In addition, under 814.245 (10) of the Wis. Stats., the Department is required to report any awards granted to the Department regarding frivolous motions brought against this Department. In SFY 2006, no motions of opposing parties were found to be frivolous. Consequently, the Department has no awards to report.
Sincerely,
Helene Nelson
Secretary
Referred to committee on Health.
__________________
State of Wisconsin
University of Wisconsin Systems
Madison
September 1, 2006
To the Honorable, the Legislature:
Please find enclosed a corrected copy of the report required under s.
36.55, Wisconsin Statutes, for the period of July 1, 2004 to June 30, 2006, which was forwarded to you yesterday by UW System President Reilly. This corrected copy adds a notation in the first footnote relating to "notices of claim." The data presented in the table is unaffected. We apologize for any inconvenience.
Sincerely,
Christopher L. Ashley
Senior System Legal Counsel
Referred to committee on Colleges and Universities.
__________________
State of Wisconsin
Department of Natural Resources
Madison
September 6, 2006
To the Honorable, the Legislature:
We at the Department of Natural Resources are pleased to provide you with a copy of our annual Wisconsin Environmental Policy Act (WEPA) report. In fulfillment of Section
1.11 (2)(j) of the state statutes, this document provides information on the numbers of environmental assessments (EAs) and environmental impact statements (ElSs) completed by the Department in the past fiscal year.
Questions about the report can be directed to me at (608) 266-0426.
Sincerely,
James D. Pardee
WEPA Coordinator
Referred to committee on Natural Resources.
__________________
State of Wisconsin
Public Service Commission
Madison
September 8, 2006
To the Honorable, the Legislature:
Enclosed is a copy of the annual report the Public Service Commission (Commission) shall submit to the legislature as provided for in Wis. Stat. 1.11 (2)(j). It reports on the number and type of proposed actions requiring the preparation of an environmental assessment or an environmental impact statement by the Commission between July 1, 2005 and June 30, 2006.
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If you have any questions on this report, please contact our Environmental Analysis and Review Coordinator, Kathleen Zuelsdorff, at (608) 266-2730.
Sincerely,
Daniel R. Ebert
Chairperson
Referred to committee on Natural Resources.
__________________
State of Wisconsin
University of Wisconsin Systems
Madison
September 13, 2006
To the Honorable, the Legislature:
The attached document reflects the Wisconsin Environmental Policy Act (WEPA) activities of the University of Wisconsin System for the period of July 1, 2005 through June 30, 2006. This annual report fulfills Section
1.11 (2)(j) of the
Wisconsin Statutes in that it provides information on the number of Type I Environmental Impact Statements and Type II Environmental Impact Assessments completed during the past fiscal year.
Should you have any questions regarding this report, they should be directed to Terri Reda, UW System Environmental Affairs Officer. Terri may be reached at 263-4410.
Sincerely,
Kevin P. Reilly
President
Referred to committee on Natural Resources.
__________________
State of Wisconsin
Department of Commerce
Madison
September 13, 2006
To the Honorable, the Legislature:
Pursuant to WI statutory provision s.
560.205(3)(c) Stats., Commerce is reporting the total amount of tax credits claimed under ss.
71.07(5b) and
(5d),
72.28 (5b) and
71.47 (5b) per taxable year, the name of each business in which investments qualifying for such tax credits were made, the amount of such tax credits, and the amount of such investments.
Please notify the Department if you need any additional information.
Sincerely,
Mary Burke
Secretary
Referred to committee on Ways and Means.
__________________
State of Wisconsin
Department of Natural Resources
Madison
September 13, 2006
To the Honorable, the Legislature:
As required by s.
292.25, Wis. Stats., the Department of Natural Resources is pleased to submit the attached report regarding the status of the Voluntary Party Liability Exemption (VPLE) environmental cleanup process. As required by law, this report is being submitted to the Governor, the Department of Administration, and the Legislature. If you have any questions regarding this report, please contact Darsi Foss from my staff at (608) 267-6713.
Sincerely,
Scott Hassett
Secretary
Referred to committee on Natural Resources.
__________________
Agency Reports
State of Wisconsin
Legislative Audit Bureau
Madison
September 13, 2006
To the Honorable, the Assembly:
We have completed financial audits of Mendota and Winnebago Mental Health Institutes for the period July 1, 2004, through June 30, 2005. The audits were requested by the Department of Health and Family Services to comply with requirements of the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations. We were able to express an unqualified opinion on each Institute's financial statements.
Mendota and Winnebago Mental Health Institutes are licensed and accredited hospitals that provide specialized diagnostic, evaluation, and treatment services for mentally ill children and adults. The Institutes also provide services to forensic patients referred to them through the criminal justice system. The Institutes are funded through a mix of general purpose revenue and program revenue.
Each Institute reported a net loss for fiscal year 2004-05. Mendota reported a loss of $2.6 million, and Winnebago reported a loss of $1.7 million. In each case, operating revenues did not increase enough to offset increases in operating expenses, such as salary and fringe benefit costs. The Department increased daily patient rates effective October 1, 2005, and it anticipates another rate increase effective October 1, 2006.
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As part of our audit, we reviewed the administration of approximately $405,000 in client funds by the Program of Assertive Community Treatment, an outpatient unit of Mendota. To assist clients in managing their own money, staff receive and disburse funds on their behalf. In accepting client funds, the State is responsible for ensuring proper controls are in place to reduce the risks of error or misappropriation. We identified internal control concerns related to client funds administered by the Program of Assertive Community Treatment, including a lack of separation of duties and inadequate documentation.
We appreciate the courtesy and cooperation extended to us by Department of Health and Family Services staff during our audit. A response from the Department follows our report.
Respectfully submitted,
Janice Mueller
State Auditor
