Chapter NR 155

Register December 2011 No. 672

Chapter NR 155

URBAN NONPOINT SOURCE WATER POLLUTION ABATEMENT AND
STORM WATER MANAGEMENT GRANT PROGRAM

NR 155.10   Purpose.

NR 155.11   Applicability.

NR 155.12   Definitions.

NR 155.13   Eligible applicants.

NR 155.14   Eligible projects.

NR 155.15   Cost sharing for urban best management practices.

NR 155.16   Aids for local assistance activities.

NR 155.17   Project application.

NR 155.18   Project screening.

NR 155.19   Project scoring.

NR 155.20   Project selection and funding.

NR 155.21   Runoff management grant agreement.

NR 155.22   Cost-share agreement.

NR 155.23   Cost containment.

NR 155.25   Property acquisition.

NR 155.26   Local assistance grant agreement.

NR 155.27   Procurement.

NR 155.28   Grant reimbursement procedures.

NR 155.29   Records.

NR 155.30   Project evaluation and reporting.

NR 155.31   Variances.

NR 155.32   Grant evaluation and enforcement.

NR 155.10 NR 155.10 Purpose. The purpose of this chapter is to establish administrative policies and procedures for a competitive grant program to abate urban nonpoint source water pollution and storm water runoff, as authorized by s. 281.66, Stats. This chapter promotes management of urban runoff from existing urban areas, developing urban areas and areas of urban redevelopment. The goal of urban runoff management in these areas is to achieve water quality standards, minimize flooding, protect groundwater, coordinate urban nonpoint source management activities with the municipal storm sewer discharge permit program authorized under s. 283.33, Stats., and implement non-agricultural nonpoint source performance standards authorized under s. 281.16 (2), Stats.

NR 155.10 History History: CR 00-025: cr. Register September 2002 No. 561, eff. 10-1-02.

NR 155.11 NR 155.11 Applicability. This chapter applies to all of the following when conducting urban nonpoint source water pollution abatement and storm water management activities authorized under s. 281.66, Stats.:

NR 155.11(1) (1) The department, when acting to solicit, accept and score urban runoff project applications and select urban runoff projects.

NR 155.11(2) (2) The department when acting to administer grants and the grant program, including when the department acts as the grantor of runoff management grant agreements and local assistance grant agreements for urban runoff projects.

NR 155.11(3) (3) Governmental units when acting to submit applications to the department for urban runoff projects, receive grants from the department for urban runoff projects and serve as cost-share providers to landowners and land operators in urban runoff projects.

NR 155.11(4) (4) The Board of Regents, when acting as a grant applicant, runoff management grantee or a local assistance grantee for urban runoff projects.

NR 155.11(5) (5) Landowners and land operators when acting as cost-share recipients in urban runoff projects.

NR 155.11 History History: CR 00-025: cr. Register September 2002 No. 561, eff. 10-1-02; 2015 Wis. Act 330 s. 20: am. (4) Register April 2016 No. 724, eff. 5-1-16.

NR 155.12 NR 155.12 Definitions. In this chapter:

NR 155.12(1) (1) “Applicant” means a governmental unit or Board of Regents when applying for a grant under this chapter.

NR 155.12(2) (2) “Board of Regents” means the Board of Regents of the University of Wisconsin System.

NR 155.12(3) (3) “Certification” means that an authorized representative has attested in writing that the statement is true.

NR 155.12(4) (4) “Cost-effective” means economical in terms of the tangible benefits produced by the money spent. Tangible benefits include pollution control, fish and wildlife habitat enhancement, enhancements to recreation, public safety, economical operation, economical maintenance and enhanced life expectancy of the urban best management practice.

NR 155.12(5) (5) “Cost-share agreement” means the agreement established between the governmental unit and the cost-share recipient which identifies the urban best management practices to be used on the cost-share recipient’s lands and the cost estimate, installation schedule and operation and maintenance requirements for these urban best management practices.

NR 155.12(6) (6) “Department” means the Wisconsin department of natural resources.

NR 155.12(7) (7) “Force account work” means the use of the governmental unit’s or board of regent’s own employees and equipment for project planning, design, construction, construction related activities, inspections, repair, or improvement to an urban best management practice.

NR 155.12(8) (8) “Governmental unit” means any unit of government including, but not limited to, a county, city, village, town, metropolitan sewerage district created under ss. 200.01 to 200.15 or 200.21 to 200.65, Stats., town sanitary district, public inland lake protection and rehabilitation district, regional planning commission or drainage district operating under ch. 89, 1961 Stats., or ch. 88, Stats. “Governmental unit” does not include the state or any state agency.

NR 155.12(9) (9) “Grant period” means the time period during which a governmental unit or the Board of Regents is eligible to incur eligible costs and obtain reimbursement from the department for a project under a runoff management grant agreement or a local assistance grant agreement.

NR 155.12(10) (10) “Grantee” means a governmental unit or the Board of Regents that receives funding from the department under a runoff management grant agreement or a local assistance grant agreement.

NR 155.12(11) (11) “Grantor” means the department when serving to provide funds under this chapter to a grantee.

NR 155.12(12) (12) “Landowner” means any individual, partnership, corporation, municipality or person holding title to land.

NR 155.12(13) (13) “Land operator” means any individual, partnership, corporation, municipality or person having possession of or holding a lease in land and is not a landowner.

NR 155.12(14) (14) “Local assistance grant agreement” means an agreement between the department and a governmental unit or the Board of Regents for the purpose of providing funds for staffing activities to carry out the tasks identified in an urban runoff project selected for funding under this chapter.

NR 155.12(15) (15) “Local share” means that portion of the best management practice installation cost funded under sources other than those authorized in s. 92.14, 281.65, 281.66 or 281.665, Stats.

NR 155.12(16) (16) “Nonpoint source” means a land management activity which contributes to runoff, seepage or percolation which adversely affects or threatens the quality of waters of this state and which is not a point source under s. 283.01 (12), Stats.

NR 155.12(17) (17) “Operation and maintenance period” means the length of time an urban best management practice included on a cost-share agreement or a runoff management grant agreement shall be operated and maintained.

NR 155.12(18) (18) “Point source” has the meaning in s. 283.01 (12), Stats.

NR 155.12(19) (19) “Population” means population shown by the last federal census or by subsequent population estimate under s. 16.96, Stats.

NR 155.12(20) (20) “Priority lake area” means a hydrologic unit which drains to a lake or group of lakes and serves as the project boundary for watershed projects identified through the process in s. 281.65 (3m) (b), Stats., and implemented through the process in ch. NR 120.

NR 155.12(21) (21) “Priority watershed” means any watershed that is identified under s. 281.65 (3) (am) or (4) (cm) or (co), Stats.

NR 155.12(22) (22) “Priority watershed plan” means the detailed portion of the area-wide water quality management plans prepared for priority watersheds as described in s. NR 120.08.