HomeMy WebLinkAboutTDPUD Final SAS
COMMUNICATIONS WITH THOSE CHARGED WITH
GOVERNANCE AND INTERNAL CONTROL RELATED MATTERS
TRUCKEE DONNER PUBLIC UTILITY DISTRICT
December 31, 2019
1
Communications with Those Charged with Governance
To the Board of Directors
Truckee Donner Public Utility District
We have audited the consolidated and primary government only financial statements of Truckee
Donner Public Utility District (the District) as of and for the year ended December 31, 2019, and have
issued our reports thereon dated May 22, 2020. Professional standards require that we provide you
with the following information related to our audit.
Our Responsibility Under Auditing Standards Generally Accepted in the United States
of America
As stated in our engagement letter dated October 21, 2019, our responsibility, as described by
professional standards, is to form and express an opinion about whether the consolidated financial
statements prepared by management with your oversight are fairly presented, in all material respects,
in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles. Our audit of the consolidated
financial statements does not relieve you or management of your responsibilities.
Our responsibility is to plan and perform the audit in accordance with generally accepted auditing
standards and to design the audit to obtain reasonable, rather than absolute, assurance about
whether the consolidated financial statements are free of material misstatement. An audit of
consolidated financial statements includes consideration of internal control over financial reporting as
a basis for designing audit procedures that are appropriate in the circumstances, but not for the
purpose of expressing an opinion on the effectiveness of the District’s internal control over financial
reporting. Accordingly, we considered the District’s internal control solely for the purposes of
determining our audit procedures and not to provide assurance concerning such internal control.
We are also responsible for communicating significant matters related to the financial statement audit
that, in our professional judgment, are relevant to your responsibilities in overseeing the financial
reporting process. However, we are not required to design procedures for the purpose of identifying
other matters to communicate to you.
Planned Scope and Timing of the Audit
We performed the audit according to the planned scope and timing previously communicated to you
in the engagement letter.
2
Significant Audit Findings
Qualitative Aspects of Accounting Practices
Management is responsible for the selection and use of appropriate accounting policies. The
significant accounting policies used by the District are described in Note 1 to the consolidated
financial statements. In 2019 the District implemented GASB Statement of Governmental Accounting
Standards No. 83, Certain Asset Retirement Obligations. GASB No. 83 requires recognition of
liabilities when incurred and reasonably estimable and measurement using probability weighting of
current costs. The accounting and reporting standards established by this statement did not have any
impact during the year of implementation. The District also adopted Statement No. 95, Postponement
of the Effective Dates of Certain Authoritative Guidance. The objective of this Statement is to provide
temporary relief from certain new accounting and financial reporting requirements in light of the
COVID-19 pandemic. Adoption of this Statement resulted in the postponement of implementing
GASB Statement No. 84, Fiduciary Activities, and GASB Statement No. 88, Certain Disclosures
Related to Debt, including Direct Borrowings and Direct Placements.
No other new accounting policies were adopted and there were no changes in the application of
existing policies during 2019. We noted no transactions entered into by the District during the year for
which there is a lack of authoritative guidance or consensus. There are no significant transactions
that have been recognized in the consolidated financial statements in a different period than when the
transaction occurred.
Significant Accounting Estimates
Accounting estimates are an integral part of the consolidated financial statements prepared by
management and are based on management’s knowledge and experience about past and current
events and assumptions about future events. Certain accounting estimates are particularly sensitive
because of their significance to the consolidated financial statements and because of the possibility
that future events affecting them may differ significantly from those expected. The most sensitive
estimates affecting the consolidated financial statements were:
Unbilled Revenue – Unbilled revenue is a measure of revenue earned through the end of the
reporting period that has yet to be billed. This generally represents accounts with billing cycles
that start in the reporting year and end in the subsequent year. We have evaluated the key factors
and assumptions used to develop unbilled revenue in determining that it is reasonable in relation
to the consolidated financial statements taken as a whole.
Allowance for Doubtful Accounts – The allowance for doubtful accounts represents an estimate
of the amount of accounts receivable that will not be collected. We have evaluated the key factors
and assumptions used to develop the allowance in determining that it is reasonable in relation to
the consolidated financial statements taken as a whole.
Recovery Periods for the Cost of Plant – This represents the depreciation of plant assets.
Management’s estimate of the recovery periods for the cost of plant is based on regulatory-
prescribed depreciation recovery periods. We have evaluated the key factors and assumptions
used to develop the recovery periods in determining that they are reasonable in relation to the
consolidated financial statements taken as a whole.
3
Other Post-Employment Benefit Obligations – This represents the amount of annual expenses
recognized for post-employment benefits. The amount is actuarially determined with management
input. We have evaluated the key factors and assumptions used to develop the annual expenses
in determining that it is reasonable in relation to the consolidated financial statements taken as a
whole.
Pension Liability and Related Pension Expense – This represents the amount of annual
expense recognized for pensions and the related pension asset or liability. The amount is
actuarially determined, with CalPERS management input. We have evaluated the key factors and
assumptions used to develop the annual expense in determining that it is reasonable in relation to
the consolidated financial statements taken as a whole.
