BATON ROUGE - BREC Superintendent Janet Simmons said the agency is putting measures in place to get BREC on the right track after the 2023 audit released by the Louisiana Legislative Auditor's Office on Monday noted compliance issues and missing equipment.

As previously reported, the audit noted non-compliance with state bid laws, budget publication laws and local government budget act.

Simmons started as interim superintendent in June. She said many issues noted in the 2023 audit could be partly attributed to the high staff turnover at the time in the finance department, adding that employees did not know who turn financial documents into which led to miscommunication. She said there are new measures to promote transparency.

"Constantly, every day, we're having war room meetings, we go into the war room and look at issues we have and solve them," Simmons said. "For example, we were in our department head meeting and decided any partnership we go into over a certain amount, they have to be approved by the superintendent, whereas in prior years, that wasn't always the case."

She also said BREC is putting into effect a rapid response ticketing system to account for any damages which occur in the parks.

The audit also detailed nearly $30,000 worth of equipment missing from Greenwood Community Park and Dumas Golf Course. Simmons said there was an investigation, but ultimately no one was caught.

"We believe that it could be a temporary staff person that came in through a temporary agency, and then they learned the ropes, if you want to call it that," Simmons said. "I think it's just a write off especially since it was two, two and a half, three years ago."

This summer, BREC's new Commission, which is made up of five mayors or mayor-appointees with the other members chosen by the EBR Metro Council, began meeting.

"They'll be scrutinizing the systems we have in place financially," Simmons said.

Simmons said because BREC was behind on its audits, it missed out on grant opportunities, that is why she wants to get the 2024 audit completed before 2025 draws to a close.

"In order for you to apply for a grant, you have to show your financials. That makes a difference when you have to show your financials and have to say the last financials we had approved were the 2023 audit," she said. "If we can get it completed, which we're working toward, starting in 2026, that'll give us a new, fresh look and a new opportunity to put a lot more into the park system."

Read the audit here.