Scope statements
Commerce
Subject
Objective of the proposed rule. To repeal section
Comm 7.35 (2), relating to compliance with local regulations when blasting in communities.
Policy analysis
The current rule of section
Comm 7.35 (2) indicates that blasting operations in communities shall comply with all local regulations. The current rule has the unintended effect of requiring the Department of Commerce to enforce local regulations relating to blasting. Chapter
Comm 7 is a state minimum code; local regulations can be more restrictive than chapter Comm 7. All local regulations must be complied with regardless of a statement to that effect in the administrative code.
Avoiding this rule change will result in continued requests for the Department to enforce local regulations relating to blasting in communities.
Statutory authority
Staff time required
The Department estimates that it will take approximately 40 hours to develop this rule. This time includes drafting the rule and processing the rule through public hearings and legislative review. The Department will assign existing staff to develop the rule. There are no other resources necessary to develop the rule.
Commerce
Subject
Objective of the proposed rule. The objective of the rule is to clarify the responsibilities of municipalities and fire departments relative to the fire dues program in ch.
Comm 14.
Proposed rules will be developed to specify the procedures and conditions that fire departments and municipalities must comply with in order for them to receive their fire dues distribution.
Policy analysis
Existing policies for the fire dues entitlement program follow the mandates in ss.
101.14,
101.573 and
101.575, Stats, therefore policy alternatives are limited. Policy alternatives will be explored with two advisory groups. It is anticipated the advisory groups will make recommendations to the department and to the legislature regarding changes to the current fire dues process, administrative rules and state statutes.
Statutory authority
Staff time required
The rules will be developed with the assistance of an advisory 2% Fire Dues Task Group with oversight by the advisory Fire Safety Code Council and the department. Time will be spent forming the Task Group, meeting with the Council and Task Group, and then drafting and processing the rule package through public hearings, legislative review and adoption. An estimate of the amount of time that state employees will spend to develop the rule is as follows:
Research & Council/Task Group mtgs time 400 hrs
Rule drafting time 80 hrs
Rule promulgation time 240 hrs
720 hrs
Commerce
Subject
Objective of the proposed rule. The objective of the rule is to specify a single fee to be assessed on manufactured home park owners/operators for the costs of administering the manufactured home park regulations set forth in chapters Comm 95 - Mobile Home Parks and PSC 186 - Water or Sewer Service in Mobile Home Parks.
Policy analysis
For the administration of the regulations set forth in chapter Comm 95, the Department of Commerce currently collects a fee and issues a 2-year license to owners/operators of manufactured home parks. This license expires, and requires renewal, on June 30 of every even year, the next of which would be June 30, 2002. To collect this fee, the Department traditionally issues the invoices in May for the year of renewal.
Effective September 1, 2001,
2001 Wis. Act 16 transferred the authority of administrating the manufactured home park water or sewer service program, Wisconsin Administrative Code chapter PSC 186, from the Public Service Commission (PSC) to the Department of Commerce. For the administration of the chapter PSC 186 rules, the Public Service Commission has annually assessed a fee on manufactured home park owners/operators between July and September. For fiscal year 2001-02,
2001 Wis. Act 16 requires the Department to collect that same annual fee to cover the cost of administering the manufactured home park water and sewer provisions of chapter PSC 186. There is no provision in the law to allow the Department to assess a fee in the same manner as the PSC assessment beyond fiscal year 2001-02. The act also gives the Department the authority, beginning in fiscal year 2002-03, to increase the current chapter Comm 95 administration fees to cover the cost of administering chapter PSC 186.
An alternative is to absorb the cost of administering statute section 101.937, as created by
2001 Wis. Act 16. However, the Department does not receive enough revenue in the manufactured home program to absorb the costs of administering the manufactured home park water and sewer service program.
Statutory authority
Staff time required
The Department estimates that it will take approximately 100 hours to develop this rule.
Commerce
Subject
Objective of the proposed rule. On August 30, 2001, Governor McCallum signed the biennial budget,
2001 Wis. Act 16, which provides for Commerce to administer a program for enhancing investment in high technology and creating high-skill, high-wage jobs by providing credits against income taxes for qualified businesses.
Through the authority given in ss.
560.02 (4) and
560.96, Stats., Commerce is hereby proposing to create administrative rules, ch.
Comm 107, Wisconsin Technology Zone Program. This chapter shall at least address the following:
•Enumerating the criteria for designating eight (8) areas as technology zones.
•Outlining a business' eligibility for certification.
•Developing the process for certifying a business.
•Establishing standards for limits on the amount of tax credits a business may claim.
•Outlining standards for extending business' certification in addition to what measures will be established for job creation, determining growth, and baselines for growth.
•Establishing reporting requirements for certified businesses.
•Providing a process for Commerce to report to the Department of Revenue.
•Providing a means for changing boundaries of designated technology zones.
Policy analysis
Description of existing policies relevant to the rule and of new policies proposed to be included in the rule and an analysis of policy alternatives.
a) Existing policies. The department recognizes that there is a need to promote, retain and expand these types of high-tech businesses in the state.
b) New policies. This is a new Wisconsin initiative to promote the development and expansion of high-technology businesses in Wisconsin.
c) Policy alternatives. The alternative of not creating the code chapter will result negatively in the State's ability to retain and expand high-technology businesses and provide in up to 20 technology development zones throughout the state which will create new and high-skilled and high-paying jobs, create investment capital and attract related industries.
Statutory authority
Staff time required
250 hours.
