JFC Takes up Lead Service Lines this Wednesday

June 1, 2021 | Number 22

JFC to Take up DNR and DATCP Agency Budgets Tomorrow

The Legislature's budget writing committee continues working on the 2021-2023 state budget when it meets Wednesday, June 2nd. Of particular interest to municipalities, the Committee plans to vote on whether to appropriate state funding to help private property owners replace lead water service lines.

Governor Evers included in his budget one-time funding of $40 million GPR in 2021-22 in a continuing appropriation in the Environmental Improvement Fund (EIF) to provide forgivable loans to private users of public water systems for up to 50% of the cost of replacing lead service laterals. Given the availability of ARPA dollars to the state and local governments, which may be used to help private property owners replace lead service pipes, it is doubtful the Republican led JFC will include a similar provision in its budget.

Read the Legislative Fiscal Bureau's budget paper on lead service line replacement here.

Senate Committee Fails to Recommend Passage of Election Bills League Opposed

Late last week the Senate Committee on Elections, Election Process Reform, and Ethics failed to recommend passage of the following three election bills the League opposes. The vote was 2-3 for each bill.

SB 204, relating to absentee ballot applications, unsolicited mailing or transmission of absentee ballot applications and absentee ballots, canvassing absentee ballots, electronic voter registration. The League opposes this bill.

SB 205, relating to absentee voting in certain residential care facilities and retirement homes. The League opposes this bill.

SB 206, relating to status as an indefinitely confined voter for purposes of receiving absentee ballots automatically. The League opposes this bill.

The Committee voted to recommend passage of SB 214, a bill the League supports, which allows early canvassing of absentee ballots on the Monday before an election. The League supports this bill.

Legislature Begins Lengthy June Floor Session Next Tuesday

On June 8, the Legislature begins a floor session that runs until June 30 or whenever the Legislature passes the 2021-2023 state budget. Two League bills are in good position for both houses to pass during this upcoming floor period. The bills are:

AB 56/SB 76 -- Clarifying that personal property aid payments made to a TID district transfer to the municipality and other taxing jurisdictions after the district closes. The bill has been amended to apply retroactively to TIF districts that have closed between 2018 and whenever the bill is enacted.

AB 168/SB 187 -- Allowing village board members to be hired as employees of the village and earn up to $15,000 annually.

ARPA Update

League staff has prepared an ARPA FAQ responding to question submitted to us by League members.

Read the League's ARPA FAQ here.

Other ARPA Resources

Interim Final Rule
Factsheet – provides an overview of the aid, further describing allowable and ineligible uses
Frequently asked questions – address common questions received by the Treasury
Updated Allocation amounts for Counties and Metropolitan cities – 21 Wisconsin municipalities over 50,000 in population.
Updated Allocation amounts for non-entitlement municipalities (cities and villages with populations under 50,000) are available here. Note: No community's ARPA payment may exceed 75% of its 2020 budget. Also, each community will receive half of its total allocation sometime in the next month and the other half about 12 months later. (Special thanks to Carrie Nelson for calculating each community's allotment using the U.S. Treasury's formula for calculating non-entitlement community allotments).

TAKE ACTION Please take action to help your taxpayers!

It's an easy ask. The League is working with Rep. Rob Brooks (R-Saukville) and Sen. Jerry Petrowski (R-Marathon) to pass a bill that cleans up two inconsistencies in state laws dealing with the interest municipalities must pay on property tax refunds. The inconsistencies in current law have negative financial impacts on city and village taxpayers.

Your request is to ask your Legislators to sign on to the bill as a co-sponsor. The deadline for Legislators to sign on is TODAY Tuesday, June 1 at 5:00 - so click through to the League's TAKE ACTION Center today!

RECENTLY INTRODUCED LEGISLATION

SB 361, Regulating and Addressing PFAS. This bill makes various changes to existing programs, creates new programs and standards, provides funding, and creates new positions to address perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). Senator Agard (D-Madison) and Representative Baldeh (D-Madison) The League is reviewing this bill.

