Monday, April 30, 2007
Ninety-Eighth Regular Session
The Chief Clerk makes the following entries under the above date.
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Urban Open Space Foundation
April 25, 2007
The Honorable, The Senate:
As you know, Wisconsin's annual grant to a nonstock, nonprofit corporation for urban land conservation (Sec. 23.0957) was awarded to the Urban Open Space Foundation in 2006. The grant has made an extraordinary difference in helping our Foundation accomplish its mission.
As a grant recipient, UOSF is required each fiscal year to submit a report detailing the activities for which the grant was expended. Copies of the report are to be submitted to “the Department of Natural Resources and the appropriate standing committees of the legislature as determined by the Speaker of the Assembly or the President of the Senate." It is my pleasure to submit to you the following report.
Thank you for your assistance in making this grant program available. State support is critical to our efforts to promote urban land conservation in Wisconsin through urban forest protection and restoration and water resource enhancement. We at the Urban Open Space Foundation are committed to safeguarding, enhancing, and restoring the function of urban natural systems where the majority of Wisconsin's citizens live. In the attached report you will see how--with your support--our actions have improved air, water, and soil quality; enhanced ecological systems; reduced flooding; provided jobs; increased property values; enhanced public health and food security; strengthened community capacity; and promoted cultural identity and sense of place.
If you should have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me directly at the numbers below.
With warm regards,
HEATHER MANN
Executive Director
Referred to committee on Environment and Natural Resources.
State of Wisconsin
Legislative Audit Bureau
April 27, 2007
The Honorable, The Legislature:
At your request, we have completed a limited-scope review of how the Department of Commerce and the Wisconsin Technical College System (WTCS) have spent funds from the Fire Department Dues Program in recent years.
Commerce is appropriated funds to administer a statewide fire inspection and prevention program. In fiscal year (FY) 2005-06, its expenditures totaled $641,900, 65.6 percent of which supported the salaries and fringe benefits of 6.6 full-time equivalent (FTE) positions that are responsible for distributing program funds to municipalities and training fire department staff in inspection duties. In FY 2005-06, Commerce charged $92,700 in overhead costs to the program, representing 14.4 percent of its expenditures for administering the program.
WTCS is appropriated program funds for two purposes: to administer fire prevention and protection training programs and to offer training courses to local firefighters in technical college districts. In FY 2005-06, its expenditures for administration of the program totaled $435,000, 41.2 percent of which supported salary and fringe benefit costs for 3.0 FTE positions in the central office. In FY 2005-06, WTCS spent $117,500 for supplies, primarily to purchase office furniture and supplies for the program as part of WTCS's move to new offices, and charged $15,800 in overhead costs to the program, representing 3.6 percent of its expenditures for administering the program.
In recent years, WTCS has spent almost all of the $600,000 it has been appropriated annually for conducting training courses in technical college districts. However, until recently it has not spent all of the funds appropriated to it for administration of the program. Funds for administration of the program that are not spent or encumbered do not lapse but instead remain in the appropriation. At the end of FY 2005-06, unspent funds, which are available for reallocation by the Legislature, totaled $308,000.
We appreciate the courtesy and cooperation extended to us by Commerce and WTCS.
Sincerely,
Janice Mueller
State Auditor
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Pursuant to Senate Rule 17 (5), Representatives Seidel and Van Akkeren added as cosponsors of
Senate Bill
171
.
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The committee on Transportation, Tourism and Insurance reports and recommends:
Relating to allowing the operation of certain 2-vehicle combinations on certain highways without a permit.
No action taken.
Roger Breske
Chairperson
