The enclosed report summarizes alternatives for:
• organizational structures feasible for vehicle emissions inspection maintenance programs.
•methods available for capturing and transmitting data from vehicle on‐board computers.
• tools available for collecting data from vehicle on‐board computers.
The report is submitted for your distribution to the Assembly Committee on Transportation and to the Senate Committee on Transportation and Tourism.
Staff from the Division of Motor Vehicle is available to answer questions about the enclosed paper. Please contact Anna Biermeier, Director of the Bureau of Vehicle Services, at (608) 267‐5121 or
anna.biermeier@dot.state.wi.us.
Sincerely,
Frank J. Busalacchi
Secretary
Referred to committee on Transportation.
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State of Wisconsin
Department of Public Instruction
Madison
May 16, 2008
To the Honorable, the Legislature:
The Department of Public Instruction is submitting the 2007 annual report on the status of bilingual‐bicultural education programs as required under s.
115.996, Wis. Stats. The report provides data from the state‐aided bilingual‐bicultural/ESL education programs for the 2007 fiscal year (July 1, 2006, through June 30, 2007).
This annual report presents details on the state's administration and funding of bilingual education in Wisconsin, including the number of pupils from minority languages served, the locations of the state‐aided programs, and staff‐related data. In addition, the report comments on factors contributing to program growth.
Sincerely,
Elizabeth Burmaster
State Superintendent
Referred to committee on Education.
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State of Wisconsin
Department of Administration
Madison
May 2008
To the Honorable, the Legislature:
Last year, state agencies made strong progress toward the 5 percent minority contracting goal. This report provides information on Fiscal Year 2007 state purchases made with minority business enterprises (MBE) certified by the Wisconsin Department of Commerce. Our progress stems from your commitment to providing full and fair opportunities for all businesses, including MBEs, to compete for state contracts.
In Fiscal Year 2007, Wisconsin state government spent over $62 million with MBE firms for products, services, facilities and highways. This is the second highest amount spent with minority businesses since the MBE program began.
Fiscal Year 2007 MBE results represent 4.02 percent of overall state spending. State agencies led the way with a 38 percent increase in total spending with certified minority firms. In addition, fourteen agencies surpassed the 5 percent MBE goal in Fiscal 2007, up from seven agencies in 2006.
Through your leadership, opening access to minority‐owned businesses who are interested in doing business with the state will continue to be a major focus across state agencies.
Michael L. Morgan
Secretary of Administration
Referred to committee on Small Business.
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Agency Reports
State of Wisconsin
Legislative Audit Bureau
Madison
May 14, 2008
To the Honorable, the Assembly:
We have completed audit work at the Wisconsin Arts Board to help meet our audit requirements under s.
13.94, Wis. Stats. We have reviewed the Arts Board's fiscal operations to assess whether they are well‐controlled and in compliance with statutory requirements. One of the Arts Board's major activities is to administer artistic and cultural grant and fellowship programs for cultural organizations and individual artists. It also administers the State's Percent for Art Program, which coordinates the acquisition of artwork for public state buildings with building projects exceeding $250,000.
The Arts Board is primarily funded by general purpose revenue. It also receives program revenue from the federal government, Indian gaming compacts, and funds from other state agencies. Grant expenditures represented 61.3 percent and the Percent for Art Program represented 15.6 percent of the Arts Board's total expenditures of $3.9 million during fiscal year 2006‐07.
We identified several significant concerns with the Arts Board's fiscal controls. The major factor contributing to our concerns is that key fiscal responsibilities are primarily completed by one fiscal person with limited management oversight. The Arts Board has taken some steps to address our concerns, but we encourage it to implement all of the improvements we have recommended in a separate management letter.
The Arts Board is an active participant in Wisconsin's sister state relationship with Chiba Prefecture, Japan. The Board's Executive Director serves as the president of the nonprofit organization, Wisconsin‐Chiba, Inc., which provides the primary financial support for the relationship. The Arts Board provides program and administrative support to the organization. Our management letter includes recommendations for formalizing the Arts Board's arrangement with Wisconsin‐Chiba, Inc., in a written agreement and ensuring costs incurred for annual exchange trips are allowable and reasonable under state and federal requirements. The Arts Board has agreed to implement these recommendations.
We appreciate the courtesy and cooperation extended to us by Arts Board staff during our review.
Sincerely,
Janice Mueller
State Auditor
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State of Wisconsin
Investment Board
Madison
May 15, 2008
To the Honorable, the Legislature:
Attached is our quarterly report listing all expenses that were charged directly to funds managed by the State of Wisconsin Investment Board (SWIB or the Board) during the quarter ending March 31, 2008. Section
25.17 (13m), Stats., requires that we provide this report on a quarterly basis.
The statutes authorize the Board to employ special legal or investment counsel in any matter arising from the scope of our investment authority and to employ professionals, contractors or agents to evaluate or operate any property in which the Board has an interest. The Board may also contract with external advisers to manage various types of investments. Expenses for these services are directly charged to the current income of the fund for which the services were furnished.
This report lists expenses on an accrual basis, which lists costs when they are incurred rather than paid. Providing the information on an accrual basis gives a better picture of quarter to quarter trends in services that are directly charged to the funds. A negative charge typically indicates an adjustment to expenses accrued in a prior quarter or a refund of expenses that were prepaid and subsequently adjusted.
We hope this report gives you a clear picture of expenditures and how funds are managed. Please contact me, however, if you have any questions or comments about the report.
Sincerely,
Keith Bozarth
Executive Director
