Soap Lake residents voice concern over audit findings

SOAP LAKE — Soap Lake residents came out in full force to Wednesday night’s city council meeting to voice concern over a recent state audit that took issue with the Soap Lake Police Department’s use of equipment that was provided to the department through a surplus military program.

The audit shows about $20,000 worth of equipment was used at Soap Lake Police Chief Glenn Quantz’s personal business, the ULBFIT Training Center.

The audit in question contains the results of an accountability audit of Soap Lake from Jan. 1, 2012 through Dec. 31, 2014 and, among a few of the findings, discovered the SLPD did not use acquired assets in an approved or authorized manner and raised questions about Quantz’s management of assets.

The council did not discuss the findings of the audit during Wednesday night’s meeting. Mayor Raymond Gravelle said the city and council will be responding to the findings, but did not state when their response will be made public.

“Regarding the asset management findings, I have asked the police chief to prepare a report on those findings and it will be made available to the council once it’s received,” Gravelle stated.

In December 2013 the SLPD started receiving Department of Defense excess military assets through the Law Enforcement Support Office (LESO) 1033 program, which is administered by the Department of Enterprise Services (DES). The program gives police agencies the opportunity to acquire military assets for police purposes at no cost.

The SLPD acquired 285 assets through the LESO program, which included a piece of Bobcat equipment, an ATV, snow blowers, snowmobiles, trailers, a cargo truck, gym equipment, firearms, and other assets.

The audit uncovered the following discrepancies:

Quantz signed a contract with the DES to obtain the assets on the city’s behalf as the “Chief Executive Official,” despite the city not being able to prove the city council granted Quantz the authority to enter into contracts on behalf of the city.

The SLPD used acquired assets for “speculative” use at a future off-road vehicle park and acquired numerous assets that have an estimated value of $129,300.

The SLPD acquired various gym and training equipment in the amount of $20,350 that is “maintained for use” at Quantz’s personal athletic business.

In 2013 the SLPD began surplussing and selling assets, with the sales done in cash only. Five assets were sold to city employees, with auditors not able to verify if advertising for two of the assets was completed.

The city gave Quantz the authority to set a price for the SLPD’s surplussed assets, which he communicated verbally to another officer. Quantz reportedly didn’t examine final sales paperwork and deposits that were handed over to the city’s finance director.

In a review of 64 of the 285 assets acquired by the SLPD, auditors found non-compliance concerns over 26 assets, with two assets totaling $1,700 that were not accounted for.

The release of the findings drew an above average crowd out to Wednesday's meeting, with several city residents voicing their concern about the audit.

Resident Tim Culbertson said the issues raised in the audit could fall under the purview of restrictions regarding the gifting of public funds.

“When the surplus was taken care of there wasn’t a bid process and you had this done by an employee who was personally responsible for that equipment,” Culbertson told the council. “So it didn’t go through a bid process and it was done by an individual, it wasn’t done by resolution by this board. So if they continue to look at it, you have got a gifting of public funds issue.”

Former councilmember Maynard Hagen noted the audit includes comments by the city, in which the city highlights corrective actions it has taken to address the audit’s findings. Hagen stated that when it comes down to it the buck stops with Gravelle and final decisions on city matters go through him as the mayor, not through Quantz.

“I think you should really look close at this folks and put the blame where it belongs. These guys over here (the police) were doing a pretty good job, but now they are being blamed because we got a scapegoat (Quantz),” Hagen stated.

Wednesday night’s meeting was not the first time Gravelle was criticized by Hagen. In October Hagen, along with councilmember Robert Brown, sent a letter to Soap Lake residents urging them not to vote for Gravelle in the November general election.

Resident Al Lundberg suggested the council publicize and spell out each and every corrective action the city has taken in response to the audit and have all city employees brought up to speed on city policies and procedures.

Some residents at the meeting voiced support for the SLPD, and Quantz in particular, stating how things have improved around the city since Quantz came on as police chief and how good he has been for city during his tenure. Yvonne Hoover, a former volunteer with the SLPD, told the council the gym equipment that was stored at Quantz’s personal business was used solely by SLPD officers, as there was no other location owned by the city where the equipment could be stored and used by officers.

Richard Byrd can be reached via email at city@columbiabasinherald.com.