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November 7, 2002
Fremont County School District #25 Administration Building
Riverton, Wyoming
Senator Grant Larson, Cochairman
Representative Mike Baker, Cochairman
Senators Jim Anderson, Rich Cathcart and Mark Harris;
Representatives Bruce Burns, Alan Jones, Frank Philp, Wayne Reese, Dick Sadler and Harry Tipton.
Mary Byrnes, Dave Nelson and Steve Sommers
Please refer to Appendix 1 to review the Committee Sign-in Sheet for a list of other individuals who attended the meeting.
Senator Bruce Hinchey
All meeting materials and handouts provided to the Committee by the Legislative Service Office (LSO), public officials, lobbyists, and the public are referenced in the Meeting Materials Index, attached to the minutes. These materials are on file at the LSO and are part of the official record of the meeting.
Sheridan #2. Craig Dougherty, Superintendent, Sheridan County School District #2, updated Committee members on the remedies addressing building inadequacies as forwarded by the Committee at its July meeting. Schematic design documents implementing Committee approved remedies have been completed by the district and submitted to MGT, consultant to the Committee. Discussions on proposed project designs are scheduled with MGT for mid-November. The district expressed support for the established process, but indicated lack of funding for construction design planning could delay commencement of the remediation project.
Committee discussion focused on the ability to provide the district with construction planning funds. Cochairman Baker requested staff provide the Committee with funding options that may be available for this purpose and announced the project will be discussed further at the December Committee meeting.
Park #1. David Blevins, Chairman, Park #1 Board of Trustees, reviewed district activities pertaining to building inadequacies since the July Committee meeting, emphasizing findings of the MGT structural design analysis of district buildings undertaken at the request of the Committee. The district anticipates the Committee will transfer future oversight of building inadequacies to jurisdiction of the School Facilities Commission. Cochairman Larson clarified that the delay of processing the remediation of district building inadequacies was pursuant to a request submitted by the district.
Cochairman Larson then made a motion that the Committee recommend further processing and review of Park #1 building inadequacies be transferred to the School Facilities Commission, as requested by the district. Representative Philp seconded the motion and the motion carried. Cochairman Baker requested the district advise Committee members of any future public meetings conducted on this matter.
Other Matters. Staff submitted a letter from Johnson #1 pertaining to building remedies forwarded by the 2002 Legislature, a copy of which is attached as Appendix 3. Following discussion, Senator Harris moved staff transmit a written response to the district under signature of the Committee Cochairmen, stating the matter is not within the jurisdiction of the Committee, that the remedy was a decision of the 2002 Legislature and that any future requests for additional funds for building remediation would be a matter under the authority of the School Facilities Commission. Further, the Committee has no ability to submit a judgment as to the legitimacy of this request. Cochairman Larson seconded the motion and the motion carried.
The MGT Draft School Seismic Evaluations Phase 3 Report was distributed, a copy of which is attached as Appendix 4. The report was submitted to the School Facilities Commission at its November 5 meeting, to be followed by a final report and discussion at a December meeting of the Commission.
Don Bryngelson, School Facilities Commission Director, addressed Committee members on Commission activities and expanded upon the role of the Commission and the Select Committee on School Facilities. A progress report on the status of pipeline projects was also provided. Materials providing information on the Commission were distributed, a copy of which is attached as Appendix 5.
K-12 External Cost Adjustment
Staff provided Committee members with materials expanding upon various measures of inflation and the impacts upon the external cost adjustment to the cost-based school finance funding formula. Under law, the Committee is to provide a recommendation on the adjustment to the Legislature. Materials distributed and discussed are attached under Appendix 6.
Cochairman Larson moved the Committee adopt a recommendation of 1.1% based upon the Consumer Price Index as measured on a June-to-June comparison basis. Representative Philp seconded the motion and the motion failed.
Representative Reese suggested the Committee consider a blending of the professional Employment Cost Index and the Consumer Price Index. Following discussion, Representative Burns moved the Committee recommend a 2.5% adjustment based upon the Wyoming Cost of Living Index. Senator Harris seconded the motion and the motion failed.
