Chapter 281

281.58(11)(a) (a) Except as provided in par. (b), the department of administration shall specify the method by which financial assistance is to be provided for each approved application.

281.58(11)(b) (b) For municipalities meeting the financial hardship assistance requirements under sub. (13), the department of natural resources may approve financial hardship assistance.

281.58(12) (12) Loan interest rates.

281.58(12)(a) (a)

281.58(12)(a)1. 1. Except as modified under par. (f) and except as restricted by sub. (8) (b), (c), (f) or (h), the interest rate for projects specified in sub. (7) (b) 1. to 5. is one of the following:

281.58(12)(a)1.a. a. For a municipality that has a population of less than 1,000, and in which the median household income is 65 percent or less of the median household income in this state, zero percent of market interest rate.

281.58(12)(a)1.b. b. For a municipality that has a population of less than 10,000, and in which the median household income is 80 percent or less of the median household income in this state, 33 percent of market interest rate.

281.58(12)(a)1.c. c. For a municipality that does not meet the requirements specified in subd. 1. a. or b., 75 percent of market interest rate for projects for which the subsidy was allocated from the amount under s. 281.59 (3e) (b), 2013 stats., for a biennium before the 2015-17 biennium and 70 percent of market interest rate for projects for which the financial assistance is allocated under this section for the 2015-17 biennium, and 55 percent of market interest rate for projects for which the financial assistance is allocated under this section for the 2017-19 biennium or later.

281.58(12)(a)4. 4. The interest rate for projects specified in sub. (7) (b) 6. and for those portions of projects under subd. 1. that are restricted by sub. (8) (b), (c), (f) or (h) is market interest rate.

281.58(12)(a)5. 5. Notwithstanding subd. 1., the interest rate for the portion of a project that provides facilities for receiving and storing septage and capacity for treating septage is zero percent.

281.58(12)(c) (c) The department and the department of administration shall attempt to ensure all of the following:

281.58(12)(c)1. 1. That increases in all state water pollution abatement general obligation debt service costs do not exceed 4 percent annually.

281.58(12)(c)2. 2. That state water pollution abatement general obligation debt service costs are not greater than 50 percent of all general obligation debt service costs in any fiscal year.

281.58(12)(f) (f) The department and the department of administration jointly may request the joint committee on finance to take action under s. 13.101 (11) to modify the percentage of market interest rate established in par. (a) 1.

281.58(13) (13) Financial hardship assistance.

281.58(13)(b) (b) A municipality with an application that is approved under sub. (9m) is eligible for state financial hardship assistance for the project costs that are eligible under the clean water fund program, except for costs to which sub. (8) (b), (c), (f) or (h) applies, if the initial application was submitted on or before June 30, 2017, the application, including the facility plan and the design plans and specifications, was completed on or before June 30, 2018, and the municipality meets all of the following criteria:

281.58(13)(b)1. 1. The median household income in the municipality is 80 percent or less of the median household income in this state.

281.58(13)(b)2. 2. The estimated total annual charges per residential user in the municipality that relate to wastewater treatment would exceed 2 percent of the median household income in the municipality without assistance under this subsection.

281.58(13)(c) (c) The department shall provide assistance so that estimated total annual charges per residential user in the municipality that relate to wastewater treatment do not exceed 2 percent of the median household income in the municipality, if possible. The department may not reduce the amount of financial hardship assistance for a municipality’s project due to the municipality receiving assistance for the project from another source unless the combination of financial hardship assistance plus the assistance from the other source would reduce the estimated total annual charges per residential user in the municipality that relate to wastewater treatment to less than 2 percent of the median household income in the municipality.

281.58(13)(cm) (cm) The amount and type of assistance to be provided to a municipality that receives state financial hardship assistance shall be determined under rules promulgated by the department.

281.58(13)(d) (d) The department shall establish a financial hardship assistance funding list for each fiscal year that ranks projects of municipalities that are eligible under par. (b), and that submit complete financial assistance applications under sub. (9) (a) no later than June 30 of the preceding fiscal year, in the same order that they appear on the priority list under sub. (8e).

