Mr. Tom Burns
Sublette County SD # 1
P.O. Box 549
Pinedale, WY  82941-0549

 

Dear Mr. Tom Burns and Board of Trustee Members,

 

This will confirm the understanding between you and our firm concerning applying the agreed-upon procedures for the specified components of the accounting records of Sublette County SD # 1, Wyoming for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2000.

 

1.  Components

The specific components are found in Attachment 1 and are in the order in which they are to be tested using the agreed-upon procedures noted in # 2 below. They have been specified by the District and the Legislative Service Office of the Wyoming Legislature.

 

2.  Agreed-upon procedures

The agreed-upon procedures for each specified component of the accounting records as of June 30, 2000 and for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2000 are found in Attachment 2.  Attachments 1 and 2 are incorporated by reference into this engagement letter.

 

This engagement to apply agreed-upon procedures will be performed in accordance with standards established by the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA). On or before December 1, 2000, we will report to you, in the format prescribed by the Legislative Service Office, our findings from the procedures performed.  Our failure to file the agreed upon procedures report on or before the December 1 deadline will result in liquidated damages calculated by reducing by ten percent (10%) the amount stated in # 4 below.

 

We will not express an opinion on our findings. Performance of the procedures for each of the components shall not constitute an audit in accordance with generally accepted auditing standards. You understand further that the procedures performed are not sufficient or adequate to allow us to express an opinion on the financial statements of Sublette County SD # 1, Wyoming for the year ending June 30, 2000.

 

Although fraud, defalcation, errors, irregularities, or illegal acts may occasionally be disclosed by this type of engagement, it is not designed for this purpose, and should not be relied on to disclose fraud, should any exist. We are not performing a special or detailed investigation to detect embezzlement. We will, of course, report to you anything that appears to us during our engagement to be unusual or abnormal.

 

3.  Liability and Damages

Sublette County SD # 1, Wyoming and Mortenson, Stevens & Company agree that Mortenson, Stevens & Company’s liability hereunder for damage, regardless of the form of action, shall not exceed the total amount paid for the services provided under this engagement letter. Except as otherwise provided in this section, this shall be the exclusive remedy of Sublette County SD # 1, Wyoming.

 

In no event, will Mortenson, Stevens & Company, be liable for consequential damage, even if Mortenson, Stevens & Company has been advised of the possibility of such damages. Sublette County SD # 1, Wyoming and Mortenson, Stevens & Company further agree that Mortenson, Stevens & Company will not be liable for any lost revenue, or for any claim or demand against Sublette County SD # 1, Wyoming by any other party. Mortenson, Stevens & Company does not make any express or implied warranties, including, but not limited to, the implied warranties of merchantability and fitness for a particular purpose.

 

No action, regardless of form, arising out of the services under this engagement letter, may be brought by either party more than one year after the cause of action has accrued, except that an action for non-payment may be brought within one year of the date of last payment.

 

Regardless of any other terms in this engagement, Mortenson, Stevens & Company shall be liable for liquidated damages.

 

4.  Fees and Expenses

Our fees for our services under this engagement will be no greater than $_____________.00, ___________dollars and no cents, (Please contact your district for the dollar amount to insert.) inclusive of our out-of-pocket expenses for meals, lodging, travel, and copies related to this engagement. Our invoice separately will state: 1) The fees for our services; 2) Our out-of-pocket expenses in performing those services and 3) For each separate component listed in Attachment 1, number of hours required to complete the agreed-upon procedures for the component and total number of hours to complete all components.  Our failure to itemize separately fees for our services, our out of pocket expenses and hours required to complete procedures for each component will result in liquidated damages determined by reducing by five percent (5%) the amount stated in this section. If possible, we will perform the agreed-upon procedures in conjunction with any annual or other school audit we may perform for you in order to minimize out-of-pocket expenses; we further agree to allocate reasonably the expenses for performance of the agreed-upon procedures with any other work we may be performing for you simultaneously while on-site. In the event we accomplish the agreed-upon procedures, inclusive of our out-of-pocket expenses incurred in performing the procedures, for less than the amount stated in this section, we will bill you only for that lesser amount.