Cochairman Larson made a motion to recommend a 1.7% adjustment based upon the annual average of the Consumer Price Index. Representative Jones seconded the motion and the motion failed.
Dan Scheidel, Director Wyoming Public TV provided the Committee with an update on the digitalization issue (please see appendix #7). In response to questions from the Committee, Mr. Scheidel stated they contracted with Bornstein and Associates to help develop recommendations on the governance of Wyoming Public TV and the funding needs for the future digital infrastructure. Mr. Scheidel stated the consultant would have the report ready for the Central Wyoming Community College Board of Trustees meeting on November 20. The report and the recommendations will be discussed and possibly adopted at that meeting. Mr. Scheidel will continue to keep the Committee informed on these issues.
Ray Weidenhaft, Assistant State Forester provided the Committee some alternatives to the current funding formula for the county emergency fire suppression account (please see appendix #8 for a detailed explanation of the alternatives). Mr. Weidenhaft stated that some increase in funding from the counties could be achieved by simply updating the acreage figures from what has been used in the past. Any changes to the mill levy or cents per acre would take legislative change however. On average, the account is running approximately $200,000.00 per year in the red. In response to questions from the Committee, Mr. Weidenhaft stated the counties acknowledge there is a funding problem, and even though for most counties it is a good form of insurance, increasing participation rates would force some counties to quit the program due to lack of available funds. He also stated that more and more of the fires they deal with are urban-interface fires, which are more costly to contain. At the request of the Committee, Mr. Weidenhaft and Mr. Tom Satterfield, Fremont County Commissioner indicated they would continue to work with county officials and the county commissioners association to develop some possible funding solutions.
Employee benefits
Frank Galeotos, Director, Darald Dykeman, Human Resources Administrator and Ralph Hayes, Employees Group Health Insurance Administrator, Department of Administration & Information provided the Committee with some alternatives on funding employees group health, some cost estimates associated with the flexible leave plan and information on market salary questions (please see appendix #9). Concerning the employees group health, Mr. Galeotos stated the executive branch was expecting the single employee costs to exceed current state contributions (including the $51/month increase effective in January) by $43/month beginning in January, and another $58/month starting in January 2004. Mr. Galeotos indicated that any of the alternatives chosen, if any, would increase total costs to the state, however, if more participants are encouraged to join, the unit or per employee cost should decrease, thus easing the financial burden on the employees contribution. Cochairman Larson asked that the Department provide actuarial information that backed that point up. Mr. Galeotos responded he would seek that information. With respect to the flexible leave time benefits plan, Mr. Galeotos stated that most of the cost could probably be handled within current agency budgets, however, a pool of several million general fund dollars would probably be necessary to handle those agencies without enough funding. He pointed out this is an optional plan, not mandatory, and would provide some alternatives for employees. Mr. Galeotos also briefly discussed the information on market salary analysis and several different salary adjustment alternatives.
Medicaid Legislation
Cochairman Baker asked that LSO 220.W1 be distributed to the Committee. He explained this is a bill put together by the Select Subcommittee of the Joint Health and Labor Committee and the Joint Appropriations Committee, which limits changes to the current Medicaid plan. No action was taken on the bill; he simply stated the Committee might be asked to consider sponsoring the legislation this coming session.
K-12 External Cost Adjustment (continued)
Being on the prevailing side, Senator Harris moved to reconsider the vote on the previous motion by Cochairman Larson to recommend a 1.7% external cost adjustment based upon the annual average of the CPI. The motion passed. The question on the original motion of Cochairman Larson was adopted.
Adjournment
Cochairman Baker announced the next meeting of the Joint Appropriations Committee is tentatively scheduled for December 3 and 4, 2002, in Cheyenne. The Committee was adjourned at 4:45 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
__________________________ ______________________________
Senator Grant Larson, Cochairman Representative Mike Baker, Cochairman