Transit official warns NDOT paperwork could lead to denied reimbursements; replacement vehicle delayed

At the May 17 Board of Commissioners meeting, Lori Myers — introduced in the meeting as representing county public transit — told the board the county still has not received a replacement vehicle requested two years ago and that new NDOT documentation requirements threaten timely reimbursement for transit expenses.

Myers said federal audits found reimbursement documentation lacking, and that NDOT is now asking for much more detailed receipts — including individual pump/fuel receipts. "They're they're wanting individual pump receipts, which is kind of ridiculous," Myers said in the meeting, adding that NDOT will begin enforcing the new documentation with May reimbursements and that some requests could be denied as early as June if supporting documents are missing.

Myers said staff are considering administratively moving transit expenditures out of the county's '100' fund into a separate fund to comply with NDOT's requirements and will consult with the county auditor and finance staff (Brenda was named in the meeting) to ensure reimbursements are properly documented.

Why it matters: a change in reimbursement policy could reduce short-term cash flow for transit operations and complicate budgeting for fuel and vehicle expenses. The report included no details on the size of potential reimbursement losses.

The board treated the update as informational. Myers asked for internal follow-up to work with auditors and finance; no formal vote or budget decision was taken at the meeting.