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Week of Thursday, July 22, 2004Changes sought at By PETE
HEYN A petition asking Gov. Jennifer Granholm to take specific actions in response to an audit of Eastern Michigan University’s University House project began circulating through the community last weekend. The audit, which was released on July 13, was critical of the manner in which the University handled the construction of the 10,000-square-foot building, which contains a president’s residence and a facility for fundraising and other events. "They (the regents) should be thrown out." said prominent Ypsilanti Republican Peter Fletcher. "We need to throw those rascals out; it is time for a change. EMU should now stand for Enough Messing Up. People should write letters to the governor or sign the ad hoc petition that is now being circulated." A petition calling for the removal of two regents is being circulated. While it has no legal authority, it asks Granholm to move against the regents. There also is a website, supportemu.org where state residents can sign the petition that also asks that President Sam Kirkpatrick’s severance package of about $500,000 rescinded. Last month, Kirkpatrick announced he was leaving EMU. Both he and Incarnati have said Kirkpatrick’s decision to leave the university is unrelated to University House. The petition seeks the removal of EMU regents Chair Philip A. Incarnati and Joseph E Antonini, who chairs the Regents’ finance committee. The petition says Incarnati and Antonini should be removed for their role in the project. Cliff Smith, Democratic candidate for 54th District representative, is strongly supporting the petition. Smith, who was an internal auditor for Kelsey-Hayes said the University ignored many internal controls in the completion of the project. "I don’t want the university to be punished for the mistakes of the regents, but it is clear that the bid process was not followed and that internal controls were lacking. The people responsible for oversight of the project dropped the ball. The regents should be removed," said Smith. Liz Boyd, an aide to the governor, said Granholm has asked her legal staff to review the audit to confirm the findings of the Auditor General and to determine what, if anything, would be an appropriate response to the findings. The audit addressed five main issues in relation to the project. It state the following: • The total cost of the project was over $6 million, including related expenses. • The funding included operating revenues. • The university did not follow correct accounting procedures in relation to the project. • The school did not file the necessary paperwork with the state in a timely manner. • The school did not exercise sufficient management control over the project. The audit also provided the school with four specific recommendations to correct the problems it found. They included completing the necessary state forms in a timely manner, maintaining sufficient controls over spending, complying with state regulations and improving it’s bid process. |
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