Jeff Fitzgerald
Assembly Speaker
__________________
Referral of Agency Reports
State of Wisconsin
Gathering Waters Conservancy
Madison
October 31, 2012
To the Honorable, the Legislature:
It is my pleasure to share with you the enclosed report of Gathering Waters Conservancy's activities and accomplishments for Fiscal Year 2012. This report was written in accordance with the statutory requirements of Wis. Stat. s.
23.0955 (2)(b)5. Gathering Waters Conservancy and Wisconsin's land trust community can report that the pace and quality of lasting land conservation in the state is increasing. That success is due in part to the ongoing generous support of the state legislature and the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources.
Gathering Waters Conservancy works on the leading edge of a truly influential conservation movement. Wisconsin land trusts have permanently protected over 280,000 acres in communities across Wisconsin. They claim a combined membership of close to 50,000 individuals and thousands of local volunteers; they have raised millions of private dollars to protect critical lands that benefit the public; and they work with private landowners every day to promote voluntary management and protection of our natural resources.
We look forward to continuing our work with the State to achieve meaningful land conservation to benefit generations of Wisconsin citizens. I have also enclosed a copy of Gathering Waters Conservancy's FY 2012 annual report, which includes our audited financials. Please do not hesitate to contact me for additional information.
Sincerely,
Michael Strigel
Executive Director
Referred to committee on Natural Resources.
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State of Wisconsin
Department of Administration
Madison
November 1, 2012
To the Honorable, the Legislature:
In compliance with Wisconsin Statute 16.548, attached, please find the Wisconsin Office of Federal/State Relations quarterly report, to be submitted to the Legislature for the third quarter of 2012. This report provides information on the activities of the Office and the status of federal legislation of concern to the State of Wisconsin.
Please contact me if you have any questions about this material.
Sincerely,
Mike Huebsch
Secretary
Referred to committee on Homeland Security and State Affairs.
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State of Wisconsin
Public Service Commission
Madison
November 9, 2012
To the Honorable, the Legislature:
A1054
Enclosed is the Public Service Commission's report entitled, "Energy Efficiency and Renewable Resource Program Activities in Wisconsin, January-December 2010." This report is a requirement of
2005 Wisconsin Act 141 which directs the Public Service Commission to prepare a summary of not more than two pages to the legislature and to post the full report on the Commission's internet site on the following programs: the statewide energy efficiency and renewable resource program (Focus on Energy), and municipal utility and electric cooperative programs.
The Commission is pleased to report that the Focus on Energy program assisted over 480,000 customers across the state to save money on their energy bills during the January December 2010 contract period. As the summary indicates, at current funding levels, for every dollar spent, the program delivered $2.30 in savings to Wisconsin homeowners and businesses. The full report for the January-December 2010 contract period can be found on the PSC website:
http://psc.wi.gov/reports/legislativereports.htm.
The 2010 report was delayed due to a rebid of the auditor contract. The new contract went into effect on December 1, 2011, and the contractor has worked to complete the 2010 and 2011 annual financial audits. The 2011 annual report will be submitted before the end of the year.
Sincerely,
Phil Montgomery
Chairperson
Public Service Commission of Wisconsin
Referred to committee on Energy and Utilities.
__________________
State of Wisconsin
Department of Administration
Madison
November 16, 2012
To the Honorable, the Legislature:
Attached please find the Department of Administration's (DOA) Contractual Services Purchasing Report for Fiscal Year 2012 (FYI2) pursuant to §
16.705 (8), Wis. Stats.
Overall, the State of Wisconsin has reduced contractual spending by $36.2 million since Fiscal Year 2005. Compared to Fiscal Year 2011, contractual spending increased five percent in Fiscal Year 2012.
Wisconsin Act 89 requires state agencies and campuses to conduct a cost-benefit analysis prior to any proposed contractual service procurement over $25,000. A summary of the 399 cost-benefit analyses produced during FY12 is included in this report.
State government will continue to pursue ways to reduce costs, eliminate inefficiencies, and create sustainable sources of savings for state and local governments.
If you have any questions about this report, please contact Helen McCain, Administrator, DOA Division of Enterprise Operations, at 608-266-0779.
