281.60(2)
(2) General. The department and the department of administration may administer a program to provide financial assistance to eligible applicants for projects to remedy environmental contamination of sites or facilities at which environmental contamination has affected groundwater or surface water or threatens to affect groundwater or surface water. Eligible costs for a project include costs of demolition that is a necessary part of the remediation. The department and the department of administration may provide financial assistance under this section to an eligible applicant only if the eligible applicant owns the contaminated site or facility or, if the applicant is a political subdivision, if a redevelopment authority or a housing authority owns the contaminated site or facility. The department and the department of administration may not provide financial assistance under this section to remedy environmental contamination at a site or facility that is not a landfill if the eligible applicant caused the environmental contamination.
281.60(2r)
(2r) Methods of providing financial assistance. The following methods of providing financial assistance may be used under the land recycling loan program:
281.60(2r)(b)
(b) Purchasing or refinancing the obligation of an eligible applicant if the obligation was incurred to finance the cost of a project described in
sub. (2) and the obligation was initially incurred after May 17, 1988.
281.60(2r)(c)
(c) Guaranteeing, or purchasing insurance for, obligations incurred to finance the cost of projects described in
sub. (2) if the guarantee or insurance will provide credit market access or reduce interest rates.
281.60(2r)(d)
(d) Providing payments to the board of commissioners of public lands to reduce principal or interest payments, or both, on loans made to political subdivisions under
subch. II of ch. 24 by the board of commissioners of public lands for projects that are eligible for financial assistance under the land recycling loan program.
281.60(3)(a)(a) An eligible applicant shall submit notice of its intent to apply for financial assistance under the land recycling loan program. An eligible applicant shall submit the notice at least 6 months before the beginning of the fiscal year in which it will request to receive funding. The notice shall be in a form prescribed by the department and the department of administration.
281.60(3)(b)
(b) The department may waive
par. (a) upon the written request of an eligible applicant.
281.60(5)
(5) Application. After submitting a notice of intent to apply under
sub. (3) (a) or obtaining a waiver under
sub. (3) (b), an eligible applicant shall submit an application for land recycling loan program financial assistance to the department. The eligible applicant shall submit the application before the date established by the department. The department shall establish at least 2 application deadlines each year. The application shall be in the form and include the information required by the department and the department of administration. An eligible applicant may not submit more than one application per project per year.
281.60(6)
(6) Priority list. The department shall establish a priority list that ranks each land recycling loan program project. The department shall promulgate rules for determining project rankings based on the potential of projects to reduce environmental pollution and threats to human health and, for sites and facilities that are not landfills, the extent to which projects will prevent the development of undeveloped land by making land available for redevelopment after a cleanup is conducted. Before the department establishes the priority list, the department shall consider the recommendations of the department of administration and the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation.
281.60(7)
(7) Approval of application. The department shall approve an application received under
sub. (5) after all of the following occur:
281.60(7)(a)
(a) The project is ranked on the priority list under
sub. (6).
281.60(7)(b)
(b) The department determines that the project meets the eligibility requirements under this section.
281.60(7)(c)
(c) The department of administration determines that the eligible applicant will meet the requirements of
s. 281.59 (9).
281.60(8)
(8) Funding list; allocation of funding. 281.60(8)(a)(a) The department shall establish a funding list for each fiscal year that ranks projects of eligible applicants that submit approvable applications under
sub. (5) in the same order that they appear on the priority list under
sub. (6). If sufficient funds are not available to fund all approved applications for financial assistance, the department of administration shall allocate funding to projects that are approved under
sub. (7) in the order that they appear on the funding list, except that the department of administration may not allocate more than 40% of the funds allocated in each fiscal year to projects to remedy contamination at landfills.
281.60(8)(b)
(b) In allocating subsidy under this subsection, the department of administration shall adhere to the amount approved by the legislature for each biennium under
s. 281.58 (3m) (b).
281.60(8m)
(8m) Conditions of financial assistance. As a condition of receiving financial assistance under the land recycling loan program, an eligible applicant shall do all of the following:
281.60(8m)(a)
(a) Establish a dedicated source of revenue for the repayment of the financial assistance.
281.60(8m)(b)
(b) Comply with those provisions of
33 USC 1381 to
1387, this chapter, and the rules and regulations promulgated under those provisions, that the department specifies.
281.60(8m)(c)
(c) Allow access to the project by representatives of the department for the purpose of making inspections.
281.60(8p)
(8p) Security. Notwithstanding
s. 281.59 (9) (b) 1., the department and the department of administration may not require an applicant to use general obligation bonds as security for financial assistance under this section but shall accept other collateral that meets typical underwriting criteria.
