2003-06-11 CC Packet - Laserfiche WebLink

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~ beginning in July, 2004, the OSA will assume responsibility for conducting Best Practice Reviews. The OSA will be identifying topics to review to help give guidance to local units of government to help them be more efficient and more effective in their operations. The OSA intends to work closely with the Association of Minnesota Counties, the League of Minnesota Cities, the Association of Metropolitan Municipalities, the Minnesota Association of Townships, the Minnesota Municipal Utilities Association, and the Minnesota Association of School Administrators when developing these reviews. D. Reporting Requirements for Violations of Cemetery Permanent Care and Improvement Trust Funds County Auditors will no longer report violations of permanent care and improvement trust funds or submit annual letters (Which must be filed by May 31 of each year) directly to the OSA. Instead, County Auditors will report evidence of wrongdoing and the annual letter directly to the County Attorneys office. This change in law does not create any additional mandates or burdens for counties. In the past, it was the OSA's practice to forward any complaints from a county auditor back to their county attorneys office for disposition. This change simplifies the reporting requirements by removing the OSA from the process. E. Reporting of Solid Waste Management Fees Beginning in 2004, local units of government that provide solid waste services must file Solid Waste Management Fee reports to the Office of Environmental Assistance rather than the OSA. The change in Minn. Stat. ~ 115A.929 does not impact local units of government by creating any additional burdens or mandates. It simply changes where local units of government should send the reports. 2. Financial Report on Minnesota's Small Cities State Auditor Patricia Awada released a report on the finances of Minnesota's cities under 2,500 in population. The annual report, Revenues, Expenditures, and Debt of Minnesota Cities Under 2,500 in Population summarizes the financial operations of the state's 646 small cities. In addition to the report, the State Auditor's Office released supplemental information that compared cities below 2,500 in population (small cities) and cities above 2,500 in population (large cities). A copy of both documents is available on the State Auditor's website at www.auditor.state.mn.us. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 3. Findings on Souths ide Neighborhood Housing Services State Auditor Patricia Awada released the results of a contract compliance review of Southside Neighborhood Housing Services, Inc. (SNHS). SNHS is a non-profit corporation that administers housing and economic development programs for several neighborhood organizations in south Minneapolis. The review found that there were numerous problems within SNHS. Funds were used for ineligible purposes and recipients, numerous files lacked required documentation, and financial management practices were questionable at best. Souths ide has since voted to dissolve. The results of the review are available on the State Auditor's website at www.auditor.state.mn.us. 4. Report on Municipal Liquor Stores State Auditor Patricia Awada released a report on the finances of Minnesota's Municipal Liquor Stores. The annual report, An Analysis of Minnesota Municipal Liquor Store Operations, for the year ended 2001 summarizes the financial operations of the state's 234 municipal liquor stores. Overall, cities transferred $14.3 million in liquor store profits to other municipal accounts in 2001. This represents a decrease of 4.7 percent from the $15.0 million transferred in 2000. A copy of the report is available on the State Auditor's website at ~v.auditor.state.mn.us. 2