A manager at Denver International Airport should repay the airport $12,170 for unauthorized work absences and should be disciplined for improperly documenting two work-related conferences she attended in Hawaii, a Denver City audit reported Monday.
Denver City Auditor Dennis Gallagher in a prepared statement said the audit showed the city administration and DIA management have a “lackadaisical attitude” toward requiring employees to actually work for the time they are paid for.
The audit covered actions by Lori Beckman, assistant deputy manager for airport security, from January 2001 through December 2003.
The airport’s management, in a written response, agreed Beckman had taken unauthorized paid absences but disagreed that all 35.5 days were improper.
DIA management also said the failure to file necessary paperwork regarding the work-related trip involved “inadvertent omissions.”
Beckman did not return telephone messages seeking comment.
The probe followed a similar city audit in March accusing airport managers of $107,000 in compensatory-time abuses and recommended firing four airport managers. One of those managers, Eric Hall, was fired April 4. Another, Mark Lovin, former deputy manager of aviation, resigned March 8, days before the release of that audit.
The audit said Beckman failed to file documentation showing that the Association of American Airport Executives had reimbursed her $5,331 for trips she took to Hawaii to attend that organization’s conferences in 2002 and 2003.
The audit said that in 2003, Beckman had used a city credit card to pay for airfare and lodging for herself and her husband to attend the conference in Hawaii. She reimbursed the city after the AAAE reimbursed her expenses. In 2002, she paid for a trip to the conference on her own credit card and then was reimbursed by the organization.
Beckman told the auditors that the ticketing airline had not followed her instructions that her spouse’s ticket be purchased with a personal credit card. She said she immediately paid the personal charges on the city credit card as soon as she realized the mistake.
The auditor’s office said she should have disclosed that the trade group had paid for the trips on her annual financial disclosure statements. Beckman filed amended financial disclosure statements noting the payments in 2006.
The audit also said Beckman should reimburse $612 for failing to submit monthly mileage reimbursement forms for 13 months. The audit also found other payroll discrepancies and said she should repay $857.
The airport’s management, in its response, said the audit findings will be reviewed to determine what action should be taken.
Staff writer Christopher N. Osher can be reached at 303-820-1747 or cosher@denverpost.com.
