Vineyard's redevelopment agency hires CPA firm again to widen review of reimbursement payments

The Vineyard Redevelopment Agency board voted Sept. 15, 2026 to hire CPA Insight Solutions and Chris Harding again to review its records, after the firm's December 2025 work raised questions about how the agency documents reimbursement payments for the former Geneva Steel site. ^[1][2]

What the December 2025 report said

CPA Insight Solutions' Supplemental Observations and Recommendations Report, dated Dec. 10, 2025, accompanies an agreed-upon procedures engagement covering fiscal years 2023 and 2024. The firm wrote that the report "does not provide assurance, an opinion, or a conclusion" on the city's financial statements and that its observations "are not findings in the audit sense." ^[1]

Its chapter on redevelopment payments covers reimbursements to Anderson Geneva LLC, the project manager for the site's remediation, using a judgmental sample of higher-dollar and higher-volume check packets. It reports that multiple packets lacked subcontractor invoices, scale tickets, manifests or detailed support for billed quantities, that some subcontractors applied significant multipliers without explanation, and that no documentation was provided showing that city staff or Anderson Geneva independently verified billed quantities. ^[1]

The report says the agreements require reimbursement of "actual costs incurred" without defining the documentation needed, and that the city has no written procedures for reviewing the reimbursements. It states that the engagement "did not identify specific instances of nonperformance or improper billing," but that the lack of procedures weakens the city's control environment. It recommends a formal review procedure, written documentation standards, a standardized checklist for every packet and dual review of large requests. ^[1]

The agency's Jan. 14, 2026 agenda listed the appointment of a subcommittee to review the redevelopment chapter of the report. ^[1]

The September votes

At the Sept. 15, 2026 meeting, the board approved a professional services agreement with CPA Insight Solutions and Chris Harding for agreed-upon procedures and an expanded review of records. The draft minutes record a 5–0 vote, on a motion by David Lauret seconded by Jacob Wood. ^[2]

In the meeting's official transcript, a speaker describes the new work as expanding the time frame reviewed and using a larger sample of documents than the earlier engagement. Neither the transcript nor the minutes states the agreement's cost, hours or deadline. ^[3]

The board also appointed Rob Sant and Steven Proud as RDA directors, 5–0, according to the draft minutes, with Sant focusing on financial management and compliance and Proud on economic development and environmental issues. ^[2]

The minutes were in the packet for the agency's Oct. 13 meeting, with their approval and certification lines blank. ^[2]

A proposed conflict-of-interest form

The Oct. 13 packet also listed a work-session discussion of Resolution U-2026-05, which would adopt a conflict-of-interest disclosure form for RDA contractors, board members and staff. The copy in the packet is unsigned, with its adoption date and roll call blank. ^[2]