State and local police are investigating discrepancies in public funding requests submitted by the Vineyard Trust for restoration and maintenance work on two landmark properties in Edgartown and Oak Bluffs, officials in both towns confirmed Monday.
The joint investigation by Edgartown and Oak Bluffs police, as well as Massachusetts state police, comes after officials in both towns discovered irregularities in applications from the Trust for Community Preservation Act funding.
Trust executive director Funi Burdick swiftly resigned last week in the wake of the discoveries.
More than $170,000 in CPA funding for the Whaling Church restoration was postponed at the Edgartown annual town meeting last month after the town learned at the last minute about discrepancies between the CPA funding application from the Trust and the original work estimate from painting contractor John Anderson.
Town administrator James Hagerty confirmed that Ms. Burdick had taken responsibility for changing the documents.
In Oak Bluffs, more than $72,000 in CPA funding for restoration work on the Flying Horses Carousel was approved at the annual town meeting May 15, but that money too has been put on hold now, due to similar discrepancies between the application and work estimates.
“It is being investigated,” Oak Bluffs acting town administrator Wendy Brough said Monday. “State and local police are involved in the investigation on that level, and we are cooperating.”
Mr. Hagerty also confirmed the police investigation Monday.
The Edgartown irregularities came to light 10 days ago when town officials said they had held up the funding for the Whaling Church after discovering that a work estimate provided by the Trust had been altered to increase the dollar amount and change the description of the work. The changes included increasing the project costs by more than $60,000 over the original estimate, and changing the word “painting” to “restoration”.
Documents provided to the Gazette this past weekend in response to a public records request provided more details about the problems in Oak Bluffs.
In a June 1 email to Ms. Burdick, Oak Bluffs town counsel Ron Rappaport asked her to clarify discrepancies between the CPA funding requests and two contractor estimates for the work. The email includes a copy of Oct. 1 correspondence to the Trust from master woodworker Myles Thurlow, estimating the carousel platform rebuild at $35,000, drive train repairs at $5,000 and repair work on the organ at $15,000, for a total of $55,000. The CPA funding application to the town included a quote from Mr. Thurlow for $64,750, with $41,450 for the platform rebuild, $6,800 for the drive train and $16,500 for organ maintenance.
“Can you explain who wrote the document which was submitted to the town; who came up with the revised figures; and whether Mr. Thurlow was aware of (at the time of submittal) and stands behind the quote submitted to the town?” Mr. Rappaport said in the email to Ms. Burdick.
The email also includes copies of two work estimates from painting contractor John Anderson dated Sept. 14. One is for $5,850 for painting the carousel platform, and the other is for $14,900. The more expensive quote included additional descriptions of the work, adding $8,500 for replacement and finishing work on doors, and increasing the platform painting request by $550.
Mr. Rappaport asked who prepared the estimates, and whether Mr. Anderson was aware of the differences.
In a reply dated June 4, Ms. Burdick said she was looking into the discrepancies.
“Thank you for speaking with us today,” Ms. Burdick said in an email to Mr. Rappaport. “We are in the process of researching the answers to the questions you posed to me in your . . . email to me.”
Trust board president Patrick Ahearn announced last Wednesday that Ms. Burdick had resigned effective immediately. In a statement, Mr. Ahearn apologized to the two towns for the mistakes, and said steps were being taken to ensure they could not happen again.
Ms. Brough said Monday that while voters had approved the money for work on the Oak Bluffs carousel, in light of the police investigation, the town has not allocated the funding.
“Everything is just on hold . . . there is no money being paid out, and that obviously is going to continue,” she said. “We are going to talk with town counsel about repercussions regarding the warrant.”
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