• Enhancing the quality and increasing the supply of child care for all families, including those who receive no direct assistance under s.
49.155, Stats.
• Providing parents with a broad range of options in addressing their child care needs.
• Improving the quality of and coordination among child care programs and early childhood development programs.
• Increasing the availability of early childhood development care services and before- and after-school care services.
• Educating consumers about child care.
• Improving the health and safety aspects of child care, including regulation of child care.
• Providing crisis respite child care to children in protective services cases or in need of protective services.
A local government or tribe may not use grant funds received under this chapter for purchase of real estate; construction or major remodeling; kindergarten to 12th grade public education or care services provided to students during the regular school day; direct purchase or payment of child care services, unless the child is receiving or is in need of protective services; or public pre-kindergarten services.
A local government that is awarded a grant based on a single application may not spend more than 5% of the grant on administrative costs. The department may allow a local government that is awarded a grant based on a cooperative application to spend up to 10% of the grant on administrative costs. The department may allow a local government or tribe that is awarded a grant based on a collaborative application to spend up to 15% of the grant on administrative costs.
The available grant funds will be allocated for residents of each county of the state based equally on the county's percentage of the state's low-income children and percentage of the state's recent births. The amount of an initial grant will be determined based on the amount requested by the applicant, the amount of match identified by the applicant, the amount of funding allocated to the county or counties proposed for service by the applicant, the amount of funding requested by all applicants proposing to serve residents of the county or counties involved, and the amount of funding available due to reallocation from other counties.
A continuing grant may be offered to a local government or tribe for 2 funding cycles after the initial grant was awarded. A local government or tribe may be eligible for a continuing grant if the local government or tribe is proposing to continue the same program that was funded by the initial grant and the local government or tribe complied with all requirements associated with the initial grant. If the local government or tribe is eligible for a continuing grant and funding is available, the department shall fund a local government or tribe's request for a continuing grant before initial grants are funded and at a level of 75 percent of the initial grant if matching requirements are met. Additional funds may be provided if the applicant identifies sufficient match and funds are available under initial grant rules. The amount of a continuing grant may be adjusted to reflect the applicant's record of completing previous match or spending agreements under this program and other aspects of the applicant's record of doing business with the department.
Initial Regulatory Flexibility Analysis
The proposed rules do not affect small business as defined in s.
227.14, Stats.
Fiscal Impact
Section
49.137 (4m), Stats., authorizes a program that may increase revenue for local governments that receive a grant. The proposed rules specify procedural information for awarding the grants but have no fiscal effect.
Contact Information
A paper copy may be obtained at no charge by contacting:
Elaine Pridgen
Office of Legal Counsel
Dept. of Workforce Development
201 E. Washington Avenue
P.O. Box 7946
Madison, WI 53707-7946
(608) 267-9403
Written Comments
Written comments on the proposed rules received at the above address and email comments sent to
stiefba@dwd.state.wi.us no later than February 28, 2002, will be given the same consideration as testimony presented at the hearing.
Notice of Hearing
Workforce Development
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that pursuant to Sections
66.0903 (5),
103.49 (3g),
779.14 (1s), and
227.11, Stats., the Department of Workforce Development proposes to hold a public hearing to consider the amendment and creation of rules relating to the adjustment of thresholds for application of prevailing wage rates and payment and performance assurance requirements.
Hearing Information:
February 27, 2002 GEF 1 Building, Room B103
Wednesday 201 E. Washington Avenue
1:30 p.m. MADISON
Interested persons are invited to appear at the hearing and will be afforded the opportunity to make an oral presentation of their positions. Persons making oral presentations are requested to submit their facts, views, and suggested rewording in writing.
Visitors to the GEF 1 building are requested to enter through the left East Washington Avenue door and register with the customer service desk. The entrance is accessible via a ramp from the corner of Webster Street and East Washington Avenue. If you have special needs or circumstances that may make communication or accessibility difficult at the hearing, please call (608) 267-9403 at least 10 days prior to the hearing date. Accommodations such as ASL interpreters, English translators, or materials in audiotape format will be made available on request to the fullest extent possible.
Analysis Prepared by the Department of Workforce Development
Adjustment of thresholds for application of prevailing wage rates. The state prevailing wage laws require that when a state agency or local governmental unit contracts for the construction of a public works project it must obtain a prevailing wage rate determination from the Department of Workforce Development and require that the contractors and subcontractors on the project pay their employees in accordance with those wage rates. Under current law the state prevailing wage rate laws do not apply to any single-trade public works project for which the estimated cost is below $35,000, and do not apply to any multi-trade public works project for which the estimated cost is below $172,000.
Pursuant to ss.
66.0903 (5) and
103.49 (3g), Stats., and s.
DWD 290.15, the Department is required to adjust the dollar amounts of the thresholds each year in proportion to any change in construction costs since the thresholds were last determined. The threshold adjustment is based on changes in the construction cost index published in the Engineering News-Record, a national construction trade publication. This rule adjusts the thresholds from $35,000 to $36,000 for single-trade projects and from $172,000 to $175,000 for multi-trade projects based on a 1.7% increase in the construction cost index between December 2000 and December 2001. Section
DWD 290.15 is also amended to clarify that the department rounds off the thresholds to the nearest thousand.
Adjustment of thresholds for payment and performance assurance requirements. Section
779.14, Stats., sets payment and performance assurance requirements that apply to contracts for the performance of labor or furnishing of materials for a public improvement project or public work. Section
779.14 (1s), Stats., requires the department to adjust the thresholds for various requirements in proportion to any change in construction costs since the statute was effective or the last adjustment. This is the first adjustment since the statute was effective in June 1998. The thresholds are adjusted to reflect a 8.7% increase in the construction cost index from June 1998 to December 2001. These adjustments are also based on changes in the construction costs index as published in the Engineering News-Record and are rounded to the nearest thousand.
Initial Regulatory Flexibility Analysis
The proposed rule does not affect small business as defined in s.
227.14, Stats.
Fiscal Impact
Under the rule, a state agency or local governmental unit contracting for the construction of a single-trade public works project that costs more than $35,000 but less than $36,000 or a multi-trade project that costs more than $172,000 but less than $175,000 is not covered by the prevailing wage requirement.
Contact Information
Elaine Pridgen
Office of Legal Counsel
Dept. of Workforce Development
201 E. Washington Avenue
P.O. Box 7946
Madison, WI 53707-7946
(608) 267-9403
Written Comments
Written comments on the proposed rules received at the above address no later than March 1, 2002, will be given the same consideration as testimony presented at the hearing.
