Town Ordered to Repay $18,000 for Library Computers

Computers in the new Cape Charles Memorial Library are the most-used feature. (Wave photo)

Computers in the new Cape Charles Memorial Library are the most-used feature. (Wave photo)

By DORIE SOUTHERN
Cape Charles Wave

May 28, 2013

The Town of Cape Charles has been ordered to pay back $18,000 for computers purchased through grant funds.

The computers are now located in the Town’s new library in the former Bank of America building. Previously they were housed in the Cape Charles Christian School.

Town Manager Heather Arcos informed Town Council May 16 that “a citizen complaint” that the computers were not available to the public was made to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) last fall when the computers were in the Christian School.

The Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) investigated, and instructed the Town to make the computers available to the public by December 19, 2012.

According to Arcos, the computers were moved from the Christian School to the new library building on December 11. The library had not yet opened, but “a computer class schedule was posted with pre-registration requirements until the relocation of the library.”

However, no one registered, and no classes were held. The DHCD made an unannounced visit and found the building locked.

As a result, Arcos said, DHCD ordered the Town to repay $18,000 of grant money.

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The Town “corresponded with the Deputy Director of DHCD and requested reconsideration,” Arcos said, and another site visit was made. This time a representative was able to enter the library building, “but no class was being held at the time.”

Despite Arcos’s further explanations, DHCD denied the appeal and reiterated in writing that the $18,000 must be returned.

The Town is now appealing the decision to HUD, Arcos said.

On May 20 the Wave requested information from the Town on the cost of the computers and where they were purchased. At time of publication the information had not been provided.

The Dell Inspiron desktop computers in the library are about two years old and were the cheapest model sold at the time. Currently, the cheapest Dell Inspiron desktop with 20” flat screen monitor sells to the general public for under $380. Typically, government and quantity discounts are available.

At the current list price, with no government or quantity discount, 20 Dell Inspiron computers and monitors can be purchased for $7,600.

Current cost for a Dell Inspiron with 20-inch flat screen monitor is $380. Town spent $18,000 grant money two years ago on 20 similar computers at a cost of $900 each.

Current cost for a Dell Inspiron with 20-inch flat screen monitor is $380. Town spent $18,000 grant money two years ago on 20 similar computers.

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10 Responses to “Town Ordered to Repay $18,000 for Library Computers”

  1. Stefanie Hadden on May 28th, 2013 8:35 am

    This is the unfortunate result of the uncomfortable and inappropriate comingling of the town’s public interests (and public assets) with the Cape Charles Christian School’s private interests.

  2. Mike Kuzma, Jr on May 28th, 2013 11:10 am

    When you take the Man’s money, you MUST dance to his tune.

  3. Stephen Downs on May 28th, 2013 11:16 am

    Uncomfortable and inappropriate? I think the correct description would be
    ILLEGAL!

  4. Deborah Bender on May 28th, 2013 11:50 am

    Just another sneaky deal by the town! Wonder where the rest of the money went? When will the people of this town stand up and say enough is enough?

  5. Wayne Creed on May 28th, 2013 5:03 pm

    $18,000 for 20 computers? These guys sure know how to drive a hard bargain (see Echelon: $10 for a property assessed at $900,000).

    The Town needs to supply:
    • Purchase orders regarding the computer sales
    • Receipts showing payment of sale
    • Bank statements and/or copy of canceled check or wire transfer for total of sale

    Federal law requires that they be able to map the greasy bucks, penny for penny, back to the original grant total. That applies to all monies taken from the U.S. taxpayer. Given this shady business, it would seem an investigation into all grants, especially related to the library and harbor, should begin forthwith. As a note, if the Town is found to have violated any federal regulations regarding the use of grant monies, they could be required to repay all grants back to the government (the taxpayer).