SB 363 /AB 359, Requiring Persons Holding a State Elective Office to Serve as an Election Official. This bill requires that each non-judicial elective state official, during the person's first term of office and once every three years during subsequent terms, serve as an election official for an election held where the person resides, not including an election in which the person is a candidate on the ballot. Senator Smith (D-Brunswick) and Representative Snodgras (D-Appleton) The League is neutral on this bill.

SB 365, Modifications to the Broadband Expansion Grant Program. This bill changes the purpose of the grant program to constructing broadband infrastructure in “unserved areas.” The bill then changes changes the speed standard for an unserved area to be at least actual download speeds of 100 megabits per second and upload speeds of 20 megabits per second. The bill prohibits PSC from awarding grants for projects that do not include at least 40 percent matching funds or for projects that are not capable of offering download speeds of 100 megabits per second or greater and upload speeds of 20 megabits per second or greater (minimum download and upload speeds). Senator Marklein (R-Spring Green) and Representative Summerfield (R-Bloomer). The League is reviewing this bill.

SB 374, Statewide Urban Search and Rescue Task Force and Regional Emergency Response Teams. Under current law, a team may respond only to incidents of structural collapse. This bill changes the team's designation from being a structural collapse team to an urban search and rescue task force, as designated by the National Fire Protection Association and Emergency Management Accreditation program standards. This change allows an urban search and rescue task force to respond to any incident involving structural collapse, rope rescue, vehicle extrication, machinery extrication, confined space, trench, excavation, and water operations.

Under the bill, the current law limitation on reimbursement for response is removed, and DMA must reimburse within 60 days local agencies that provided services as part of an urban search and rescue task force if agencies apply for reimbursement within 45 days of the conclusion of the task force's deployment. DMA may seek reimbursement for those services from any responsible party. In addition, the bill also allows DMA to reimburse a local agency for any increase in contributions for duty disability premiums because an employee incurred an injury while performing duties as a member of an urban search and rescue task force or a regional emergency response team. Senator Ballweg (R-Markesan) and Representative Loudenbeck (R-Clinton). The League supports this bill.

SB 381, DATCP regulation of Petroleum Products and Storage Tanks. This bill makes changes involving the Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection's regulation of petroleum products and the storage of dangerous substances.

Exempts aboveground storage tanks used to contain a liquid that is flammable or combustible or that is a hazardous substance and that have a capacity of less than 110 gallons from regulation by DATCP. Current law exempts aboveground storage tanks that have a capacity of less than 5,000 gallons from regulation by DATCP.
Requires DATCP to maintain an inventory of storage tanks used to contain certain regulated products.
Specifies that DATCP may promulgate rules to require the certification or registration of persons who install, test, or maintain corrosion prevention systems on storage tanks used to contain flammable or combustible liquids or hazardous substances.

Senator Cowles (R-Green Bay) and Representative James (R-Altoona) The League supports this bill.

PUBLIC HEARINGS THIS WEEK

Budget Update: The Co-Chairs of the Legislature's Joint Finance Committee have have noticed an executive session on Wednesday, June 2nd at 1:00 pm in Room 412 East, State Capitol on the 2021-2023 Biennial Budget. JFC will take up the portions of the Department of Natural Resources, DATCP, Workforce Development, Safety and Professional Services and the Environmental Improvement Fund. All JFC action can be viewed virtually on Wisconsin Eye.

AB 21, Aids to Counties and Municipalities for Certain Special Election Costs,

AB 264, Compensation of Election Officials Performing Duties During a Recount, and

AB 271, Broadcasting Election Night Proceedings. By the Assembly Committee on Campaigns and Elections on Tuesday, June 1st at 10:01 am, immediately following the executive session, in room 417 North, State Capitol.

LRB 2552/2, Redistricting Timelines Applicable to Local Governments. By the Assembly Committee on State Affairs on Wednesday, June 2nd at 1:00 pm in room 225 Northwest, State Capitol.

SB 303, Local Requirements Related to General Transportation Aids. By the Senate Committee on Transportation and Local Government on Wednesday, June 2nd at 1:31 pm, immediately following the executive session, in room 330 Southwest, State Capitol.