February 14, 2022 | Number 56
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Supreme Court Weighs in Again on Drop Boxes
On Friday, a divided Wisconsin Supreme Court denied a request from the state elections commission to keep absentee ballot drop boxes in place for the April 5 election for local offices. The court previously approved the use of drop boxes in the February 15th primary elections.
The most recent 4-3 Supreme Court ruling means that after Tuesday’s primary, drop boxes located outside of local election clerks’ offices cannot be used to collect absentee ballots. For more information see this WPR report.
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Important Report Shows How State Shorts Cities/Villages
As you know, the League’s top legislative priority is to reform the broken system of funding local government. Last week, the Wisconsin Policy Forum issued an important report that provides excellent data and background, but we need you to spread the word. Read the report and the League's formal public response here.
Please take the time to share this information with your legislators and local news media, and talk about how important reform is for your community.
The broken system of funding local government is real, it is urgent, and we know that you wrestle with it every day. That’s the message lawmakers need to hear.
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The League's Federal Legislation Resources (ARPA & BIL) are posted here.
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ICYMI - Federal Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) Resources
On February 10th WisDOT presented a webinar focused on a recent solicitation to use Federal Fiscal Year 2022 (FFY22) funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL). Interested applicants will learn about program eligibility, application procedures, and other related information.
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Public Hearing on Great Lakes/Commercial Rivers Historic Fill
Last week the League's Government Affairs Director, Toni Herkert, was joined by Sheboygan Mayor Ryan Sorenson to testify on the Great Lakes and Commercial Rivers Historic Fill legislation, SB 900 at a public hearing before the Senate Government Operations Committee. (See the photo on the League's Facebook page here.) Josh VanLieshout and Marty Olejniczak representing the City of Sturgeon Bay also testified in favor of the bill. For more information see the League's Testimony from last week and our April Municipality Magazine on Land Use (pg.11-13).
PFAS Update
Voluntary Drinking Water PFAS Sampling Project for Municipal Systems. The Department of Natural Resources has launched a new, voluntary program for communities that are interested in learning whether their municipal water supply is impacted by per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). Voluntary Drinking Water PFAS Sampling Project For Municipal Systems | | Wisconsin DNR. Through funding from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the state of Wisconsin will fund and support local communities that wish to sample for PFAS. If PFAS are detected at a Hazard Index value that raises concern (i.e., 0.5 or higher) during the initial sampling, follow-up sampling may occur that will include the additional PFAS compounds with health recommendations. Bear in mind that public notification of the test results will also be required.
PFAS Firefighting Foam. On February 9th, the Joint Committee on Finance voted to release $1 million in funds that were allocated in the 2021-23 State Budget to create a statewide program to collect and properly dispose of unused and unwanted PFAS-containing firefighting foam, also known as aqueous film forming foam or AFFF. According to a study conducted by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources that was authorized and funded by the 2019-21 State Budget, 64% of fire departments have AFFF resulting in at least 63,000 gallons and up to 96,000 gallons of AFFF scattered around the state. Over 30,000 gallons of this foam is expired or otherwise unwanted yet is still being stored. For more information contact the DNR at DNRFireFightingFoamStudy@Wisconsin.gov
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NR 105 Surface Water Quality Criteria Changes - Final EIA
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NR 140 Groundwater Quality Standards (Cycle 10)
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NR 809 Safe Drinking Water Standards
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NEW League Resource: Model Law Enforcement Candidate Waiver
2021 Wisconsin Act 82 requires law enforcements agencies to create, collect and share employment information as part of their recruitment and hiring processes. League legal staff worked with a group of municipal attorneys to draft a model waiver form for law enforcement agencies to use. Find it here.
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RECENTLY INTRODUCED LEGISLATION
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SB 976, Levy Limit Exemption for Certain Shared Emergency Service Expenditures. This bill creates an additional exception to local levy limits. Under SB 976, fee increases apportioned to each city, village, or town operating a joint emergency dispatch center do not apply to the levy limits if the fees would cause the municipality to exceed the levy limits, and only if the total charges imposed by the center for the current year, compared to the previous year, are less than or equal to the rate of inflation plus 2 percent. By Senator Ringhand (D-Evansville) and Representative Andraca (D-Whitefish Bay). The League supports this bill.
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PUBLIC HEARINGS THIS WEEK
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IN THE NEWS
(Paywalls may apply)
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'Broken system': $3.8B surplus could help local governments, lawmakers at odds on how to spend it Read the article.
Republican bills aim to punish local governments that enact transportation utility fees Read the article.
Click here to like, share or comment on this on the League's Facebook page.
Wisconsin bill reveals fight over control, profit from shift to electric vehicles Read the article.
What does a Wisconsin election inspector do? There's more to the job than handing out ballots Read the article.
How communities are investing American Rescue Plan funds with the Local Government ARPA Investment Tracker Read the article.
Want to share your ARPA investments with your peers in Wisconsin? Contact Gail Sumi, Member Engagement Director at email.
Diverse cities, whiter suburbs, dying farms: 5 ways northeast Wisconsin has changed Read the article.
Marshfield is voting for mayor, but what does that position do in a city with a full-time administrator? Read the article.
Click here to like, share or comment on this on the League's Facebook page.
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2nd Tuesday of every month.
March 8, 2022, 12:00-1:00 via Zoom
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Space is limited. Register Now:
Using the League’s New Zoning Guide for Affordable Housing
CNU is providing training for municipal elected officials, staff, and private planning consultants interested in using the Wisconsin-specific Zoning Guide. The training is free but attendance is limited and REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED.
The overall goal of the Guide and the training is to show that bite-sized zoning code changes are possible and can have an immediate impact on removing obstacles to the development of workforce and missing middle housing.
(The Guide will be available for download on February 15, prior to the workshops. Background is available on the League's website here.)
The training will cover how to use the documents in the Guide, navigating the steps to amending a code, and determining where to start. Both the morning and afternoon sessions will focus on the methodology of incremental code reform and the process and implementation described within the Guide.
The morning session will be geared for elected municipal officials, city and village administrators/managers, builders, and advocates. The afternoon session will be geared for municipal planning staff and private planning consultants.
You may attend both the morning and afternoon sessions.
February 21 - Eau Claire, A.M. Session 9 - 11:30; P.M. Session - 1:00 - 4:00
February 22 - Plover, A.M. Session 9 - 11:30; P.M. Session - 1:00 - 4:00
February 23 – Oshkosh, A.M. Session 9-11:30; P.M. Session - 1:00 - 4:00
Registration *Please note each session is limited to 40 participants.
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Human Resources for Small Communities
Tuesday, March 8, 9, 10, & 11, 2022 from 10:00 AM-11:00 AM via Zoom
This workshop is Wisconsin Municipal Clerks Association credit eligible.
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Sign up now for the League's Popular Local Government 101
Workbook included for ALL participants - print or USB.
Via Zoom:
May 6 - Webinar
September 9 - Webinar
If you register for the Local Govt 101 webinar, you can participate in any of the Local Govt webinars within a year from your registration. Mix and match the four segments - take them all in one-day or attend when you can.
In-person:
May 13, 2022 – Eau Claire, The Lismore Hotel
June 3, 2022 – Madison Marriott West
September 16, 2022 – Milwaukee - TBD
The full 2022 schedule of League events is coming soon!
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Email questions or comments to:
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