  6. Smitty Dize on May 29th, 2013 11:38 am

    The Harbor Redevelopment was funded in part by two separate grants: the Boating Infrastructure Grant (BIG) (Tier 1), administered by the Virginia Department of Health and funded by the U.S. Fish And Wildlife Service, and the other is through the Virginia Port Authorities Aids to Local Ports Program.

    The BIG Grant covered a percentage of 22 transient slips and construction associated with these slips such as the Bath House. Once the slips were completed in May 2011, an inspector came out and inspected the job site before we could utilize these spaces. The same process took place with the Bath House in May 2012. Once the Bath House was completed and inspected we submitted all the invoices and copied checks. They were reviewed by the VDH and we then received payment for both projects.

    The Aids to Local Ports Grant is to aid small commercial harbors and ports and is funded by the Virginia Port Authority, which is a Subdivision of the Commonwealth of Virginia. This program has been vital to the Harbor’s redevelopment as it has partially funded projects since I’ve been Harbor Master. Almost the same process takes place. The VPA comes over periodically and looks at our progress, again we submit invoices with copied checks, they review what we have submitted, then we receive payment.

    The main difference between the two is, with the VPA we can submit as the project goes along, and with the BIG we could not submit until after the Slips and Bath House were complete. So with that being said the documents for the Harbor projects were inspected before we got any monies.

  7. Tom Kenny on May 29th, 2013 9:15 pm

    Longtime lurker, first response. Before you go yelling fire I think you may want to wait for information. Though $18k for 20 computers sounds like a lot of money you didn’t do much research into what that actually incorporates.

    First, you don’t buy computers off the shelf and plop them down into the library. Each of those computers would need to be configured so that a user couldn’t change the configuration on them. Next whatever is saved to them would be cleared out when the next user logs in. There is software to do that. Another possible purchase on the grant, times 20. Then there is antivirus software, again times 20. Then more than likely these computers are on their own little network, separate from the libraries network so a router may have been purchased

    Now, maybe but I doubt it the library staff didn’t set this up. So you have to pay an IT guy to do it. So, he might have to run cables. Is there a UPS attached to the PCs? As you can see there is a lot more to it that putting a PC on the desk. Was any electrical work needed?

    I would wait to judge. I would assume that the town needed to apply for the grant. Therefore contacting Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development for a copy of the application would tell you what the town was going to do with the grant. It should be a matter of public record.

    People are being whipped up into a frenzy. The town may have its issues but this one-sided reporting doesn’t help.

    You make some valid points, but please don’t confuse the Wave’s report with comments made by readers. The story did not “judge”; it simply reported the facts known at the time. As noted in the story, on May 20 the WAVE requested information from the Town on the cost of the computers and where they were purchased. After waiting a week without an answer, we reported what was known. When the Town provides the requested information the Wave will report it. –EDITOR

  8. Wayne Creed on May 31st, 2013 8:47 am

    Working with non-profits and community based organizations, we’ve found that in most kiosk situations (a public library), Chrome- or Linux-based PCs are best bets, usually coming in under $200 (even less in bulk, and with EDU, GOV or CB discounts), no software to buy or configure, multi-user (secure), fast, network ready — basically just plug them in and you have network access (most libraries are already wired, or have wireless routing). Unless you are planning on teaching software classes, it’s wasteful to buy full blown Windows-based PCs with all the overhead designed for business or personal productivity, unless of course, you’re playing with House Money — then even a $300,000+ toilet at the Harbor seems like a bargain.

  9. Ron Wrucke on June 2nd, 2013 11:48 am

    I’d like to see The Wave investigate and report on how the computers ended up in the school. That should make for some interesting reading …

  10. Deborah Bender on June 2nd, 2013 3:18 pm

    Ron,
    From what I understand the town got the money from HUD for the computers but didn’t have anywhere to put them all. They put them into a room at the Christian School on a temporary basis. The children had access to them but the public could also use them too. Then recently someone went to the school to use a computer and wasn’t able to for some reason or another. That person complained to HUD and that is when “it” hit the fan. Now HUD wants the money back.