SD13 - Special Report of the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission on Cousteau Ocean Center

  • Published: 1986
  • Author: Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission
  • Enabling Authority: Appropriation Act - Item 4-5.07 (Regular Session, 1985)

Executive Summary:
At the request of Senator Peter K. Babalas, and under authority of § 4-5.07 of the Appropriations Act, the Commission approved a special audit of the Cousteau Ocean Center project. The audit was to cover all funds appropriated to the Norfolk Recreational Facilities Authority (NRFA) and to The Cousteau Society for purposes associated with the planning, design, construction, and administration of the Ocean Center. The audit was to include both financial and program components.

The financial audit was prepared by the Auditor of Public Accounts. The program audit, which was prepared by the JLARC staff, addressed two central questions: (1) Has the NRFA taken a reasonable approach to planning, designing, and administering the Cousteau Ocean Center? and (2) Is the Public Procurement Act applicable to the Cousteau Ocean Center project?

The JLARC staff interviewed officials of the NRFA, The Cousteau Society, and the City of Norfolk. An on-site review was made of project files at the NRFA. Exhibit 1, on the following page, briefly summarizes the role of key participants in the development of the Cousteau Ocean Center.

Since 1980, the General Assembly has appropriated more than one million dollars for the Cousteau Center (Table 1).

A direct appropriation was made to The Cousteau Society in 1980-82. However, for the period 1982-86, the General Assembly authorized the NRFA to contract with the Society or others for design, construction, and administration services. The Authority was directed to 'report annually on the progress of the project to the Chairmen of the House Appropriations and Senate Finance Committees. Status reports were submitted in January of 1983, 1984, and 1985.