During the Feb. 13, 2018 Board of County Commission meeting, commissioners decided to let the rent increase for the facility AmSkills (a manufacturing apprenticeship organization) currently leases from the county. They also decided to go with policy changes that will cap community grants at $50,000. AmSkills currently receives $200,000 per fiscal year under an agreement with AmSkills, Pinellas and Pasco Counties. AmSkills Director Tom Mundano contends that they shouldn’t be subject to the new policy change.
Commissioners aren’t cutting AmSkills any slack due to transparency issues, which Chairman Champion briefly addressed prior to the Board of County Commissioners changing the grant policy. Champion asked the board to revisit AmSkills’ audit results, which were presented to board in connection with the lease issue. Champion said he was discussing the earlier described ‘minor issues’ with the Deputy Administrator Jeff Rogers, the budget and audit teams over the lunch recess and reported, “It’s their opinion that … (the issues) are not minor, they’re pretty major, actually, and there are repeat issues year after year, and I’m wondering if the (AmSkills) board even knows about it.”
Champion continued to describe his concerns, such as “not documenting expenses, not knowing where there revenue is …” Referring to Tom Mudano’s presentation earlier in the meeting, Champion said, “He didn’t even know that the lease was changing.” He said, “This is a critical matter… I believe we were purposely misled today, because every single detail of that company was there, but not (the audit results).”
Since the impromptu conversation took place after Mudano had already left the meeting, the board agreed to schedule a meeting to discuss remedies.
Budget Manager Pamela Lee presented the agenda item for policy changes to the Aid to Outside Organizations, from which AmSkills has received funding via the Community Outreach Grant Program (of $200,000 per fiscal year).
Under the new policy, two funding levels will be available; up to $5000 and $5001-$50,000. Organizations receiving the higher level will be required to “demonstrate … where those monies were spent as far as the project [sic] that they presented to the board.”
In addition, a uniform application was developed so each organization will be preparing the same form, and submitting the same types of documentation to the board.
Commissioner Nick Nicholson moved to approve the policy change, Commissioner Wayne Dukes seconded. The motion to approve passed unanimously.
With the $50,000 cap looming, Mudano wrote in a letter to the BOCC,
“Recently I became aware of a discussion during the last BOCC Meeting regarding the Board establishing a Community Outreach Grant Program (COGP) for community organizations with a potential cap of $50,000 and that AmSkills would become a part of this grant process. I understand the need to establish policies related to these type of activities, however The ICTC Governing Board dba AmSkills has a completely different relationship, requirements and Agreement with Hernando County, than other organizations that would qualify under that program.
“AmSkills is different because it was formed specifically by the Hernando County BOCC, in partnership with Pasco and Pinellas Counties, through an Interlocal Agreement to assist local manufacturers to meet the workforce demands and to provide increased economic development opportunities for the County.”