Municipal Water Coalition Announces Initiative to Address PFAS Sources
Last Friday, the Municipal Water Coalition announced an initiative to address PFAS sources that could find their way into municipal wastewater treatment plants, often referred to as Publicly Owned Treatment Works (POTWs). The Municipal Water Coalition
is an alliance of groups representing municipal water and wastewater utilities comprised of the League of Wisconsin Municipalities, Wisconsin Rural Water Association, Municipal Environmental Group – Wastewater Division, Municipal Environmental Group – Water
Division, and the Wisconsin Section of the American Water Works Association.

We share the Department of Natural Resources’ (DNR) concern about PFAS compounds. However, wastewater treatment facilities are not “producers” or “users” of PFAS chemicals. Rather, POTWs are “receivers” of these chemicals used by manufacturers
and consumers, and merely convey or manage the traces of PFAS that we encounter in our daily lives. Because PFAS are ubiquitous in households, consumer products, food, and the environment generally, they can make their way into the wastewater stream. The solution to these concerns is to reduce PFAS coming into POTWs because “end of pipe” treatment for POTWs is not feasible.

As a result, we are encouraging our wastewater utility members to identify facilities that may be potential users of materials containing PFOA and PFOS and develop a plan to work with these facilities to reduce sources of PFAS through product substitution or other Pollution Minimization Plan (PMP) alternatives. 

Although in July DNR requested that 125 POTWs undertake sampling of wastewater as a precursor to a PMP program, the approach announced today is designed to provide immediate results and is not dependent on first obtaining influent and effluent samples from POTWs. For this reason we have advised our wastewater utility members not to undertake sampling at this time as a precursor to taking action. 

Read the full Media Release here:

Read the October 18 letter to DNR announcing initiative by wastewater treatment plants to address PFAS sources. here.
Governor Signs Bill Requiring Municipalities to Continue Paying Healthcare Coverage for Families of Fallen Public Safety Employees
Last week, Governor Evers signed SB 266 into law as Act 19, requiring a municipality that pays for health insurance for its police officers, police chief, and EMS practitioners to continue to pay for healthcare coverage for the surviving spouse and dependent children of a police officer, police chief and EMS practitioner who dies in the line of duty. Act 19 requires the state to reimburse municipalities for the cost of extending health insurance to the families of fallen police officers and EMS practitioners. The state's reimbursement is paid out of the shared revenue program. The League took a neutral position on this bill. 
Milwaukee Responds to Legislative Advice on How to Run the City
Read letter from state legislators calling on Milwaukee to refrain from terminating 60 police officers as part of its 2020 budget, here .

Read city's response, here .
Legislative Leaders Announce November Floor Days
Last week, Senate leadership announced that the Senate plans to meet on the floor on November 5. The Assembly has indicated it plans to meet on November 7 and possibly November 12. These are the only floor days planned for the remainder of the year.
Advocate for Your Community
League's Fall Lobby Day is November 6
All municipal officials and staff are invited to participate in the League's fall Lobby Day on November 6. The day begins at 9:30 a.m. with a legislative briefing provided by League staff before walking to the Capitol for legislative meetings. After Capitol visits we reconvene for lunch. The event concludes at 1:30. We'll provide you with handouts and all the information you need to talk with your state legislators about legislation affecting cities and villages.

Register for the November 6 Lobby Day here.
In the News
Wisconsin Transparency Project
WisconsinEye Senior Producer Steve Walters interviewed Tom Kamenick on the Wisconsin Transparency Project, a law firm dedicated to open government. In a recent press release, the Wisconsin Transparency Project declares that although Wisconsin's open government laws are very strong, they are often under enforced. Watch the interview here...

Elections Security Council talks cyber security, boosting partnerships at inaugural meeting
Members include more than two dozen officials from the FBI, Department of Homeland Security, Department of Justice, Department of Military Affairs, Department of Transportation, Gov. Tony Evers' office, the state Legislature, League of Wisconsin Municipalities, Counties Association and Towns Association, among others. 

The panel plans to meet every other month through next fall, with the next meeting scheduled for Dec. 18. The sprawling body is also looking at adding three public members, who would be able to apply for seats on the council.  Read the article...

(Mike Davis, Middleton City Administrator, and Claire Silverman, League of Wisconsin Municipalities Legal Counsel, sit on the Council representing cities and villages.)

Municipal Water Coalition announce PFAS initiative
An alliance of groups representing municipal water and wastewater utilities, the coalition comprises of the League of Wisconsin Municipalities, Wisconsin Rural Water Association, Municipal Environmental Group – Wastewater Division, Municipal Environmental Group – Water Division and the Wisconsin Section of the American Water Works Association.

