Created in 1952, the Arizona State Board of Physical Therapy regulates the practice of physical therapy by licensing physical therapists and certifying physical therapist assistants, registering certain physical therapy businesses, investigating complaints, and imposing discipline for violations of board statutes and rules. The Board should continue to improve its complaint resolution timeliness. Although the Board resolved the majority of the complaints it received between fiscal years 2009 and 2011 within the 180-day standard for health regulatory boards, 43 percent of the complaints took between 181 days to 18 months to be resolved. Factors contributing to lengthy complaint resolution included lengthy investigations and delays in holding formal and informal hearings. The Board has taken steps to improve complaint resolution timeliness, which it should continue to monitor.

Created in 1990, the Arizona Board of Appraisal regulates real estate appraisal in Arizona by licensing and certifying appraisers, registering appraisal management companies (AMCs) and property tax agents, investigating complaints, and issuing discipline for violations of board statutes and rules. The Board’s complaint resolution process has several weaknesses that contribute to potentially untimely and/or inappropriate complaint resolution, such as insufficient documentation regarding some board decisions, delays in assigning complaints for contract investigations, and inadequate monitoring of complaints to ensure timely resolution. Although the Board has taken steps to improve its process, it should develop and implement policies and procedures to address these weaknesses. The Board should also comply with statutory requirements for registering AMCs and develop and implement policies and procedures for providing timely and complete complaint and disciplinary information to the public.

The Department of Environmental Quality monitors and enforces regulated facilities’ compliance with environmental laws and regulations to control or prevent the release of contaminants into the environment that may have negative effects on the public’s health. Regulated facilities include power plants, wastewater treatment plants, dry cleaners, construction equipment, and other portable pollution sources. Although the Department monitors compliance by conducting inspections of regulated facilities, it can more effectively protect public health and the environment by targeting inspections of facilities based on risk. Additionally, the Department needs to take more consistent, timely, and effective enforcement actions.

The Coconino County Parks and Recreation Department (CCPR) contracted with PROS Consulting to develop an Organizational Master Plan that would aid the Department in sustaining a high quality park and recreation system over the next 10 years. This project seeks to provide sound and realistic recommendations, strategies, tactics, and suggested initiatives that address current and evolving park and recreation needs of residents of Coconino County.

The Arizona State Board of Funeral Directors and Embalmers regulates individuals and facilities involved in funeral directing, embalming, and cremation. The Board should strengthen its licensing process by ensuring that application forms are consistent with all of its administrative rules. The Board should also apply late fees for untimely renewals, ensure that its renewal application forms are consistent with rules, and either audit continuing education or require documentation of it with the renewal application. In addition, the Board needs to improve its inspection process by inspecting facilities at least once every 5 years, as required by statute, and by better documenting inspection results and following up on deficiencies. Finally, the Board adequately investigated and resolved complaints in a timely manner, but should implement procedures for providing accurate and complete public information about those it regulates.

The Office of the Auditor General has conducted a sunset review of the Department of Environmental Quality using the criteria in Arizona’s sunset law. This report includes responses to the sunset factors and is the final in a series of three reports on the Department. The first report focused on the Department’s processes for monitoring and enforcing regulated facilities’ compliance with state and federal environmental laws and regulations. The second report examined the Department’s processes for ensuring that owners and operators of petroleum underground storage tanks comply with state and federal laws and regulations regarding financial responsibility for leaks and spills.

The Arizona State Board of Cosmetology licenses and regulates cosmetologists, salons, and schools. The Board should continue to ensure that it issues licenses only to qualified applicants, comply with statutorily required time frames for issuing licenses, and develop and propose legislation requiring continuing education for license renewal. The Board should also revise its inspection approach to ensure all salons are appropriately inspected in a timely manner based on the risks that the salons pose to the public. Additionally, the Board should improve its complaint resolution processes by conducting adequate investigations and addressing weaknesses in its decision-making processes. Finally, the Board should provide timely and complete information about licensees over the phone and on its Web site.

In fiscal year 2011, Elfrida Elementary School District’s student AIMS scores for reading and writing were similar to the peer districts’ averages, and its math scores were lower. The District’s operational efficiencies compared favorably to peer district averages in most areas. All of the District’s nonclassroom areas operated with lower per pupil costs than peer districts’ averages and were reasonably efficient overall considering the District’s small size. However, the District’s transportation cost per mile was 59 percent higher than the peer districts’ average, partly because of slightly higher staffing levels. Providing transportation services cooperatively with neighboring districts could help bring costs closer to the peer district average. Further, the District needs to strengthen its accounting and computer controls.

The San Xavier District of the Tohono O’odham Nation is home to approximately 2,000 people. Numerous others come to the District to visit the San Xavier del Bac Mission Church. The San Xavier District Pedestrian Access and Safety Study is being prepared to improve the walking and bicycling environment on the San Xavier District for Community members and visitors alike. The study is being funded by the Arizona Department of Transportation Multimodal Planning Division’s Planning Assistance for Rural Areas program.