LRB-2531/1
RCT:wlj:jf
2003 - 2004 LEGISLATURE
June 10, 2003 - Introduced by Representatives Friske and Gard. Referred to
Committee on Natural Resources.
AB396,1,2
1An Act relating to: Clean Water Fund Program financial hardship assistance
2for the Elcho Sanitary District.
Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau
Under the Clean Water Fund Program, this state provides financial assistance
for projects for controlling water pollution, including sewage treatment plants. The
program is administered by the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) and the
Department of Administration (DOA). Current law specifies that the total amount
of financial assistance provided to a recipient for a project under the Clean Water
Fund Program may not result in the recipient paying less than 30% of the cost of the
project. The Clean Water Fund Program provides financial hardship assistance to
communities that meet certain financial criteria to reduce the costs of financing
projects below the costs that would be incurred using the usual clean water fund
assistance. The law requires DNR and DOA to provide financial hardship assistance
so that estimated annual charges for residential wastewater treatment will not
exceed 2% of the median household income in the community, if possible. The law
requires DNR to establish a formula for estimating operating, maintenance, and
replacement costs to be used in estimating charges for wastewater treatment.
This bill requires DNR and DOA to restructure the Clean Water Fund Program
financial hardship assistance provided to the Elcho Sanitary District in 1999. The
bill requires the departments to use estimated operating, maintenance, and
replacement costs, rather than average costs, which would ordinarily be used under
DNR's formula, for the purposes of recalculating the financial hardship assistance
and specifies that the financial hardship assistance may result in the Elcho Sanitary
District paying less than 30% of the cost of the project.
For further information see the state and local fiscal estimate, which will be
printed as an appendix to this bill.
The people of the state of Wisconsin, represented in senate and assembly, do
enact as follows:
AB396,2,142
(1)
Clean Water Fund Program financial hardship assistance for the Elcho
3Sanitary District. During the 2003-05 biennium, notwithstanding section 281.58
4(13) (e) of the statutes, the department of administration and the department of
5natural resources shall restructure the financial hardship assistance provided to the
6Elcho Sanitary District under section 281.58 (13) of the statutes in 1999.
7Notwithstanding section 281.58 (13) (f) of the statutes, the departments shall use the
8estimated operating, maintenance, and replacement costs shown in exhibit E of the
9financial assistance agreement entered into with the Elcho Sanitary District, rather
10than the mean operating, maintenance, and replacement costs, and use the other
11information shown in that exhibit for determining estimated wastewater treatment
12user charges for the purposes of recalculating the financial hardship assistance. The
13limitation under section 281.58 (8) (g) of the statutes does not apply to the
14restructuring of the financial hardship assistance provided under this subsection.
