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<br />>,~~ .;. ,,' <br /> <br />~ <br /> <br />of security precautions in and around state offices and a plethora of other base operating <br />issues! In this context, I would like to highlight the following activities within the agency <br />and I welcome your guidance. <br /> <br />Bude:et and Accountine: Our request for an additional $50,000 for personal <br />services in this fiscal year (FY98) appears to be moving through the legislative process <br />easily now. These supplemental funds will enable us to provide technical assistance to <br />communities in the 13 eastern Colorado counties needing help with FEMA flood relief <br />applications. The Joint Budget Committee approved this supplemental request and was <br />persuaded to change the funding to 100% General Fund (it was proposed as 50% <br />Construction Fund and 50% General Fund). Thanks are due to Senator Ament and the <br />Water Congress for their support in this decision. Following the typical path, this request <br />should be presented to the House and Senate in the next weeks. <br /> <br />We are currently in the middle of "figure setting" with the Joint Budget <br />Committee. Our base budget request for FY99 received favorable consideration, but one <br />of our three "decision items" was rejected while another was narrowly approved in the <br />initial JBC review. Our request for 1 FTE and approximately $386,000 for <br />implementation of the Platte River MOU with Wyoming, Nebraska and the Inferior <br />Department was challenged by Representative Dave Owen (R-Greeley) and rejected by <br />the JBC. We have prepared answers to the JBC questions and hope that, with help from <br />the Water Congress, Senator Ament and others, we can demonstrate the merit of this <br />request. Our request to shift the long-term funding for operation and maintenance of the <br />CROSS (4FTE and $496,000) into our base budget, instead of the annual Construction <br />Fund Bill, was also challenged but not rejected. Representative George (R-Rifle) and <br />Representative Entz (R-Hooper) assisted directly in the assertion of this request. <br />However, the JBC proposed greater support from the Construction Fund (50/50) than we <br />proposed (25% Construction Fund, 75% General Fund). Our third decision item, which <br />was not questioned, increases our base budget to cover dues increases for the Western <br />States Water Council and the Salinity Control Forum ($26,608). Following the typical <br />path, these requests should also be presented by the JBC to the House and Senate by <br />March 23 as part of the Long Bill for action later in the session. <br /> <br />We are still participating in a performance audit with the State Auditor and DNR <br />accounting staff concerning the CWCB Construction Fund Loan Program. This audit <br />was a result of routine inquiries into executive branch activities and except that it may <br />reflect greater interest in the larger cash funds. Bill Stanton and I are working with the <br />DNR Deputy Director, Ron Cattany, and the DNR Controller, Bob Goodnough, to <br />facilitate this review but have not received draft recommendations yet. We expect to be <br />able to come to agreement with DNR and the audit staff quickly and present productive <br />proposals to the Legislative Audit Committee this spring. <br /> <br />On a related note, the DNR has adopted a general assunfption that all CWCB <br />budget initiatives should be funded equally with Construction Funds and General Funds <br />as a result of budget decisions made several years ago. The history ofusing Construction <br />Funds to pay the operating expenses _of our agency has twisted through enough budgetary <br />turns that I am going to suggest we review the basic relations between our various <br /> <br />I <br />'~~....-.."I <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />. <br />