to describe the scope of our testing of internal control
and compliance and the results of that testing, and not to provide an opinion on the
effectiveness of the Agency’s internal control or on compliance. This report is an integral
part of an audit performed in accordance with Government Auditing Standards in
considering the entity’s internal control and compliance. Accordingly, this communication
is not suitable for any other purpose.
Respectfully,

Josh Pasch, CPA
City Auditor
Baltimore, Maryland
October 31, 2019

12

 Biennial Financial Audit Report on Department of Public Works – Bureau of Solid Waste

Finding #1: Material Weakness – Revenue has been idle since 2007
The Agency did not have a process to review the general ledger to validate account
activities and account balances. As a result, the Agency was unaware of revenue which
was available for use. For example, our audit of the Statement of Revenues, Expenditures
and Changes in Grant Cash Balances for the periods ending June 30, 2018 and 2017
identified a $5.6 million revenue balance in grant account number 6855XX1 without any
corresponding expenditure activity. According to the Agency, the $5.6 million revenue has
been sitting on the books since 2007, which resulted from citations issued by the
Sanitation and Enforcement Division prior to the transfer to the Department of Housing
and Community Development. This issue was also noted during our previous audit.
According to the Standards for Internal Control in the Federal Government issued by the
United States Government Accountability Office by the Comptroller General of the United
States (Green Book),
•

“Management designs control activities so that all transactions are completely and
accurately recorded.”

•

“Transaction control activities are actions built directly into operational processes
to support the entity in achieving its objectives and addressing related risks.
“Transactions” tends to be associated with financial processes (e.g., payables
transactions), while “activities” is more generally applied to operational or
compliance processes. For the purposes of this standard, “transactions” covers
both definitions.”

•

“Management may design a variety of transaction control activities for operational
processes, which may include verifications, reconciliations, authorizations and
approvals, physical control activities, and supervisory control activities.”

Recommendation #1
We recommend the Director of Department of Public Works:
•

Review the account to determine the source and accuracy of the fund balance.

•

Utilize or remit the funds to the appropriate fund.

•

Perform periodic account analysis to appropriately identify and manage the
corresponding financial activity.

1 The

last two digits “XX” represents multiple FY.

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 Biennial Financial Audit Report on Department of Public Works – Bureau of Solid Waste

Finding #2: Significant Deficiency – Certain controls are missing at the disposal
site
The DPW does not have preventative and detective controls to minimize the risk of
potential financial loss resulting from misappropriation of landfill revenue2 or assets at the
Northwest Transfer Station (NTS) and Quarantine Road Landfill (QRL). Specifically, the
land fill revenue collection duties are not properly segregated; management oversight is
lacking; camera systems (detective control) are not operating.
The current land fill revenue collection process:
•

•

•

Requires the administrative staff to enter
data (e.g. tag number) to initiate vehicle
weighing and produce the resulting record.
This is because the scales neither
automatically initiate the weighing process
to record the transaction and related
collection nor is a counter available to
permit daily reconciliation.
Permits the administrative staff to prepare
credit memos to clear / cancel the
respective collection(s). The credits are
not recorded on the daily collection report
that is used to prepare the bank deposit
nor are credit memo reports obtained by
management for review and reconciliation
purposes.

Segregation of Duties
•

Segregation of duties helps prevent
fraud, waste, and abuse in the internal
control system.

•

If segregation of duties is not practical
within an operational process because
of limited personnel or other factors,
management designs alternative
control activities to address the risk of
fraud, waste, or abuse in the
operational process.

•

Management considers the need to
separate control activities related to
authority, custody, and accounting of
operations to achieve adequate
segregation of duties.

Source: Green Book

Allows the administrative staff person at the QRL to collect cash, prepare the daily
deposit and validate of the corresponding deposit. However, there is no
independent management verification to ensure revenue is properly collected,
deposited, and recorded.

Additionally, observation of the landfill sites indicated that:
•

Camera systems are not operable at NTS and QRL to detect suspicious activities.

•

There are no controls to preclude QRL employees from entering the landfill area
and exiting with scrap metal and other assets.

2 The

landfill revenue collected for FY 2018 and 2017 are $7 million and $7.8 million, respectively.

14

 Biennial Financial Audit Report on Department of Public Works – Bureau of Solid Waste

•

NTS and QRL gate house staff can provide access to residents and businesses,
collect fees and not record the transactions. The staff could also understate the
activity of businesses that are billed monthly.

