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PART IV. MONITORING STANDARDS AND PROCEDURES The City of Pleasanton conducts regular monitoring of subrecipients that receive federal funds. The City's monitoring plan begins with the execution of City /Subrecipient contracts and the filing of required environmental documentation for subrecipients which were allocated funding through the public participation process. Once these documents are in place, the City notifies subrecipients of funding availability effective the beginning of the fiscal year. Subrecipients that will hire a contractor are advised regarding required documents and procedures. During the course of the fiscal year, the City receives invoices for program- related expenses and arranges for payment. All transactions are entered into a Microsoft Access database developed by City staff. The database provides an extensive history of activity for the City's CDBG program dating back nearly 25 years. The database also provides a means for tracking the status of any fixed assets that are purchased with federal funds. City staff conducts an annual monitoring visit which generally occurs in the last quarter of the fiscal year or, for major capital improvement projects, upon project completion. Visits are typically conducted at the site of the project or in the administrative office of the subrecipient. Prior to the visit, staff sends the subrecipient a list of all assets acquired to date with federal funds so that the current status and disposition can be listed prior to the meeting. Monitoring visits include discussion of any issues specific to the project, review of compliance with applicable federal requirements, and a visual confirmation of fixed assets purchased with federal funds. Following the monitoring visit, a follow -up letter is sent to the subrecipient to provide a written record of the visit and, if applicable to list any recommendations or findings and any required actions. Staff from the cities of Pleasanton, Livermore, and Dublin frequently collaborate on monitoring visits inasmuch as all three cities provide funding to many of the same agencies for the same programs and services. This system provides several benefits, including efficient use of staff resources and time, and greater service and convenience for subrecipients. The City of Pleasanton received positive recognition from HUD for its subrecipient monitoring procedures through a "Best Practices" award that was received in 1997. Action Plan - FY 2011 City of Pleasanton Page 40