State concludes grant misuse investigation

From Daily Republic // Saturday, Sept. 15, 2005

By Ian Thompson

SUISUN CITY - The California Department of Boating and Waterways closed its investigation into allegations state grant money was used to pay two officers for painting two rooms at the Suisun City Police Department.

The department will keep a closer eye on how Suisun City police spend future grants, but doesn't plan to take further action, an agency spokeswoman said.

”We feel the matter is resolved,“ said June Iljana of the state Boating and Waterways Department.

In late August an anonymous letter to the state department alleged Suisun City Police Chief Ron Forsythe misused state grant money by using it to pay officers to paint rooms in the police station rather than patrol the city's waterways, as the grant intended.

"While we did find that about $2,500 was charged to the program while officers were painting, it was offset by about $2,600 in charges they could have charged to the financial aid," Iljana said.

"That includes a math error and the fact that the city did not claim (money for fringe benefits and administration costs) when they could have."

Forsythe was pleased with the outcome, saying the state audit "had some recommendations to improve our accounting on the boat grant which we will, of course, follow."

"They also found that there were no violations of their policy and of the harbor and navigations code,“ Forsythe said.

Reach Ian Thompson at 427-6976 or at ithompson@dailyrepublic.net.