According to the Green Book,
•

Management should divide or segregate key duties and responsibilities among
different people to reduce the risk of error, misuse, or fraud. This includes
separating the responsibilities for authorizing transactions, processing and
recording them, reviewing the transactions, and handling any related assets so
that no one individual controls all key aspects of a transaction or event.

•

Management should establish and operate monitoring activities to monitor the
internal control system and evaluate the results.

•

Management should remediate identified internal control deficiencies on a timely
basis.

•

Management establishes physical control to secure and safeguard vulnerable
assets. Examples include security for and limited access to assets such as cash,
securities, inventories, and equipment that might be vulnerable to risk of loss or
unauthorized use. Management periodically counts and compares such assets to
control records.

Recommendation # 2
We recommend the Director of DPW:
•

Revise the weigh station system to initiate the weighing process when the vehicle
crosses the scale. Alternatively, install a counter and reconcile the records against
the daily activity log and deposit.

•

Implement a policy and procedures that requires management to: (1) obtain and
review credit memo reports daily; (2) ensure the accuracy of the corresponding
deposit(s); and (3) include the credit memo reports into the deposit validation
process.

•

Segregate the QRL cash collection, recording and deposit preparation functions.
Alternatively, an independent secondary or management review can be
performed and appropriately documented.

• Install camera systems at both locations to monitor operations.

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 Biennial Financial Audit Report on Department of Public Works – Bureau of Solid Waste

Finding #3: Significant Deficiency – Internet outages at disposal sites resulted in
operation inefficiency
Multiple internet outages were noted during observation of the NTS’s vehicle weighing
system, which shut down weighing operations, precluded site access, and significantly
impacted wait times for residents and City and private haulers. Also, discussions with staff
at the QRL indicated that periodic outages routinely occur and adversely affect
operations.
According to the Green Book, “Internal control is a process effected by an entity’s
oversight body, management, and other personnel that provides reasonable assurance
that the objectives of an entity [which include the efficiency and effectiveness of
operations] will be achieved.”
Recommendation#3:
We recommend the Director of DPW perform analysis to determine if system outages can
be significantly reduced and that a backup process be developed to minimize downtime.

16

 Biennial Financial Audit Report on Department of Public Works – Bureau of Solid Waste

APPENDIX I
Management’s Response
Date: October 31, 2019
To: Josh Pasch, City Auditor
Subject: Management Response to Audit Report:
Biennial Financial Audit of the Department of Public Works – Bureau of Solid
Waste for the Fiscal Years Ended June 30, 2018 and 2017
Our responses to the audit report findings and recommendations are as follows:
Recommendation # 1
We recommend the Director of Department of Public Works:
•

Review the account to determine the source and accuracy of the fund balance.

•

Utilize or remit the funds to the appropriate fund.

•

Perform periodic account analysis to appropriately identify and manage the
corresponding financial activity.

Management Response/Corrective Action Plan
Agree

x

Disagree

On October 31, 2018, the Bureau of Budget and Management Research (BBMR)
requested the Board of Estimates (BOE) to approve the transfer of funds from Service
730 - Public and Private Energy Performance to Service 664 - Waste Re-Use and
Disposal. A balance of $5,541,998.02 in Special Fund 6855 was identified that is a result
of fines collected from when the Sanitations Inspection Program was housed within DPW.
Of that balance, $3,383,700 was transferred to Service 664 for Quarantine Road Landfill
(QRL) compliance projects, and the remainder of the balance was transferred to the
Capital Budget for QRL compliance projects and to the Landfill Development Fund.
Implementation Date
Ongoing
Responsible Personnel
Troy Brogden, Chief Fiscal Officer, 410-396-5182
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 Biennial Financial Audit Report on Department of Public Works – Bureau of Solid Waste

Recommendation #2
We recommend the Director of DPW:
•

Revise the weigh station system to initiate the weighing process when the vehicle
crosses the scale. Alternatively, install a counter and reconcile the records against
the daily activity log and deposit.

•

Implement a policy and procedures that requires management to: (1) obtain and
review credit memo reports daily; (2) ensure the accuracy of the corresponding
deposit(s); and (3) include the credit memo reports into the deposit validation
process.

•

Segregate the QRL cash collection, recording and deposit preparation functions.
Alternatively an independent secondary or management review can performed and
appropriately documented.

