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)(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)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)(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)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)(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.