Community action programs paused

MOSES LAKE — The state stopped the North Columbia Community Action Council’s Weatherization program from accepting new contracts or performing any new weatherization work.

The freeze continues until the end of an investigation, according to Penny Thomas, spokesperson for the state Department of Commerce..

The state and the U.S. Department of Energy Inspector General’s office are looking at the council’s weatherization program. The state is inspecting 90 properties during the next couple of weeks.

The state agency contracts with the council to administer about $580,000 in federal and state funds designated for use in Grant, Adams and Lincoln counties. The program provides assistance with improving energy efficiency for low-income family homes.

A June complaint made to the Department of Commerce prompted the investigation by state and federal authorities, said Steve Payne, commerce’s managing director of housing improvement and preservation.

“We’ve been dealing with some conflict of interest issues that percolated up to us,” Payne said in an August interview. “We’re really in a review process with some of these concerns … We’re trying to get a sense of scale and scope.”

The state is trying to determine how the work was done, if the people participating met eligibility requirements, and whether funds were used appropriately, Payne said. The agency is also trying to determine if systems are in place to prevent abuses of the system.

“We need to examine the work that has been done in the program,” he said. “Federal agencies look to us for assurance that we are insuring the investments are appropriate. We’re trying to get an understanding of how deep we need to go. We’ll be performing some inspections of past work to make that determination.”

The council’s weatherization program is also under investigation by the U.S. Department of Energy’s inspector general. While Payne said any criminal charges would be determined by the federal government, the office refuses to confirm or deny any investigation, according to a spokesperson for the agency.

Payne called commerce’s investigation a “programmatic review,” saying the department is focused on making sure the system is working rather than looking at problems with personnel.