• Install camera systems at both locations to oversee operations.
Management Response/Corrective Action Plan
Agree

X

Disagree

DPW has reviewed the Findings Summary and have provided the following responses
below to the recommendations.
1. As noted, a cashier has to manually enter a vehicle tag number to initiate vehicle
weighing. DPW IT met with a representative from Advanced Scales and was
informed that the facility computers are not configured to operate with the
scalehouse software system. DPW IT is working with Advance Scales to determine
the configuration.
2. To ensure cashiers are appropriately cancelling or clearing transactions, all
cancelled or cleared transactions will require approval from a supervisor.
Supervisors will be required to complete a form that identifies why a cancellation
was required and how much was cancelled. If a supervisor is not available, it is the
cashier's responsibility to complete the transaction, take the receipt with the mistake
on it and write the word " VOID" along with the cashier's initials and date. The voided
receipt is to be placed in the cash drawer for a supervisor or manager to correct at
a later time when they are available.
In addition, QRL and NWTS will submit a daily memo credit report to the Bureau
Head’s Office of Support Services for daily review along with the voided receipts
and signed supervisor approved cancellation forms.
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 Biennial Financial Audit Report on Department of Public Works – Bureau of Solid Waste

In February 2019, the Office of Support Services (Support Services) was created
within the Bureau of Solid Waste to provide quality assurance and control services
to the Bureau. As a result of this audit, Support Services will begin tracking and
monitoring how often transactions are canceled. Key performance indicators (KPIs)
will be created based upon the number of cancelled transactions in an effort to
reduce cancellations. If an employee is unable to meet the KPI, then a Performance
Improvement Plan (PIP) will be implemented according to the Performance
Management Policy.
3. Quarantine Road Landfill and Northwest Transfer Station established a new
Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) for cash collection and deposit after the last
audit occurred in October 2017. As recommended by the last audit, cash collection,
preparation of the daily deposit, and validation of the corresponding deposit are not
managed by the same employee. At both NWTS and QRL, a cashier is responsible
for collecting cash and preparing the daily deposit, while a supervisor reviews the
daily deposit. Upon review, the supervisor initials a deposit book to note that the
daily deposit value is equal to the cash received, and then provides the monies to
an armored courier.
4. DPW has received proposals for security camera installation at NWTS and QRL,
and will approve the proposals pending available funding. The proposal will install
security cameras within the scale house, outside the scale house, near the
entrance, and near the exit of both facilities.
Visitors and employees at Quarantine Road Landfill are required to enter and exit
the facility through the front gate, but visitors and employees at Northwest Transfer
Station are requested to enter through one entrance and exit through another to
prevent traffic or vehicle accidents. It is dangerous to enter and exit through the
same road at the Northwest Transfer Station since it will require vehicles to make
a three-point turn. To ensure the safety of visitors and employees, the Northwest
Transfer Station will continue to ask visitors to enter through the Garrison Avenue
entrance and exit onto Reisterstown Road.
Implementation Date
June 30, 2020
Responsible Personnel
John Chalmers, Solid Waste Bureau Head, 410-396-8450

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 Biennial Financial Audit Report on Department of Public Works – Bureau of Solid Waste

Recommendations #3
We recommend the Director of DPW perform analysis to determine if system outages can
be significantly reduced and that a backup process be developed to minimize downtime.
Management Response/Corrective Action Plan
x

Agree

Disagree

The internet outage experienced at both QRL and NWTS during the month of July 2019
was a result of a server outage which affected the entire department city-wide. However,
DPW is aware of intermittent internet connectivity issues at QRL and NWTS and has met
with Baltimore City IT (BCIT) to address the issue. Northwest Transfer Station utilizes a
router for internet connection whereas Quarantine Road Landfill utilizes a fiber optic
network. Unfortunately, routers are less reliable than fiber optic network which results in
higher internet outages experienced at NWTS than at QRL. When internet outages are
experienced, the scalehouses at each facility will utilize a mobile hotspot to access the
internet. BCIT has recommended replacing the router with fiber optic at NWTS, but it will
require a capital investment to provide fiber optic internet. Until a fiber optic network can
be provided, DPW will prepare a Standard of Operating Procedure (SOP) to ensure a
backup process is utilized at these facilities to reduce downtime during internet outages.
Implementation Date
June 30, 2020
Responsible Personnel
John Chalmers, Solid Waste Bureau Head, 410-396-8450

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