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Grant coordinator says stop‑payment listing delayed applications; board hears ARPA and grant administration updates
Summary
Champaign County’s grant coordinator told the board that a months‑long stop‑payment listing tied to delayed audit work prevented grant submissions and reimbursements, and staff summarized ARPA project reporting and upcoming small‑business grant deadlines.
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — The county’s grant coordinator told the Champaign County Board on Wednesday that a three‑month stop‑payment listing tied to a delayed audit prevented her from submitting reimbursement grants and applying for some opportunities, and she urged tighter operational coordination to avoid future interruptions.
Kate Kuzia, the county’s grant coordinator, said she was placed on a stop‑payment list while the county’s audit was incomplete from Oct. 14 through Dec. 24. Because many grant portals require a certification that the applicant is not on a stop‑payment list, she said she could not submit ready applications and missed at least one deadline. Those months also delayed reimbursements for already‑approved grants.
Kuzia said the pause required staff in her department, the budget director and the finance specialist to work around the gap and that grant administration remains constrained while finance and auditor processes are unresolved. She told the board she is actively working with the auditor’s office and finance staff every day and urged improved communication and reliable processes to prevent future disruptions.
Separately, board members heard that the ARPA small‑business grant application round closes tomorrow; staff said the County’s Economic Development Corporation will review awards and notify applicants about a month after the deadline. Kuzia also summarized that the county had submitted quarterly ARPA reporting to the U.S. Treasury and that some ARPA‑funded positions are supported across departments.
Board members asked whether the delayed audit was the cause of Kuzia’s inability to apply; she confirmed the audit delay was a central cause but said she could not explain all reasons for the audit’s timing.
Members thanked Kuzia for outreach efforts including rural gun‑safety events and the opioid settlement task force work and asked staff to seek clearer processes to ensure grants can be applied for and reimbursed promptly.