The coalition stated wastewater treatment facilities are not “producers” or “users” of PFAS chemicals, in a statement on Friday afternoon. The release stated POTWs are “receivers” of these chemicals used by manufacturers and consumers, and merely convey or manage the traces of PFAS that we encounter in our daily lives. Read the story...

Gov. Tony Evers Urges Action On Water Quality: State Agencies Submit Suggestions To Governor, Committee Following Statewide Hearings
Agencies in the Evers administration that oversee the environment, health and agriculture have sent their recommendations to improve the state’s water quality to the governor.

The proposals come after 13 hearings around the state were held by the Speakers Task Force on Water Quality from March to September.

The recommendations focus on five areas contaminating groundwater: nitrates, nonpoint source pollution, PFAS, lead and pathogens. Read the story...

Tom Still: Healthy startup communities benefit when entrepreneurs cash out
Behind that compelling story is another narrative, however, that speaks to why some cities and states succeed in building a startup economy and others do not: When entrepreneurs make money and plow some of it back into the community where they live, good things happen. Read the story...

Protecting Our Data: What Cities (& Villlages) Should Know About Cybersecurity
Every hour, 26% of local governments report a cyberattack. But according to a new National League of Cities (NLC) analysis, done in partnership with the Public Technology Institute, nearly a quarter don’t have a cybersecurity plan that is designed to protect government information systems from attack. Access the NLC Guidebook here..
ICYMI - Know Your Wisconsin: Funding for Wisconsin’s Local Governments
"Budgets across the state are tighter than ever and communities in Wisconsin have been feeling the pressure. The ever-tightening state-imposed budget limits are in part due to state aids that have not increased, and limitations on property tax increases. State levy limits prevent local property taxes from growing beyond the percentage of new buildings built in that community the year before." Watch the video here...
Be Inspired!
We look forward to welcoming 500+ attendees to the
League's 121st Annual Conference
October 23-25 in Green Bay
Registration on site only. Download the form here & bring it with you.
RECENTLY INTRODUCED BILLS

AB 527, Grants related to preventing suicide by firearm. Requires the Department of Health Services to award grants to organizations or coalitions of organizations, including cities, villages, towns, and counties, for 1) sharing guidelines and training staff at a firearm retailer or firearm range on avoiding selling or renting a firearm to persons who may be considering suicide; 2) providing suicide prevention materials for distribution at a firearm retailer or firearm range; or 3) providing voluntary firearm storage. A grant recipient must contribute matching funds or in-kind services having a value equal to at least 20 percent of the grant amount. By Rep. James (R-Altoona). The League supports this bill. Comment to the League on this bill.

SB 530, Grants for Suicide Prevention Programming. Requires the Department of Health Services to award grants to organizations or coalitions of organizations, including cities, villages, towns, and counties, for suicide prevention programming. A grant recipient must contribute matching funds or in-kind services having a value equal to at least 20 percent of the grant amount. By Rep. Vandermeer (R-Tomah). The League supports this bill. Comment to the League on this bill.

SB 511, Claims for compensation for post-traumatic stress disorder by police officers and fire fighters under the worker's compensation law. Provides that if a police officer or professional fire fighter is diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder by a licensed psychiatrist or psychologist and the mental injury that resulted in that diagnosis is not accompanied by a physical injury, that public safety officer can bring a claim for worker's compensation benefits if the conditions of liability are proven by a preponderance of the evidence and the mental injury is not the result of a good-faith employment action by the person's employer. Under the bill, such an injured public safety employee is not required to demonstrate a diagnosis based on unusual stress of greater dimensions than the day-to-day emotional strain and tension experienced by similarly situated employees. By Sen. Jacque (R-DePere). The League is neutral on this bill. Comment to the League on this bill.
PUBLIC HEARINGS ON MUNICIPAL BILLS

SB 465, Establishing a framework for issuing grants for Next Generation 911 once a grant program is funded. By Senate Committee on Transportation on Tuesday, October 22, at 1:00 p.m. in 300 Southeast, State Capitol. The League opposes this bill because it prohibits more than one PSAP per county from receiving a grant.

AB 527, Grants related to preventing suicide by firearm . By Assembly Committee on Local Government on Tuesday, October 22, at 1:00 p.m. in 300 Northeast, State Capitol. The League supports this bill.

AB 530, Grants related to preventing suicide programming. By Assembly Committee on Local Government on Tuesday, October 22, at 1:00 p.m. in 300 Northeast, State Capitol. The League supports this bill.