Valuation of Investments – This represents management’s estimate of the fair value of
investments based on current market rates and conditions. We evaluated the key factors and
assumptions used to develop the valuation of investments and determined that they are
reasonable in relation to the financial statements taken as a whole.
Financial Statement Disclosures
The disclosures in the consolidated financial statements are consistent, clear and understandable.
Certain financial statement disclosures may be particularly sensitive because of their significance to
financial statement users.
We did not note any disclosures in the financial statements which we consider sensitive to potential
users.
Significant Difficulties Encountered in Performing the Audit
We encountered no significant difficulties in dealing with management in performing and completing
our audit.
Corrected and Uncorrected Misstatements
Professional standards require us to accumulate all known and likely misstatements identified during
the audit, other than those that are trivial, and communicate them to the appropriate level of
management. No material misstatements, either individually or in the aggregate, were detected as a
result of our audit procedures.
Disagreements with Management
For purposes of this letter, professional standards define a disagreement with management as a
financial accounting, reporting, or auditing matter, whether or not resolved to our satisfaction, that
could be significant to the consolidated financial statements or the auditor’s report. We are pleased to
report that no such disagreements arose during the course of our audit.
Management Representations
We have requested certain representations from management that are included in the management
representation letter dated May 22, 2020.
4
Management Consultation with Other Independent Accountants
In some cases, management may decide to consult with other accountants about auditing and
accounting matters, similar to obtaining a “second opinion” on certain situations. If a consultation
involves application of an accounting principle to the District’s consolidated financial statements or a
determination of the type of auditor’s opinion that may be expressed on those statements, our
professional standards require the consulting accountant to check with us to determine that the
consultant has all the relevant facts. To our knowledge, there were no such consultations with other
accountants.
Other Significant Audit Findings or Issues
We generally discuss a variety of matters, including the application of accounting principles and
auditing standards, with management each year prior to retention as the District’s auditors. However,
these discussions occurred in the normal course of our professional relationship and our responses
were not a condition to our retention.
5
Communication of Internal Control Related Matters
In planning and performing our audit of the consolidated financial statements of the District as of and
for the year ended December 31, 2019 in accordance with auditing standards generally accepted in
the United States of America, we considered the District’s internal control over financial reporting
(internal control) as a basis for designing audit procedures that are appropriate in the circumstances
for the purpose of expressing our opinion on the consolidated financial statements, but not for the
purpose of expressing an opinion on the effectiveness of the District’s internal control. Accordingly,
we do not express an opinion on the effectiveness of the District’s internal control.
A deficiency in internal control exists when the design or operation of a control does not allow
management or employees, in the normal course of performing their assigned functions, to prevent,
or detect and correct, misstatements on a timely basis. A material weakness is a deficiency, or a
combination of deficiencies, in internal control, such that there is a reasonable possibility that a
material misstatement of the entity’s consolidated financial statements will not be prevented, or
detected and corrected, on a timely basis.
Our consideration of internal control was for the limited purpose described in the first paragraph and
was not designed to identify all deficiencies in internal control that might be material weaknesses.
Given these limitations, during our audit we did not identify any deficiencies in internal control that we
consider to be material weaknesses. However, material weaknesses may exist that have not been
identified.
Other Control Related Matters
During the course of our audit, we became aware of matters that are opportunities for improving
reporting in compliance with generally accepted accounting principles, and strengthening internal
controls and operating effectiveness, which are summarized below:
Closing of Work Orders
During our testing of construction work in progress, we selected a work order for testing that was
placed in service in October 2018 but not closed until January 2020. For such scenarios where the
work is complete and the asset is in commercial operation, but the work order cannot be closed due
to incomplete documentation, we recommend the District review such instances and reclassify them
to FERC account 106, Construction completed but not yet classified, and out of construction work-in-
process for annual financial statement reporting purposes.
Management’s Response – Management will incorporate this year-end reclass of subject
workorder(s) amount as part of annual year-end close process.
Review of Existing Vendors
During our control testing over vendors, we noted no formal review is performed over key changes
made to existing vendors in the vendor master file, including changes in payment and routing
information. We recommend that the District implement controls to require review of key changes to
existing vendors in the vendor master file prior to issuance of payment.
Management’s Response – Management concurs with the recommendation and in 2020 will
implement a vendor master file changes internal control procedure(s) to address this control
finding.
6
Update on Prior Year Recommendations
In our “Communication of Internal Control Related Matters” dated April 22, 2019, we noted the
following control recommendations which have been implemented as of the date of this letter.
Review of Super User Activity
During our review of super user access, we did not note an internal control in place to periodically
review audit logs of changes made to the systems by the super users.
Moss Adams Update – During current year testing, we noted management performed an audit of
all user changes and implemented an audit plan to perform this review on a semi-annual basis. In
addition, we noted the District’s IT Security & Application Manager, who is not a super user, audits
the logs for unauthorized changes.
IT Procedures
During our review of the internal controls in place related to IT, we noted that although the District is
reviewing user access on a regular basis, this review has not been formally documented.
Moss Adams Update – During current year testing, we noted management developed and
maintained the audit evidence for the user access review performed in 2019.
This information is intended solely for the use of Board of Directors and management of Truckee
Donner Public Utility District and is not intended to be and should not be used by anyone other than
these specified parties.
Portland, Oregon
May 22, 2020