March 23, 2018
| Members Present: | Other Members Absent: |
|---|---|
| Senator Warren Limmer | Representative Sondra Erickson |
| Senator Nick A. Frentz | Representative Nels Pierson |
| Senator Mary Kiffmeyer | |
| Representative Connie Bernardy | |
| Representative Rick Hansen | |
| Representative Duane Quam |
Senator Warren Limmer, Chair, called the Legislative Audit Commission (LAC) Evaluation Subcommittee meeting to order at 8:01 a.m. The purpose of the meeting was to select evaluation topics to recommend to the full LAC.
Jim Nobles, Legislative Auditor, thanked the members for having the meeting so that the Office of the Legislative Auditor (OLA) could continue its important work. He introduced Judy Randall, Deputy Legislative Auditor for the Program Evaluation Division. Ms. Randall explained that the goal of the subcommittee was to select five topics to recommend to the full LAC. She said that OLA had received 151 responses to the legislative survey in less than a week. Ms. Randall reminded members that they had already selected the economic development topic, which was the Minnesota Job Creation Fund.
Representative Hansen noted that the top three topics on the legislative survey matched the top three on OLA’s list of most promising topics. Therefore, he moved the following three to be on the list of topics to recommend to the full LAC: (1) Minnesota Information Technology (MNIT) Services; (2) Public Facilities Authority: Water Treatment Infrastructure; and (3) Public School Debt Service Equalization Aid. Senator Kiffmeyer seconded the motion; the motion prevailed.
There was discussion about several of the topics that were similar to evaluations OLA had recently conducted. After some discussion, Representative Quam moved to remove the following topics from consideration: Charter School Funding, Cybersecurity, Nursing Home Trends, and Personal Care Attendant Compensation. The motion prevailed.
The meeting turned to a discussion about the MnDOT Financial Effectiveness and the Minnesota State Arts Board topics. Representative Bernardy moved these two topics be added to the list of topics to recommend to the full LAC; the motion prevailed.
Representative Hansen made a motion to repeal—during the next legislative session—the law that requires OLA to evaluate an economic development incentive program. The motion prevailed.
Since the legislative survey showed that legislators had interest in the Minnesota Housing Finance Agency topic, but it had not been chosen, Senator Kiffmeyer made a motion to replace the Minnesota Job Creation Fund with the Economic Development and Housing Challenge Program as the economic development incentive program topic. The motion prevailed.
With no further business, Senator Limmer adjourned the meeting at 8:34 a.m.
Senator Warren Limmer, Evaluation Subcommittee Chair
Shelly Gilb, Recording Secretary
