JAC Agency Hearings JAC Index 12-11-17am1 Monday, December 11, 2017 Agenda: AM 160 – County and Prosecuting Attorneys 015 – Attorney General 072 – Wyoming Retirement System 12/11/2017 8:06:26 AM Chairman Burns is the chairman for the day Roll Call: Richards; quorum is established 160 – County and Prosecuting Attorneys – Mr. Joseph Baron Funds, 21 prosecuting attorneys, pg. 3, Gov’s rec cuts outlined, pg. 4, $30K reimbursable to each county for attorney, pg. 6, shortage of funding prorated in 2nd year, any reversions dollars, there have been in the past – how much, info not handy, $3K/county, breakdown by county, part time attorneys in some counties, population formula question, not based on population in county, deputies included, pg. 9 reduce reimbursement to counties, $51K, 4 less assistant county attorneys than in 2016, upcoming election year, 8 prosecuting attorneys serving more than one term, (handout 160-072), cap for elected prosecutors to be capped at $150K up from $100K Larsen: rationale for salary increase Baron: harder to find folks to take these jobs, need competitive salary to attract applicants, more uncertainty and greater liability, no authority of law enforcement or investigators for help, need best and brightest in way of attorneys Larsen: are attorneys in WRS? Baron: counties can opt in, not all do, more aligned with WRS with law enforcement folks, deal with traumatic events, burnout factor Dockstader: salary increase? Baron: same since 2009, never been the same as district court judges, bringing it up to same level with this increase Burns: Need a bill to change inclusion in WRS, needs 2/3 vote to get in this session Baron: understand bill system Wilson: less assistant county attorneys, less crime rate? Baron: not sure what is driving that, fluctuates, believes crime rate has been dropping, more time consuming cases, such as neglect cases take years, experienced prosecutors can do cases slightly faster Schwartz: candidates running for office Baron: enough candidates, sustainability, turnover discussion Sommers: average pay for county attorney $76K as per research; anything to support higher increase 12/11/2017 8:40:32 AM Baron: PS average salary $87K, asking for increases based on case load and responsibilities, capping salary, board of county commissioners set salary Nicholas: put together info on salary increase package with benefits, etc. some CA’s paid over $100K? Baron: counties pay for those increases, DA’s paid by state; cannot be paid over $100K as it is capped, hoping counties will increase salary, 50% coming from state and 50% paid by county Richards: 13/14 $69K, 15/16 $259K budget reversions, vacancy savings possibly Baron: election cycle w/I 15/16 budget reversions Burns: WRS vest time; serious crime rate trending downward except for Laramie County Baron: 4 years to be vested in WRS, choices to leave in system or wait until 65 if attorney’s leave system, CO, OR, WA effect on crime rate, reactive organization, more involuntary hospitalizations trending, drug cases increasing, Title 25 cases 20% related to drugs, no drunk tank, reinventing the wheel in placing folks across the state Landen: description of incidences must strap budgets, fix recommendation Baron: transportation county responsibility, Weston county sheriff says no, private ambulance e service, Crook County, LE’s responsible for transportation, initial evaluation at county seat, alternatives to hospitalization, mental health providers find facility, making things work, silver bullet for a fix – 381 form – board of charities and reform, funding of beds for designated facilities from state, funding ended in 90’s, designate hospitals to have beds available, staying within communities, using any SD facilities crosses jurisdiction, Title 25 cases handled better in SD, any MOU’s exist –no Burkhart: WRS, Counties pay all or split Baron: county by county basis Schwartz: one county doesn’t have PA on WRS, LE in system 12/11/2017 9:05:13 AM 015 – Attorney General, Peter Michael, John Knepper, Chief Deputy AG, Steve Winders, CFO, Cara Chambers, Steve Woodsen, DCI, introduced rest of staff, overview of cuts, AG, 2015 – GF $65M; 2018 GF $59M, 9.4% reduction, overall budget impacts -victims services money federal dollars coming in, overall increase 3.96%, change area – workers comp legal work in house, grant funding - homeland security - $450K, personnel - 2015 248/250 positions, 243 position presently, other positions funded by outside agencies, 3 RIF’d positions Sommers: 2015/17 budget Michaels: $88M, $92M, Knepper: 2015 to present $6.6M from federal dollars, pass through dollars, victim services violence against women act, include reservation, no, tribal joint could not accept grant dollars, felt no infrastructure not ready to accept funding, pg. 18/19, part time position be made full time for workers comp, 1 in Casper and 1 in Cheyenne Landen: change in structure of Workers comp claims – long drawn process Michaels: cases evaluated differently, hourly paid attorney not settled as fast, w/I AG’s office worked differently possibly faster Nicholas: Casper office questions - workers comp Knepper: Casper field office, oil and gas commission attorney, workers comp should be paying for use of space and secretary – will do analysis Michaels – planning to move office across street, workers comp may be expanding, adding another attorney, Cheyenne office, shifted funds; rebalance Casper office, pg. 19, exception request for oil and Gas conservation Commission attorney, Nicholas: performance analysis done? Knepper: in planning to do this for position, ensuring every attorney is busy, new position 12/11/2017 9:37:02 AM Burns: save oil and gas commission money? Knepper: costs rise, very expensive when needed most Hastert: Workers compensation question Knepper: Attorney is working 100% on WC, pg. 24, 320 reductions, still in Law Office unit, position 01120 would be split between GF and Water Fund 1, $35K reduced, % figured through hours, doing water related projects/cases, 320 reductions being moved vs. eliminated, discussion with Nicholas and Burns Wilson: appropriation, water fund money moves $35K Knepper: increase reflected on pg. 24 12/11/2017 9:49:27 AM Break 12/11/2017 10:05:07 AM Michaels: pg. 25, water development funds, Yellowstone river compact litigation, finished in 2018 Nicholas: NCR agreement, FTE’s funded – GF, exception request? Knepper: GF dollars, fees not coming in yet, make them special revenue, one time funding, homework due on call back, pg. 23 question, Winders: 50% come to agency, 50% board of funds Nicholas: balances Knepper: funds managed through treasurer’s office, Unit 103, Medicaid fraud control unit, matched 25/27, federal grant, reduction by $25K Driskill: cases /year, monies returned go where? Over last biennium how much? Knepper: half goes to fed/ half goes to DOH; not sure, providers moved out of process once prosecuted pg. 31 reduce $24,280, $24,280 lines one and two, pg. 34 Nicholas: questions school funding equity litigation Knepper: staff of 5, 2 vacancies, capital facilities Sommers: vacancies time open Knepper: 2 AWEC positions, attorneys Michaels: lots of behind the scenes work going on Knepper: pg. 37, Tobacco funds, attorney funding, work load, 100% time spent on tobacco, supplier not in fund but does business with state, must be on register, discussion followed, sunset date on tobacco funds – none set to date, tied to market share, $16M/year is Wyoming’s share, out of state travel budget, summits to be attended, arbitration, pg. 40, consumer protection, game of skill slot machines, shell corporation set ups, FTC phone call or online scams, program continuance/tobacco funds, other fund usage breakdown, due to Rep Nicholas, Volkswagen settlement, inconsistent reflection of funds. 12/11/2017 10:57:27 AM Knepper: funds burn rate discussion, pg. 41 vs. pg. 43, pg. 44, exception request, Steiger Fellowship funding, can use out of state students, Medicaid reimbursements, MOU with DOH, settlements, care through Medicaid, reimbursements, Woodsen: pg. 50 criminal investigations, 47 vehicles, turnover rate, mileage, in service until 150K miles, gov’s rec $48k, standard vehicles – nothing fancy, donations of vehicles Nicholas: total amount vehicles replacing, 9 vehicles potential for replacement Schwartz: $48K vs $60K, find other monies Knepper: task force officer replacement, $22K plus $2500 for lights and sirens, usually used vehicles, sedans, SUVs, trucks, total vehicles in TFF 24, pg. 59, crime lab, exception request (E R), pg. 64, DCI, 2 E R’s, national criminal history switch maintenance, not knowing when it’s going to fail, $342K needed for replacement, carrying over funding, Gov rec to carryover Woodsen: 2 way conduits for feds to look at WY criminal activity as well as WY looking into Fed data base, Fed money available Knepper: pg. 66, $66K utility reduction, base budget vs standard budget, explanation due to Rep Sommers Knepper: pg.69 Unit 327, pg. 71, Hibbert: error correction Woodesen: predictability of burn fund spending, $600K/year, pass through dollars, return money to crime lab to offset expenses for help, Knepper: pg. 72/73, internet crime unit, Woodsen: crimes against children, internet crime unit is busy, leads from other states help solve crimes; serviced computers are vulnerable to turn into unit Knepper: Unit 330 pg. High intensity drug trafficking, authorization for $2M, depends on fed authorization, spending authority requested, Woodsen: last year about $1M/year, spent on task force officers, HIDTA counties, Carbon County under discussion, being designated a HIDTA Knepper: pg. 76, asset forfeiture projects funds, expenditure units explained, self-sustaining potentially 12/11/2017 11:46:50 AM Woodsen: buying illegal drugs to follow trail, intercepts, phone company fees, asset confiscating Sommers: authorize spending of asset forfeiture, defunded no spending, revenue piece Woodsen: need money to do job Knepper: accounting issues within unit, explained unit designations, Michaels: cases discussed, abandoned vs forfeiture of assets Burns: question unit 340, 15/16 questions, 19/20 budget has negative amount Knepper: judicial permission for forfeiture, Unit 340 “buy” funds; accounting for asset forfeiture; report July 2016 on seized assets, average amount/year question, seizing vehicles sold through surplus sales, firearms are destroyed or used for parts Winders: 2/3 money to 1/3 division on splitting money Knepper: pg. 80, sex offender registration, one-time fee, change addresses Sommers: maintenance fees for software; Inflation rate known; historical comparisons? Knepper: those are the fees listed, $260K, federal grant, years of maintenance, grant going away Wilson: questions, collections, Knepper: software discussion vs fees for registration Larsen: update on background checks, school district, health care providers, extended amount time Woodsen: 2 positions to help process, 8 days turnaround time, agency processing delays greater than AG turnaround Nicholas; how many sex offenders are registered; getting bang for buck on software (offender watch); Revenue source not covering costs Knepper; general population vs those in prison; not a success in creating software that is usable Woodsen: about 2800, 1/3 in prison Burns: register usefulness Knepper: relook at usefulness, juvenile offenders, tied to fed funds to maintain register 12/11/2017 12:35:22 PM Lunch