281.58(13)(e) (e) In each fiscal year, the department shall allocate financial hardship assistance under this subsection in the following order:

281.58(13)(e)2. 2. Assistance under par. (b) for projects that were on a funding list under par. (d) for a prior fiscal year, that have not previously received funding and that were in the top 20 percent of projects on the priority list under sub. (8e) for the prior fiscal year, starting with projects on the funding list for the earliest fiscal year.

281.58(13)(e)3. 3. Assistance under par. (b) for projects on the current fiscal year’s funding list under par. (d) in the order that they appear on the funding list.

281.58(13)(f) (f) The department shall promulgate, by rule, a formula for estimating operating, maintenance and replacement costs for determining estimated wastewater treatment user charges under this subsection.

281.58(13m) (13m) Minority business development and training program.

281.58(13m)(a) (a) The department shall make grants to projects that are eligible for financial assistance under the clean water fund program and that are identified as being part of the minority business development and training program under s. 200.49 (2) (b).

281.58(13m)(b) (b) Grants provided under this subsection are not included for the purposes of determining under sub. (8) (i) the amount that a municipality may receive for projects under the clean water fund program.

281.58(14) (14) Conditions of financial assistance.

281.58(14)(b) (b) As a condition of receiving financial assistance under the clean water fund program, a municipality shall do all of the following:

281.58(14)(b)1. 1. Establish a dedicated source of revenue, that is acceptable to the department of administration under s. 281.59 (9) (am) and (b), for the repayment of any financial assistance.

281.58(14)(b)4. 4. Comply with those provisions of 33 USC 1381 to 1387, this chapter and chs. 283, 285 and 289 to 299 and the regulations and rules promulgated thereunder that the department specifies.

281.58(14)(b)5. 5. Develop and adopt a program of water conservation as required by the department.

281.58(14)(b)6. 6. Develop and adopt a program of systemwide operation and maintenance of the treatment work, including the training of personnel, as required by the department.

281.58(14)(b)7. 7. Develop and adopt a system of equitable user charges to ensure that each recipient of treatment work services pays its proportionate share of the costs of the operation and maintenance of the treatment work. The user fee system shall be in compliance with 33 USC 1284 (b) and the regulations promulgated thereunder. The department may issue an exemption from the requirement imposed under this subdivision if a city or village imposes a system of equitable dedicated charges based upon assessed property values, if the city or village does not operate a treatment work but is served by a regional wastewater treatment plant operated by a metropolitan sewerage district created under ss. 200.21 to 200.65 and if the user charges imposed by that district are approved by the department and comply with 33 USC 1284 (b). The department may provide that the system of user charges for a project with estimated construction costs of $750,000 or less need only cover the costs of debt service and equipment replacement funds.

281.58(15) (15) Financial assistance commitments.

281.58(15)(a) (a) The department and the department of administration may, at the request of a municipality, issue a notice of financial assistance commitment to the municipality after the department approves the municipality’s application under sub. (9m) (a) and the department of administration has allocated financial assistance for the municipality’s project.

281.58(15)(am) (am) The notice of financial assistance commitment shall include the conditions that the municipality must meet to secure the financial assistance and shall include the estimated repayment schedules and other terms of the financial assistance.

281.58(21) (21) Construction. This section shall be liberally construed in aid of the purposes of this section.

281.58 History History: 1987 a. 399; 1989 a. 31, 336, 366; 1991 a. 32, 39, 189; 1993 a. 16; 1995 a. 27; 1995 a. 227 s. 425; Stats. 1995 s. 281.58; 1997 a. 27, 237; 1999 a. 9; 1999 a. 150 s. 672; 2001 a. 16, 104; 2005 a. 25, 347; 2009 a. 28; 2011 a. 32, 261; 2013 a. 7; 2015 a. 55; 2017 a. 59; 2017 a. 365 s. 111; 2021 a. 112; 2023 a. 106.

