__________________
Referral of Agency Reports
State of Wisconsin
Department of Employment Relations
Madison
August 30, 2001
To the Honorable, the Assembly:
I am pleased to submit the State Council on Affirmative Action Report for July 1, 2000, to June 30, 2001. The report includes accomplishments for the past year and identifies Council direction for the future.
Additional copies may be obtained from the Department of Employment Relations, Division of Affirmative Action, 345 West Washington Avenue, Madison, Wisconsin 53703.
Please contact Greg Jones, Administrator of the Division of Affirmative Action, at 266-3017 or e-mail
greg.jones@der.state.wi.us if you have any questions or need additional information regarding the report.
Sincerely,
Gregory C. Jones
Administrator
Referred to committee on Labor and Workforce Development.
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State of Wisconsin
Elections Board
Madison
September 5, 2001
To the Honorable, the Legislature:
Enclosed is a report of the State Elections Board describing impediments to voting faced by elderly and disabled electors. This report has been prepared pursuant to Section
5.25 (4)(d), Wisconsin Statutes. The Elections Board is providing it to you for distribution to the appropriate standing committees of the legislature as directed by Section
13.172 (3), Wisconsin Statutes.
Additional copies have been prepared for distribution to representatives of appropriate advocacy groups and individuals on our subscription list. The report is also available on our website at
http://elections.state.wi.us/.
If I can provide any additional information or assistance please contact me at 608-266-8087.
Sincerely,
Kevin J. Kennedy
Executive Director
Referred to committee on Campaigns and Elections.
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State of Wisconsin
Legislative Audit Bureau
Madison
September 5, 2001
To the Honorable, the Legislature:
We have completed a financial audit of the Mendota and Winnebago Mental Health Institutes for the period July 1, 1999 through June 30, 2000. The audit was requested by the Department of Health and Family Services to comply with requirements of the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Hospitals. We are able to express an unqualified opinion on each Institute's financial statements.
The financial statements show that, on an accrual basis, Mendota had net income of $2.8 million and Winnebago had net income of $3.0 million, which represents a significant improvement in the Institutes' financial performance. The Department eliminated its unsupported cash deficit in the Institutes' appropriations, largely because it was able to increase daily patient billing rates and federal Medical Assistance reimbursement levels for the Institutes.
For several years, the Department did not have an adequate system to accumulate and summarize information on patient revenues and accounts receivable. In January 1999, the Department began implementing a new $525,000 billing and accounting system; however, its automated billing functions are not yet properly working, which has resulted in delays in billing and collection activities. The Department is taking reasonable steps to solve the problems with the system and to reduce the delays, which we will continue to monitor in our future audits of the Institutes. In addition, we recommend improvements for the Department's process for developing and documenting estimates of patient revenues and receivables.
We appreciate the courtesy and cooperation extended to us by Department of Health and Family Services staff during our audit.
Respectfully submitted,
Janice Mueller
State Auditor
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State of Wisconsin
Legislative Audit Bureau
Madison
September 7, 2001
To the Honorable, the Legislature:
We have completed a review of the Environmental Cooperation Pilot Program, which was established by
1997 Wisconsin Act 27. This pilot program, operated by the Department of Natural Resources (DNR), is intended to provide increased flexibility for businesses in complying with environmental regulations, while maintaining existing levels of environmental protection. The Legislative Audit Bureau is required by statutes to monitor and report annually on this pilot program.
The program allows DNR to sign up to ten cooperative agreements with businesses. No cooperative agreements were established during the program's first two years. Of the nine companies that submitted letters of intent to join the program, three have withdrawn or chosen to pursue their objectives within existing regulations. In February 2001, an agreement with Wisconsin Electric Power Company became the first to be executed under the program. Agreements with the remaining five companies are in various stages of development.
Both DNR staff and program participants identified challenges associated with the Environmental Cooperation Pilot Program. These challenges include encouraging businesses to participate despite the time required to advance through the application process and reach a signed agreement, the uncertainty of the final outcome for program participants, and the process for involving the federal Environmental Protection Agency. Addressing these challenges will be important because the Legislature will likely be asked to consider a new flexible environmental management program, known as Green Tier, which has been proposed by a DNR-appointed committee to enhance the environmental performance of companies.
We appreciate the courtesy and cooperation extended to us by DNR during our review.
Respectfully submitted,
Janice Mueller
State Auditor
