Community
Bump: Audit shows improper spending, potential conflicts of interest at Fall River Line Pier, Inc.
Boston, MA – State Auditor Suzanne M. Bump is calling on the Fall River Line Pier, Inc. (FRLP) and its board members to strengthen financial oversight and protections against conflicts of interest, after an audit questioned some of the organization’s non-payroll expenses. The audit found FRLP made payments to companies in which board members had undisclosed financial interests, made expenditures that were not in support of the organization’s mission, and did not collect outstanding balances from tenants in a timely manner. The audit examined the period of January 1, 2016 through December 31, 2018.
“Board members of the Fall River Line Pier, Inc. have a responsibility to ensure that spending by the organization aligns with its mission, and is done in a manner that is transparent and fair. Our audit makes clear the board must implement policies to avoid perceived or real conflicts of interest, and improve financial management,” Bump said of the audit. “These are issues of public trust and I urge the FRLP board to take these matters seriously.”
The audit shows FRLP paid for 83 expenses totaling $121,874 to private companies in which some board members had financial interests that were not properly disclosed. FRLP did not have a policy for how to deal with potential conflicts of interest or documentation to substantiate that these transactions were discussed by the board. The audit also found FRLP spent over $19,625 for expenses unrelated to the organization’s mission, including sending six board members to a conference in Miami. Finally, the audit found FRLP regularly did not collect outstanding balances from two of its tenants in a timely fashion.
In the audit, Bump calls on the organization to establish policies and procedures to ensure spending is in line with its mission and to ensure potential conflicts of interest are appropriately handled and disclosed.
FRLP was established as a nonprofit in 1946 and is overseen by an 11-member board of directors responsible for managing its property and business. FRLP previously leased its premises from the Commonwealth under a 50-year lease agreement, which ended in April 2014. FRLP is currently a tenant at will and negotiating a new agreement with the Commonwealth through MassDevelopment, the state’s finance and development agency, which oversees day-to-day management of the pier on behalf of the Department of Conservation and Recreation.
We contacted Fall River Line Pier, Inc. concerning the audit and have not heard back at the time of publication.
SocialCrusticeCrusader
June 11, 2020 at 2:55 pm
Why isn’t there a list of board members with this story? Would be nice to see those responsible for this ineptitude.
Erin
June 11, 2020 at 10:24 pm
From the Secretary of the Commonwealth’s website today, June 11:
The Officers and Directors of the Corporation:
Title Individual Name Address Term expires
PRESIDENT GILBERT C OLIVEIRA JR. 1191HIGHLAND AVENUE FALL RIVER, MA 02720 USA 2019
TREASURER MICHAEL LUND ONE FERRY STREET FALL RIVER, MA 02721 USA 2019
SECRETARY KARA O’CONNELL 180 RIVER STREET FALL RIVER, MA 02720 USA 2019
VICE PRESIDENT MICHELLE T PAUL 582 WALNUT STREET FALL RIVER, MA 02720 USA 2019
DIRECTOR ROBERT BOGAN P.O. BOX 2573 – 63 WATER ST. FALL RIVER, MA 02722 USA 2019
DIRECTOR DAVID HEBERT 555 HANOVER STREET FALL RIVER, MA 02720 USA 2019
DIRECTOR BRUCE MORROW 162 PRESIDENT AVENUE FALL RIVER, MA 02720 USA 2019
DIRECTOR MARK VELOZA 350 ELDRIDGE STREET FALL RIVER, MA 02720 USA 2019
DIRECTOR SCOTT MUNRO 97 N. SEVENTH ST. – PO BOX 468 FALL RIVER, MA 02722 USA 2019
DIRECTOR BRIAN GETTINGS 64 REMWOOD STREET FALL RIVER, MA 02720 USA 2019
SocialCrusticeCrusader
June 12, 2020 at 8:03 am
Thanks; some real eye openers on the list. Now time for some removals. Maybe someone knows how to start the process.
SickofCrooks
June 12, 2020 at 10:27 am
So all of the taxpayers of Fall River donated to Lund Borden Light Marina. Nice.
And what else did these bloodsuckers get away with? The report says that the taxpayers spent $20,000 to send (6) of them on a vacation to Miami. So tell us which ones went on this taxpayer paid vacation? Another board member has been collecting the commissions on the insurance for the facility for years. Who is that? Another has been selling the heating oil from his own company to the pier. Who is that? I would like to see a list of the other $120,000 of misused funds mentioned in the report. Lets just hope that this gets turned over for a criminal investigation. Why is there no outrage over this ? The Mayor needs to IMMEDIATELY terminate every board member and fire the management. It’s very simple. They stole money from the taxpayers, and they got caught.
https://www.mass.gov/doc/audit-of-the-fall-river-line-pier-inc/download