__________________
State of Wisconsin
Department of Administration
July 31, 2002
The Honorable, The Legislature:
This report is transmitted as required by sec. 20.002(11)(f) of the Wisconsin Statutes, (for distribution to the appropriate standing committees under sec. 13.172(3) Stats.), and confirms that the Department of Administration has found it necessary to exercise the "temporary reallocation of balances" authority provided by this section in order to meet payment responsibilities and cover resulting negative balances during the month of June 2002.
On June 17, 2002, the General Fund balance was -$727.4 million. This shortfall continued through June 30, 2002, when the cash balance closed at -$421.9 million. The shortfall was due to the difference in the timing of revenues and expenditures, in combination with the overall budget shortfall.
On June 1, 2002, the Wisconsin Health Education Loan Repayment Fund balance was -$1,000. This shortfall continued until June 24, 2002, when the balance reached a positive $6,000. During this period, the Wisconsin Health Education Loan Repayment Fund balance reached a low of -$2,000 on June 3, 2002. The shortfall was due to the difference in the timing of revenues and expenditures.
The General Fund and the Wisconsin Health Education Loan Repayment Fund shortfalls were not in excess of the statutory interfund borrowing limitation and did not exceed the balances of the funds available for interfund borrowing.
The distribution of interest earnings to investment pool participants is based on the average daily balance in the pool and each fund's share. Therefore, the monthly calculation by the State Controller's Office will automatically reflect the use of these temporary reallocations of balance authority.
Sincerely,
George Lightbourn
Secretary
Referred to the joint committee on Finance.
State of Wisconsin
Legislative Audit Bureau
July 30, 2002
The Honorable, The Legislature:
At the request of the joint Legislative Audit Committee, we have completed an evaluation of the Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District. The District is a special-purpose municipal corporation that provides sewer services to the City of Milwaukee and most of Milwaukee County, as well as to all or parts of a number of municipalities in surrounding counties.
The District's $2.3 billion sewer improvement program, including the 19.4 mile Deep Tunnel and related improvements, has significantly reduced both the number and the volume of sewer overflows, and the District has not violated the combined sewer overflow provisions of its wastewater discharge permit since 1994. However, the program has not achieved the results anticipated when it was designed. Sanitary sewer overflows continue, and more than twice the predicted number of combined sewer overflows has occurred since the Deep Tunnel began operation. Since 1994, a total of 13.2 billion gallons of untreated wastewater has been discharged into Milwaukee-area waterways because of a combination of large storms, stormwater infiltration into sewers, capacity issues in the Deep Tunnel and the District's sewers and treatment facilities, and operational policies that have exacerbated overflows. For example, a total of 107 million gallons of untreated wastewater was discharged since June 1999 during six overflows that occurred because the District's contractor had temporarily turned off Deep Tunnel pumps while switching to a lower-cost source of electricity.
The District is in the process of implementing a $786.4 million building program that is intended to reduce sewer overflows by constructing additional wastewater capacity, increasing treatment plant capacity, and improving the performance of the sewer system. It also plans to spend $410.0 million on watercourse improvement projects. To date, completed projects have had significantly higher costs than the District anticipated.
We found that the District's sewer system and the Deep Tunnel have reduced the amount of pollutants entering waterways, and water quality has improved within the combined sewer area. However, water quality outside the combined sewer area has not improved since 1994 because of sewer overflows and nonpoint and other pollution sources. Neither Lake Michigan nor Milwaukee-area rivers currently meet designated water quality standards specified in federal and state law.
We appreciate the courtesy and cooperation extended to us by the District's staff during the course of our audit. The District's response in Appendix 5.
Sincerely,
Janice Mueller
State Auditor
__________________
__________________
State of Wisconsin
Revisor of Statutes Bureau
August 1, 2002
To the Honorable, the Senate:
The following rules have been published:
Sincerely,
GARY L. POULSON
Deputy Revisor
Relating to dairy plants.
Submitted by Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection.
Report received from Agency, August 2, 2002.
Referred to committee on Labor and Agriculture,
August 7, 2002.
Relating to dairy farms.
Submitted by Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection.
Report received from Agency, August 2, 2002.
Referred to committee on Labor and Agriculture,
August 7, 2002.
Relating to complaint procedures.
Submitted by Department of Corrections.
Report received from Agency, August 6, 2002.
Referred to committee on Economic Development and Corrections, August 7, 2002
.
Relating to the definition of "ownership" for the purpose of determining eligibility of firms for a license as a certified public accounting firm.
Submitted by Department of Regulation and Licensing.
Report received from Agency, August 2, 2002.
Referred to committee on Universities, Housing, and Government Operations, August 7, 2002
.
Relating to operation of the health insurance risk-sharing plan (HIRSP).
Submitted by Department of Health and Family Services.
Report received from Agency, August 1, 2002.
Referred to committee on Health, Utilities, Veterans and Military Affairs, August 7, 2002
.
Relating to the extension of the time period allowed for filing an initial claim for unemployment insurance benefits.
Submitted by Department of Workforce Development .
Report received from Agency, August 1, 2002.
Referred to committee on Labor and Agriculture,
August 7, 2002.
__________________
The committee on Environmental Resources reports and recommends:
Relating to public notification requirements for public water systems.
No action taken.
Relating to fishing on the inland and outlying waters of Wisconsin.
No action taken.
Relating to trout fishing on the inland waters of Wisconsin.
No action taken.
Relating to hunting.
No action taken.
Relating to hunting, trapping and captive wildlife.
No action taken.
Jim Baumgart
Chairperson
The committee on Privacy, Electronic Commerce and Financial Institutions reports and recommends:
Relating to fees regarding partnerships, corporations, limited liability companies and cooperatives.
No action taken.
Jon Erpenbach