281.58 Cross-reference Cross-reference: See also ch. NR 162, Wis. adm. code.

281.58 Note NOTE: 2005 Wis. Act 347, which affected this section, contains extensive explanatory notes.

281.59 281.59 Environmental improvement fund; financial management.

281.59(1) (1) Definitions. In this section:

281.59(1)(ag) (ag) “Clean water fund program” means the program administered under s. 281.58, with financial management provided under this section.

281.59(1)(am) (am) “Effluent limitation” has the meaning given in s. 283.01 (6).

281.59(1)(b) (b) “Market interest rate” means the effective interest rate on a fixed-rate revenue obligation issued by the state to fund a loan made under this section or, if the department of administration determines that there has been a significant change in interest rates after the fixed-rate revenue obligation has been issued or if a fixed-rate revenue obligation has not been issued by the state to fund a loan made under this section, the effective interest rate that the department of administration determines would have been paid if a fixed-rate revenue obligation had been issued on the date financial assistance is allotted.

281.59(1)(c) (c) “Municipality” means any city, town, village, county, county utility district, town sanitary district, public inland lake protection and rehabilitation district, metropolitan sewerage district, joint local water authority created under s. 66.0823, or federally recognized American Indian tribe or band in this state.

281.59(1)(cm) (cm) “Safe drinking water loan program” means the program administered under s. 281.61, with financial management provided under this section.

281.59(1)(e) (e) “Treatment work” has the meaning given in s. 283.01 (18).

281.59(1)(f) (f) “Violator of an effluent limitation” means a person or municipality that after May 17, 1988, is not in substantial compliance with the enforceable requirements of its permit issued under ch. 283 for a reason that the department determines is or has been within the control of the person or municipality.

281.59(1m) (1m) Establishment of programs.

281.59(1m)(a) (a) There is established a clean water fund program, administered under s. 281.58, with financial management provided under this section.

281.59(1m)(b) (b) There is established a safe drinking water loan program, administered under s. 281.61, with financial management provided under this section.

281.59(2) (2) General duties. The department of administration shall:

281.59(2)(a) (a) Administer its responsibilities under this section and ss. 281.58 and 281.61 and s. 281.60, 2021 stats.

281.59(2)(b) (b) Cooperate with the department in administering the clean water fund program and the safe drinking water loan program and in servicing any outstanding loans made under s. 281.60, 2021 stats.

281.59(2)(c) (c) Accept and hold any letter of credit from the federal government through which the state receives federal capitalization grant payments and disbursements to the environmental improvement fund.

281.59(2m) (2m) Investment management; environmental improvement fund.

281.59(2m)(a) (a) The department of administration may:

281.59(2m)(a)1. 1. Subject to par. (b), direct the investment board under s. 25.17 (2) (d) to make any investment of the environmental improvement fund, or in the collection of the principal and interest of all moneys loaned or invested from that fund.

281.59(2m)(a)2. 2. Subject to par. (b), purchase or acquire, commit on a standby basis to purchase or acquire, sell, discount, assign, negotiate, or otherwise dispose of, or pledge, hypothecate or otherwise create a security interest in, loans as the department of administration may determine, or portions or portfolios of participations in loans, made or purchased under this section. The disposition may be at the price and under the terms that the department of administration determines to be reasonable and may be at public or private sale.

281.59(2m)(b) (b) The department of administration shall take an action under par. (a) only if all of the following conditions occur:

281.59(2m)(b)1. 1. The action provides a financial benefit to the environmental improvement fund.

281.59(2m)(b)2. 2. The action does not contradict or weaken the purposes of the environmental improvement fund.

281.59(2m)(b)3. 3. The building commission approves the action before the department of administration acts.

281.59(3) (3) Financial management; biennial finance plan.

281.59(3)(a) (a) By October 1 of each even-numbered year, the department of administration and the department jointly shall prepare a biennial finance plan that includes all of the following information:

281.59(3)(a)1. 1. An estimate of the wastewater treatment and safe drinking water project needs of the state for the 4 fiscal years of the next 2 biennia.

281.59(3)(a)2. 2. The total amount that the department of administration projects will be available to provide financial assistance for projects under subd. 1. during the next biennium.

