Wyoming Legislature

Committee Meeting Summary of Proceedings

Management Audit Committee

March 1, 2005

Room 302, Capitol Building

Cheyenne, Wyoming

Meeting Attendance (Present)

Committee Members

Senator Ken Decaria

                        Senator John Hanes                  

                        Senator Grant Larson

Senator John Schiffer

                        Senator Kathryn Sessions

                        Representative Roy Cohee

                        Representative Debbie Hammons

                        Representative Pete Illoway

Representative Randall Luthi                            

            Representative Marty Martin

Legislative Service Office

Barbara J. Rogers, Program Evaluation Manager; Kelley Pelissier, Senior Program Evaluator; Paula Gordinier, Program Evaluator; Michael Swank, Program Evaluator; Karla Smith, Associate Program Evaluator; Jim Reuss, Associate Program Evaluator

Others Present

Senator Kit Jennings; Representative Pat Childers

Call To Order

Chairman Larson called the organizational meeting of the Management Audit Committee to order at 4:15 p.m.  He welcomed newly-appointed members and called for election of officers.  He said by tradition, the chairmanship has rotated between the two legislative bodies and since he, the previous chairman, was from the Senate, he would nominate Representative Luthi.  The motion was seconded and it carried unanimously.

Chairman Luthi pointed out that W.S. 28-8-107(a) authorizes the ten appointed members of the Committee to select an eleventh member.  He nominated Senator Kit Jennings for this position; the motion was seconded, it carried unanimously, and Senator Jennings joined the meeting.

Chairman Luthi called for nominations for Vice Chairman.  He nominated Senator Larson, the motion was seconded, and it carried unanimously.

Chairman Luthi asked staff members to introduce themselves and tell something of their backgrounds.  He then asked Ms. Rogers to describe the studies in progress and when they will be completed.  She said the report on the Wyoming Business Council should be finished in time for an early-June Committee meeting, with the report on Foster Care coming somewhat later.  The Chairman and Vice Chairman agreed that the Committee’s first meeting will probably take place in the western half of the state.

Chairman Luthi asked Ms. Rogers to provide an overview of the program evaluation function and the role of the Management Audit Committee.  Following that overview, Chairman Luthi asked members to be considering topics for future study.  Senator Decaria suggested that staff prepare a scoping paper on SHPO, the State Historic Preservation Office, before the next meeting.  The Committee agreed that it would like a scoping paper on this topic.

Senator Schiffer requested more information about the follow-up reviews that staff conduct two years after the release of a report.  Ms. Rogers explained that those reviews are short and  summary in nature, and that they do not involve new research or investigation.  Rather, their purpose is to update the Committee as to what progress an agency says it has made or has not made toward implementing report recommendations, and to assist the Committee in deciding whether to assign new work on the same topic.  Senator Schiffer requested that samples of previous follow-ups be sent to Committee members, to familiarize them with the format.  Chairman Luthi requested that in addition, a copy of the Committee’s workplan, which explains the criteria for selecting topics, and a list of recent report topics, be sent. 

There being no other business to come before the Committee, Chairman Luthi adjourned the meeting at 5:15 p.m.

Respectfully submitted,

Senator Grant Larson

Chairman