(The Center Square) — The Florida Auditor General has released an audit report that found several issues with the city of Winter Springs’ wastewater management policies and purchasing procedures, along with issues with public record requests.
According to the audit report, the city owns two wastewater management facilities — West WRF and East WRF — that are both maintained by a contractor. These facilities were contacted in March and April of 2021 respectively by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, notifying the city of several violations from the treatment facilities.
These violations included a fish kill due to an unauthorized wastewater discharge. These unknown treatment flows bypassed filtration and disinfection systems, inoperable wastewater treatment systems and excessive bacteria levels in wastewater. Civil penalties paid to the FDEP to resolve issues have totaled $318,372.
The audit further found that the city had only sometimes involved the public in discussions around high-cost projects related to infrastructure sales surtax, which reduced transparency. Additionally, the city did not provide separate accountability for transferred sales surtax funds.
Records showed that the city commission had approved revisions of project lists at public meetings as part of the meeting consent agendas, bypassing individual discussions with the public.
In total, $12.8 million was reallocated, of that, $7.2 million went to projects not on the initial list and an additional $3.5 million of the sales surtax collections were budgeted for a generator at City Hall and an indoor gymnasium without public discussion.
Public records requests were not fulfilled within a reasonable timeframe — of which the city can charge a reasonable fee — taking an average of 29 days, with some taking as long as 87 business days.
Fees for public record requests varied greatly and fell between $21 and $3,895, while other requests were not fulfilled because the requester had not paid the invoice fee.
To maintain good governance, the AG recommended that the city update its policies and procedures to better work out public record request fees and to promptly fulfill record requests.
City records further disclosed that a competitive selection process to procure temporary labor services was not always used. Furthermore, sealed bids were not solicited to purchase a $67,404 irrigation pump, as recommended in the city’s purchasing policy summary.