Sincerely,
Christopher P. Schoenherr
Deputy Secretary
Referred to committee on Homeland Security and State Affairs.
__________________
State of Wisconsin
University of Wisconsin
School of Medicine and Public Health
Madison
November 27, 2012
To the Honorable, the Legislature:
It is my pleasure to present the University of Wisconsin Department of Family Medicine's (DFM) 2011-2012 Report to the Wisconsin State Legislature.
The 2011 Report to the Wisconsin State Legislature provides specific information in compliance with Wisconsin Statute 13.106(3): "Medical College of Wisconsin and UW-Madison Medical School reports." It also includes key facts about the DFM and our work in education, research, and patient care.
I would like to express my deep gratitude to the State Legislature for their financial support of our educational programs. Although this appropriation directly supports education, it also helps improve the quality and decrease the costs of healthcare throughout Wisconsin. We are deeply proud of our continued role as front-line providers of care-and outstanding teachers of caregivers-for the people of Wisconsin.
As you peruse this report, please do not hesitate to contact me anytime with questions. We are happy to provide further information, arrange an in-person meeting, or schedule a speaking engagement.
Sincerely,
Valerie Gilchrist, MD
Millard Professor in Community Health
Chair, Department of Family Medicine
University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health
Referred to committee on Colleges and Universities.
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Agency Reports
State of Wisconsin
Legislative Audit Bureau
Madison
November 9, 2012
To the Honorable, the Assembly:
A1055
At the request of the Department of Safety and Professional Services and the Department of Administration, and in accordance with s.
13.94 (1s), Wis. Stats., we have completed a financial audit of the State of Wisconsin Petroleum Inspection Fee Revenue Obligations Program for the fiscal years ended June 30, 2012, and June 30, 2011. We have provided our unqualified audit opinion on the cash-basis Statement of Changes in Program Assets.
Under the program, the State was authorized to issue $386.9 million in revenue bonds and commercial paper to provide financing for payment of claims under the Petroleum Environmental Cleanup Fund Award (PECFA) program. These revenue obligations are not general obligation debt of the State. Instead, they are to be repaid primarily from the $0.02 per gallon fee charged to suppliers of petroleum products sold in Wisconsin. As of June 30, 2012, a total of $188.7 million in revenue obligations remained outstanding, including $117.5 million in revenue bonds and $71.2 million in commercial paper.
The State collected $74.3 million in petroleum inspection fees in fiscal year (FY) 2011-12. In part because the State previously refinanced the revenue bonds, no principal balance was repaid during our audit period and only $7.8 million of the inspection fees needed to be retained by the program in FY 2011-12 for debt service and other purposes. This allowed $66.5 million of inspection fees to be deposited to the Petroleum Inspection Fund in FY 2011-12, of which $6.9 million was used to pay PECFA claims. The remaining $59.6 million was used for a variety of purposes, including required transfers to the Transportation Fund. Because some fees were not spent, the Petroleum Inspection Fund balance increased from $2.5 million at the end of FY 2010-11 to $17.8 million at the end of FY 2011-12.
2011 Wisconsin Act 32, the 2011-13 Biennial Budget Act, required transfers totaling $25.8 million from the Petroleum Inspection Fund to the Transportation Fund in each year of the 2011-13 biennium. In part to ensure funding is available for the transfers, the spending authority in the appropriation used to pay PECFA claims was reduced from $19.2 million for the 2009-11 biennium to $9.1 million for the 2011-13 biennium. Consequently, it is likely that PECFA claims will exceed the available spending authority in FY 2012-13.
We appreciate the courtesy and cooperation extended to us during our audit by staff of the departments of Safety and Professional Services, Administration, and Revenue.
Respectfully submitted,
Joe Chrisman
State Auditor
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State of Wisconsin
Department of Administration
Madison
November 20, 2012
To the Honorable, the Legislature:
Attached please find the FY2014 and FY2015 Agency Budget Requests and Revenue Estimates. Thank you.
Sincerely,
Brian K. Hayes
State Budget Director
Division of Executive Budget and Finance
Department of Administration