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Referral of Agency Reports
State of Wisconsin
Groundwater Coordinating Council
Madison
August 2010
To the Honorable, the Legislature:
The Groundwater Coordinating Council (GCC) is pleased to release its 2010 Report to the Legislature. The GCC was formed in 1984 to help state agencies coordinate non-regulatory activities and exchange information on groundwater. For the past 26 years, the GCC has served as a model for interagency coordination and cooperation among state agencies, the Governor, local and federal government, and the university. It is one of the few groups in the nation to effectively coordinate groundwater activities in its state from an advisory position.
This report summarizes and provides links to information on GCC and agency activities related to groundwater protection and management in FY 10 (July 1, 2009 to June 30, 2010). The links also provide information on the condition of the groundwater resource. At the end of this report are the GCC's recommendations titled Directions for Future Groundwater Protection.
We hope you will find this report to be a useful reference in protecting Wisconsin's valuable groundwater resource.
Sincerely,
Bruce Baker, Chair
Groundwater Coordinating Council
Referred to committee on Natural Resources.
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State of Wisconsin
Department of Administration
Madison
August 31, 2010
To the Honorable, the Legislature:
A1007
This report is transmitted as required by s.
20.002 (11)(f), Wisconsin Statutes, (for distribution to the appropriate standing committees under s.
13.172 (3), Wisconsin Statutes) 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 cash balances during the month of July 2010.
On July 26, 2010, the General Fund cash balance closed at a negative $123.0 million (its intra-month low). This negative balance continued through July 31, 2010, when the fund's cash balance closed at a negative $84.4 million. The negative balance was due to the difference in the timing of revenues and expenditures.
On July 1, 2010, the Medical Assistance Trust Fund cash balance closed at a negative $253.1 million (its intra-month low). This negative balance continued through July 29, 2010, when the fund's cash balance closed at a positive $4.2 million. The negative balance was due to the difference in the timing of revenues and expenditures.
On July 1, 2010, the Police and Fire Protection Fund cash balance closed at a negative $5.0 million (its intra-month low). This negative balance continued through July 31, 2010, when the fund's cash balance closed at a negative $1.0 million. The negative balance was due to the difference in the timing of revenues and expenditures.
On July 1, 2010, the Environmental Fund cash balance closed at a negative $10.7 million. This negative balance continued through July 31, 2010, when the fund's cash balance closed at a negative $10.6 million. The Environmental Fund cash balance reached its intra-month low of a negative $13.0 million on July 22, 2010. The negative balance was due to the difference in the timing of revenues and expenditures.
The General Fund, Medical Assistance Trust Fund, Police and Fire Protection Fund, and Environmental Fund shortfalls were not in excess of the statutory interfund borrowing limitations 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, and as a result, the funds requiring the use of the authority will effectively bear the interest cost.
Sincerely,
Daniel J. Schooff
Secretary of Administration
Referred to committee on Ways and Means and joint committee on Finance.
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State of Wisconsin
Department of Health Services
Madison
September 1, 2010
To the Honorable, the Legislature:
Section
55.14 (11) of the Wis. Statutes requires the Department of Health Services to submit a report concerning any orders for the involuntary administration of psychotropic medications to individuals who are receiving protective services. Counties and their contract agencies are required to submit copies of these orders to the Department. Section
51.14 (3) and
(8) establish the criteria for issuance of court orders. Four counties (Oneida, Pierce, Rock and Washburn) provided copies of protective placement court orders for psychotropic medications in the last year.
Sincerely,
Karen Timberlake
Secretary
Referred to committee on Aging and Long-Term Care.
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State of Wisconsin
Department of Health Services
Madison
September 2, 2010
To the Honorable, the Legislature:
Section
227.485 (9) of the Wis. Stats. requires the Department to submit a report concerning decisions and resulting payments of attorney fees and related legal costs. Attorney fees and other legal costs are to be paid whenever the opposing party to an agency's Chapter
227 hearing prevails and it is determined the agency's position was not substantially justified. As indicated in the attached chart, five payments totaling $51,613.82 were made during SFY2010.
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 2010, no motions of opposing parties were found to be frivolous. Consequently, the Department has no awards to report.
Sincerely,
Karen Timberlake
Secretary
Referred to committee on Health and Healthcare Reform.
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Agency Reports
State of Wisconsin
Housing and Economic Development Authority
Madison
August 24, 2010
To the Honorable, the Legislature:
Pursuant to Wisconsin Statutes 234.931 (5), enclosed please find the following report relating to the Wisconsin Development Reserve Fund:
A1008
Annual Report of Guarantee Funds as of June 30, 2010
Should you have any questions or comments on the reports, please feel free to call me at 266-1640.
Sincerely,
Laura B. Morris
Chief Financial Officer
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State of Wisconsin
Legislative Audit Bureau
Madison
September 2, 2010
To the Honorable, the Legislature:
In response to a complaint reported to the Fraud, Waste, and Mismanagement Hotline established by
2007 Wisconsin Act 126, we have completed a limited-scope review of the Justice Gateway information system developed by the Office of Justice Assistance (OJA). This system was designed for local law enforcement agencies to share information that is not currently available in other statewide information systems. Concerns were raised about the progress made in development and implementation of the system and whether it is meeting its objectives.
Through fiscal year 2008-09, OJA spent $6.4 million in federal funds to develop and maintain the Justice Gateway system. OJA is continuing its efforts to gain access to local law enforcement agencies' information, register users, and increase Justice Gateway's use. However, implementation has proceeded relatively slowly. OJA staff assert that Justice Gateway will play a role in the ongoing development of a similar voluntary federal system. However, there are challenges to OJA's plans to increase Justice Gateway's use, including the ability and willingness of local law enforcement agencies to participate in either the State's or the federal initiative. In addition, because several programs and initiatives are supported with Homeland Security funds, establishing the Justice Gateway's priority as it relates to the State's overall information sharing objectives may be important.
During 2011-13 biennial budget deliberations, the Legislature is likely to consider whether Justice Gateway merits state resources, especially in light of other information sharing systems under development. To help inform the debate, we include a recommendation that OJA report in early 2011 to the Joint Legislative Audit Committee and the Joint Committee on Information Policy and Technology on the system's current status and its future plans for Justice Gateway.
We appreciate the courtesy and cooperation extended to us by OJA, the Department of Justice, and the Department of Administration's Division of Enterprise Technology staff in conducting this review.
Sincerely,
Janice Mueller
State Auditor
