Here & Now

Hilgenburg On DNR Audit And Hearing

FREDERICA FREYBERG:

SECRETARY STEPP APPEARED BEFORE THE DNR BOARD TO RESPOND TO THE WASTEWATER PERMITTING AND ENFORCEMENT AUDIT. BOARD CHAIR TERRY HILGENBERG WAS EAGER TO HEAR THE AGENCY’S RESPONSE. HE JOINS US NOW FROM GREEN BAY AND THANKS VERY MUCH FOR BEING HERE.

TERRY HILGENBERG:

YOU’RE VERY, VERY WELCOME. I APPRECIATE THE OPPORTUNITY.

FREDERICA FREYBERG:

WE WANTED TO ASK FIRST, HOW ALARMING WAS THIS AUDIT FOR YOU AS THE CHAIR OF THE DNR BOARD?

TERRY HILGENBERG:

WELL, IT WAS ALARMING FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF THERE ARE MANY, MANY ISSUES THAT WERE IDENTIFIED WITHIN THE REPORT THAT QUITE FRANKLY OUR BOARD MEMBERS WERE NOT AWARE OF.

FREDERICA FREYBERG:

WHAT STANDS OUT SPECIFICALLY IN THE REVIEW OF THE AGENCY?

TERRY HILGENBERG:

WELL, IT’S A TEN-YEAR REPORT, AND WHENEVER YOU GO TO A TEN-YEAR REPORT, THAT’S FAIRLY LENGTHY AND OBVIOUSLY IT WAS EXHAUSTIVE. SO THE DEPARTMENT WAS — HAS BEEN IDENTIFIED WITHIN THAT REPORT OF MANY AREAS THAT WE NEED SOME IMPROVEMENTS ON. AND IN DISCUSSING THAT WITH DEPARTMENT LEADERSHIP, INCLUDING THE SECRETARY, THEY DID MANY, MANY THINGS ALREADY TO MAKE SURE THAT THOSE DEFICIENCIES IN THE DEPARTMENT HAVE BEEN ADDRESSED OR ARE BEING ADDRESSED.

FREDERICA FREYBERG:

YOU STARTED BY SAYING THAT THERE WERE MANY THINGS IN THE AUDIT THAT YOU WEREN’T EVEN AWARE OF. LIKE WHAT?

TERRY HILGENBERG:

WELL, FOR EXAMPLE, THE ISSUES OF FEES FOR THE VARIOUS DIFFERENT PERMITTING LEVELS. IN MANY OF THE BOARD MEMBERS’ OPINIONS, GROSSLY INADEQUATE FOR THE SERVICES THAT ARE PROVIDED. ALL OF US UNDERSTAND AND RECOGNIZE READILY THE IMPORTANCE OF CLEAN WATER IN WISCONSIN, AND WE WANT TO ENSURE THAT WE HAVE SYSTEMS IN PLACE THAT ASSURE THAT OUR CITIZENS ARE — HAVE THE AVAILABILITY OF CLEAN WATER. IT AFFECTS ALMOST EVERYONE’S LIFE.

FREDERICA FREYBERG:

OF COURSE. WHAT QUESTIONS DID YOU HAVE FOR SECRETARY STEPP?

TERRY HILGENBERG:

WELL, THE FIRST QUESTIONS WERE WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE REPORT ITSELF, WE ARE GROSSLY UNDERSTAFFED TO TAKE CARE OF ALL THE RESPONSIBILITIES THAT THE DEPARTMENT HAS. AND WHAT ARE WE DOING TO ADDRESS THOSE ISSUES. THAT WAS I BELIEVE THE FIRST AND FOREMOST THING THAT CAME OUT OF THE REPORT.

FREDERICA FREYBERG:

AND SO WERE YOUR QUESTIONS ADEQUATELY ANSWERED?

TERRY HILGENBERG:

YES. SOME OF THEM ARE DUE TO THE CIVIL SERVICE RESTRICTIONS THAT ARE IN STATE GOVERNMENT. I, COMING FROM THE PRIVATE SECTOR, I TAKE A LOOK AT IT, AND IF I LOST 30% OF MY EMPLOYEES, I WOULD HAVE A MAJOR, MAJOR PROBLEM. AND I THINK ANY BUSINESS, ANY GOVERNMENTAL ENTITY THAT WOULD LOSE 30% OF THEIR KEY EMPLOYEES IN KEY POSITIONS NEEDS TO BE ABLE TO BE VERY RESPONSIVE TO THAT. AND UNFORTUNATELY THE DEPARTMENT HAD SOME HANDCUFFS ON IT THAT PRECLUDED THEM FROM BEING ABLE TO BE RESPONSIVE. SO THEY DID THE BEST THEY COULD UNDER THE CIRCUMSTANCES THAT THEY WERE FACED WITH, YET AT THE SAME TIME UNDERSTANDING THAT SOME OF THESE ISSUES WERE PRE-SECRETARY STEPP’S REGIME.

FREDERICA FREYBERG:

WHAT IN YOUR MIND NEEDS TO BE DONE TO PROTECT WISCONSIN’S WATER?

TERRY HILGENBERG:

I THINK, NUMBER ONE, AS WITH ALMOST EVERY GOOD PROGRAM IN WISCONSIN, WE NEED TO CONTINUE TO FOCUS ON HAVING ADEQUATE RESOURCES TO ADDRESS THOSE ISSUES AND THAT COMES WITH THE BUDGET PROCESS, OBVIOUSLY. AND WE NEED TO BE ABLE TO HAVE FLEXIBILITY WITHIN THE CIVIL SERVICE PROGRAMMING TO BE ABLE TO REDIRECT RESOURCES THAT WE HAVE. AND I THINK WE ALL WOULD AGREE THAT OUR NUMBER ONE RESOURCES ARE PEOPLE, OUR STAFF, OUR SENIOR STAFF, WELL-EDUCATED, TRAINED, EXPERIENCED PEOPLE. WE NEED TO BE ABLE TO MOVE THEM AROUND IN DIFFERENT AREAS OF CAPACITY WHEN WE NEED IT. SO, FOR EXAMPLE, NONE OF US WOULD HAVE ANTICIPATED THE GREAT INCREASE IN THE NUMBER OF CAFOs THAT HAVE BEEN SURFACING IN WISCONSIN IN THE LAST FIVE YEARS, YET ALONE TEN YEARS. AND HOW DO YOU ANTICIPATE THE NEED FOR HAVING THE NECESSARY STAFFING TO DEAL WITH THOSE ISSUES.

FREDERICA FREYBERG:

ALL RIGHT. WE NEED TO LEAVE IT THERE. TERRY HILGENBERG, THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

TERRY HILGENBERG:

YOU’RE WELCOME. THANK YOU.