Inyo County California

The County of Inyo is soliciting quotes for an independent, licensed, Certified Public Accountant to conduct an Audit of Expenditures for the Inyo-Mono Broadband Consortium (IMBC) activities for the first grant year (February 1, 2023 through January 31, 2024), as part a grant awarded by the California Advanced Services Fund (CASF) Rural and Urban Regional Broadband Consortia Grant Program.

"Public Utilities Code section 281, subsection (g)(2) requires each consortium to conduct
an annual audit of its expenditures for grant programs funded and submit to the
Commission an annual report. Grantees are required to submit annual reports to the
Commission that includes: a description of activities completed during the prior year,
how each activity promotes the deployment of broadband services, and the cost
associated with each activity; and the number of project applications assisted."

Below is the relevant section from the Consortia Grant Admin Manual, Section X, dated September 2023 regarding the Annual Audit of Expenditures requirements:

X. Annual Audit

Each Consortium is required to conduct an annual audit of its expenditures for grant programs funded and submit to the Commission an annual report that includes both of the following:

• A description of activities completed during the prior year, how each activity promotes the deployment of broadband services, and the cost associated with each activity
• The number of project applications assisted.

To assist grantees to provide the required information, a template is included as Appendix D, Annual Audit Report Template for Reporting Activity Information.

The annual audit should be prepared by an independent, licensed certified public accountant (CPA) expressing a conclusion about the reliability of the primary financial/business functions of the Consortium. The annual audit should provide assurance that the consortium’s financial statements are free of material misstatement and are fairly presented based upon the application of generally accepted accounting principles.

Note:

• The financial and business functions of the IMBC consist of the reimbursement requests and supporting documentation submitted to the CPUC.
• This Audit of Expenditures is limited in scope and applies to work done by IMBC staff, reimbursement requests and documentation, and interactions between the IMBC and the CPUC, and does not include auditing the financial or business functions of the the County of Inyo, a local government agency and the IMBC Fiscal Agent, which is already subject to its own annual audit requirements.

Description of the grant-funded work and available information to evaluate:

The grant-funded IMBC Work Plan consists of 15 activities grouped into 5 objectives.  Grant-related reimbursement requests submitted to the CPUC consist only of staff time worked associated with specific activities.  There are no costs associated with equipment, subscriptions, third-party services, or contractors, with the exception of the mandated independent CPA to conduct the Audit of Expenditures.

I am able to share excerpts or examples of the following information for reference for you to evaluate when considering whether to submit a quote for this work:

• CPUC-approved budget for the IMBC grant
• Timesheet information maintained in an online time-tracking system
• Timesheet information maintained in a spreadsheet
• 1st bi-annual progress report and payment request
• Other information as requested

Budgeted amount for the annual audit associated with this grant is $10,000.  As this is a reimbursement grant, payment for services will be made after the County receives the reimbursement from the CPUC.

Please contact Scott Armstrong (sarmstrong@inyocounty.us) with any questions or for further clarification.

To be considered for selection, please submit an email response to Scott Armstrong (sarmstrong@inyocounty.us) with the following information:

• CPA name and company
• License information
• Proposed cost to conduct this audit
• Availability to start
• Experience

Factors that will be considered in the selection of an independent auditor include:

• Eligibility to conduct the audit according to the CASF guidance
• Cost
• Availability to start
• Experience

Attachments:

• Grant Award Letter - CPUC Resolution T-17778
• Consortia Grant Administrative Manual - September 2023
• Appendix D, Annual Audit Report Template for Reporting Activity Information (also available as a spreadsheet)
• Inyo County Contract (insurance requirements may apply)