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Qualifications of Our Firm In recent years,we have concentrated our efforts in providing accounting,auditing and consulting services to Minnesota cities. To provide this service,we have kept our professional full-time government audit staff of 26 who work in specialized areas, such as cities,current on accounting and legislative changes. This is achieved through formal training by sending our staff members to annual seminars,workshops and profession sponsored classes on governmental accounting and reporting requirements. Issues covered during this training include: GASB updates; Single Audit compliance updates;TIF reporting and legislative updates;and other issues that qualify as continuing education under Government Auditing Standards. We also provide considerable informal training including monthly KDV meetings held to discuss relevant issues and to educate our staff on new changes in the profession and specifically,the governmental arena. In addition, several members of our firm have participated as speakers for seminars sponsored by the Minnesota Government Finance Officers Association, Minnesota Clerks and Finance Officers Association,the League of Minnesota Cities, Minnesota Association of School Business Officials,Minnesota Society of Certified Public Accountants and our own firm sponsored workshops. Our firm is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and the Minnesota Society of Certified Public Accountants. Individuals within the firm are actively involved with the Governmental Accounting and Auditing Task Forces of the Minnesota Society of Certified Public Accountants. Our firm is a member of the Private Companies Section of the AICPA Division for CPA Firms. This Division was founded in 1977 by the AICPA to promote CPA excellence and to provide a voluntary, objective means of monitoring adherence to professional standards. Each member firm is required to periodically subject its audit and accounting practice to a comprehensive quality review by specially trained outside CPAs. Our last such review was in November of 2002,at which time we received a clean report on our practices and methods.This peer review included an inspection of six governmental engagements. A copy of our peer review report is included with this proposal. Five members of our firm are members of the special review committee of the Government Finance Officers Association whose purpose is to review comprehensive annual financial reports to determine eligibility for the Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting. We recognize the City of Pequot Lakes requires more than a routine audit from its independent auditors. The Kern,DeWenter,Viere,Ltd. audit approach is cost effective, designed specifically for Minnesota cities and responds to your specific situations,expectations and requirements. We believe our extensive qualifications place us in a position to offer you some unique benefits: • Our experienced governmental team will closely plan and coordinate our auditing activities with City representatives to ensure we meet agreed upon deadlines. The City of Pequot Lakes will benefit from this approach by avoiding unnecessary disruptions and eliminating duplication of work. • We are truly a governmental firm. Our clients include cities, school districts,housing and redevelopment authorities and numerous governmental joint powers agreements. These governmental units account for such activities as electric utilities,water and sewer utilities, golf courses,economic development authorities,tax increment financing districts and federal grant programs. DProposal to Provide Audit Services for the 6 City of Pequot Lakes,Minnesota KERN•DEWENTER•VIERE