281.59(3)(a)4. 4. The extent to which the funding for the clean water fund program and the safe drinking water loan program, in the environmental improvement fund, will be maintained in perpetuity.

281.59(3)(a)4m. 4m. A chart showing detailed projected sources and uses of funds for projects under subd. 1. during the next biennium.

281.59(3)(a)5. 5. The most recent available audited financial statements of the past operations and activities of the clean water fund program and the safe drinking water loan program, the estimated environmental improvement fund capital available in each of the next 4 fiscal years for the clean water fund program and the safe drinking water loan program, and the projected environmental improvement fund balance for the clean water fund program and the safe drinking water loan program for each of the next 20 years given existing obligations and financial conditions.

281.59(3)(a)5m. 5m. The percentage of market interest rate for the projects under subd. 1.

281.59(3)(a)8. 8. The amount and description of any fee expected to be charged during the next biennium under this section.

281.59(3)(a)9. 9. The impact of the biennial finance plan on the guideline under par. (b).

281.59(3)(b) (b) The department of administration and the department shall consider as a guideline in preparing the portion of the biennial finance plan for the clean water fund program that all state water pollution abatement general obligation debt service costs should not exceed 50 percent of all general obligation debt service costs to the state.

281.59(3)(bm) (bm) The department and the department of administration jointly shall prepare and submit copies of all of the following to the building commission under s. 13.48 (26), to the joint committee on finance and to the chief clerk of each house of the legislature, for distribution under s. 13.172 (3) to the appropriate legislative standing committees generally responsible for legislation related to environmental issues:

281.59(3)(bm)1. 1. By October 1 of each even-numbered year, the version of the biennial finance plan initially prepared as part of the budget process.

281.59(3)(bm)2. 2. No later than 30 days after the day on which the biennial budget is submitted to the legislature under s. 16.45, amendments to the biennial finance plan that update the plan to reflect material approved by the governor for inclusion in the budget.

281.59(3)(bm)3. 3. No later than 30 days after the day on which the governor signs the biennial budget, a version of the biennial finance plan, updated to reflect the adopted biennial budget act.

281.59(3)(br) (br) The joint committee on finance and each standing committee may submit to the building commission its recommendations and comments regarding each version of the biennial finance plan and amendments to the biennial finance plan, and whether the version of the biennial finance plan updated to reflect the adopted biennial budget act should be approved or disapproved as specified under s. 13.48 (26). If the building commission disapproves the version of the biennial finance plan that is updated to reflect the adopted biennial budget act, the department and the department of administration shall submit a revised biennial finance plan to the building commission.

281.59(3)(j) (j) No later than November 1 of each odd-numbered year, the department of administration and the department jointly shall submit a report, to the building commission and committees as required under par. (bm), on the operations and activities of the clean water fund program and the safe drinking water loan program for the previous biennium.

281.59(3e) (3e) Clean water fund program expenditures.

281.59(3e)(d) (d) The department may expend, for financial assistance in a biennium other than financial hardship assistance under s. 281.58 (13) (e), an amount up to 95 percent of the amount available to provide financial assistance for projects under this section for that biennium. The department may expend such amount only from the percentage of the amount that is not available under par. (e) for financial hardship assistance.

281.59(3e)(e) (e) The department may expend, for financial hardship assistance in a biennium under s. 281.58 (13) (e), an amount up to 5 percent of the amount available to provide financial assistance for projects under this section for that biennium. The department may expend such amount only from the percentage of the amount that is not available under par. (d) for financial assistance.

281.59(4) (4) Revenue obligations.

281.59(4)(a) (a) The clean water fund program and the safe drinking water loan program are revenue-producing enterprises or programs, as defined in s. 18.52 (6).

281.59(4)(am) (am) Deposits, appropriations or transfers to the environmental improvement fund for the purposes of the clean water fund program or the safe drinking water loan program may be funded with the proceeds of revenue obligations issued subject to and in accordance with subch. II of ch. 18 or in accordance with subch. IV of ch. 18 if designated a higher education bond.