 

5. Notification

 

We will give our best professional effort to accomplish the agreed-upon procedures, inclusive of our out-of-pocket expenses incurred in performing the procedures, for the amount stated in # 4 above. However, we understand there are limited resources to pay for our services and expenses, therefore and in order that we do not perform services, including related expenses, requiring payment beyond the limited resources, we agree to notify you and René LaBare, Manager, School Finance Audit, Wyoming Legislative Service Office by voice, facsimile or electronic mail at the earliest point in our work, when in our professional opinion, we reasonably believe that we cannot complete the agreed-upon procedures, including related expenses, for the amount stated in # 4 above. Our notification will include an explanation of why, in our professional opinion, the agreed-upon procedures, including related expenses, cannot be completed for the amount stated. In good faith, we will negotiate a resolution.  You agree to pay for our services and out-of pocket expenses up to the time we provide notice, but the sum of the amount for our services and out-of-pocket expenses shall not exceed the amount stated in # 4 above.

 

We further agree that in no event will we be permitted to provide notification under this section after October 15, 2000.  Our failure to follow the procedure established in this section will result in liquidated damages calculated by reducing by ten percent (10%) the amount stated in # 4 above.

 

6. Final Report

Our final report on the results of the agreed-upon procedures, under SAS 87, will be restricted to use by the parties to this engagement and should not be used by anyone other than these specified parties.  Under Wyoming law, our report on the results of the agreed upon procedures is a matter of public record and its distribution is not limited. We agree to preserve and maintain all documents, reports, records, field notes, materials, and data of any kind resulting from performance of this engagement for a period of three (3) years and to provide you or any State Agency, including, but not limited to, the Legislative Service Office, or any representative of you or a State Agency, access thereto.

 

7.  Restrictions on Communication

The restrictions on communication contained in this section apply until acceptance of our final report, and not thereafter. In performing our responsibilities under this engagement, we agree to obtain your approval in advance with respect to all communications with legislators and all other Wyoming state and local government officials subject to the terms of the contract into which this agreement is incorporated by reference. We will not communicate with the media or any other member of the public with respect to the performance of this engagement without prior approval, as provided in the contract into which this agreement is incorporated by reference, except to acknowledge that a contract with you for the performance of the agreed-upon procedures does exist. For violation of this provision, we agree you reserve the right to terminate the engagement.

 

8.  Agreement, Signature and Distribution

We are pleased to have this opportunity to serve you. Three (3) originals of this engagement letter are enclosed.  If this letter is in accordance with your understanding of the arrangements, please:

1.           Sign, fill in the title of the signatory and date one of the originals and return it to us.

2.           Sign, fill in the title of the signatory and date the second original and return it to the Legislative Services Office.

3.           Keep a signed and dated original for your records.

 

                                                                    Cordially yours,

 

 

 

                                                                    Mortenson, Stevens & Company

                                                                    Certified Public Accountants

 

 

 

RESPONSE:

 

This letter correctly sets forth the understanding of Sublette County SD # 1, Wyoming and Mortenson, Stevens & Company.

 

Sublette County SD # 1, Wyoming

 

 

By:___________________________

 

 

Title:__________________________

 

 

Date:__________________________

 

ATTACHMENT 1

Components to be tested in all Districts:

 

1.                                         Average Daily Membership

Appendix A

2.                                         Special Education

Appendix B

3.                                         Teacher Seniority

Appendix C

 

Randomly Selected Components:

 

4.                                                                                              Transportation:

Selected for Testing - Appendix D

5.                                                                                              Small Schools Components:

 

           Utilities:

Selected for Testing - Appendix E -- D. 1. & 2. A.

           Activities:

N/A

           Food Service:

N/A

6.                                                                                              District Specific – Technical Components:

 

   Extra Teacher Compensation

N/A

   Limited English Proficient (LEP)

N/A

   Economically Disadvantaged Youth (EDY)

N/A

   Special Tuition

N/A

   Maintenance & Isolation

N/A