281.60(8s)
(8s) Limitation on financial assistance. The amount of a payment under
sub. (2r) (d) may not exceed the amount of subsidy necessary to reduce the interest rate on the loan from market rate to the interest rate that would have been charged on a loan to the political subdivision under
sub. (2r) (a).
281.60(9)
(9) Financial assistance commitments. The department and the department of administration may, at the request of an eligible applicant, issue a notice of financial assistance commitment after the eligible applicant's application for land recycling loan program financial assistance has been approved and funding has been allocated under
sub. (8) for the eligible applicant's project. The notice of financial assistance commitment shall specify the conditions that the eligible applicant must meet to secure financial assistance and shall include the estimated repayment schedules and other terms of financial assistance.
281.60(10)
(10) Deadline for closing. If funding is allocated to a project under
sub. (8) for a loan and the loan is not closed within 12 months after the date on which funding is allocated, the department of administration shall release the funding allocated to the project.
281.60(11)
(11) Loan interest. The department and the department of administration may not charge interest on a land recycling loan program loan.
281.60(11m)
(11m) Service fee. The department and the department of administration shall jointly charge and collect an annual service fee for reviewing and acting upon land recycling loan program applications and servicing financial assistance agreements. For the 1997-99 fiscal biennium, the service fee shall be 0.5% of the loan balance. Fee amounts for later biennia shall be established in the biennial finance plan under
s. 281.59 (3) (a) 8. The department and the department of administration shall specify in the biennial finance plan a fee designed to cover the costs of reviewing and acting upon land recycling loan program applications and servicing financial assistance agreements.
281.60(12)(a)(a) An eligible applicant may not sell a site or facility, or portion of a site or facility, for which the eligible applicant has received a loan under this section, while the loan is outstanding, for less than fair market value.
281.60(12)(b)
(b) If an eligible applicant sells a site or facility, or portion of a site or facility, for which the eligible applicant has received a loan under this section, the eligible applicant shall do the following:
281.60(12)(b)1.
1. If the sale proceeds are less than or equal to the remaining loan balance, pay the sale proceeds to the department of administration to repay all or a portion of the loan.
281.60(12)(b)2.
2. If the sale proceeds are greater than the remaining loan balance but less than or equal to the cost of the land plus the cost of the cleanup, pay an amount equal to the remaining loan balance to the department of administration and retain the remainder of the sale proceeds.
281.60(12)(b)3.
3. If the sale proceeds are greater than the cost of the land plus the cost of the cleanup, pay to the department of administration an amount equal to the remaining loan balance plus the lesser of 75% of the amount by which the sale proceeds exceed the cost of the land plus the cost of the cleanup or the amount of subsidy incurred for the project and retain the remainder of the sale proceeds.
281.60(13)
(13) Duties of the department. The department shall do all of the following:
281.60(13)(a)
(a) Seek approval of the federal environmental protection agency for the use of funds under
33 USC 1381 to
1387 for the land recycling loan program.
281.60(13)(b)
(b) Promulgate rules establishing eligibility criteria for applicants and projects under this section.
281.60(13)(c)
(c) Promulgate rules that are necessary for the execution of its responsibilities under the land recycling loan program.
281.60(13)(d)
(d) Cooperate with the department of administration in administering the land recycling loan program.
281.60(13)(e)
(e) Submit a biennial budget request under
s. 16.42 for the land recycling loan program.
281.60(13)(f)
(f) Have the lead role with the federal environmental protection agency concerning the land recycling loan program.
281.60(13)(g)
(g) Have the lead role with eligible applicants in providing land recycling loan program information, and cooperate with the department of administration in providing that information to eligible applicants.
281.60(13)(h)
(h) Periodically inspect land recycling loan program projects to determine project compliance with the requirements of this section.
281.60(13)(i)
(i) By May 1 of each even-numbered year, prepare and submit to the department of administration a biennial needs list that includes all of the following information:
281.60(13)(i)1.
1. A list of land recycling loan program projects that the department estimates will apply for financial assistance under the land recycling loan program during the next biennium.
281.60(13)(i)2.
2. The estimated cost and estimated construction schedule of each project on the list under
subd. 1., and the total of the estimated costs of all projects on the list under
subd. 1.
281.60(13)(i)3.
3. The estimated rank of each project on the priority list under
sub. (6).
281.61
281.61
Safe drinking water loan program. 281.61(1)(a)
(a) "Local governmental unit" means a city, village, town, county, town sanitary district, public inland lake protection and rehabilitation district or municipal water district.
281.61(1)(c)
(c) "Public water system" means a water system providing piped water to the public for human consumption if the water system has at least 15 service connections or regularly serves an average of at least 25 individuals daily for at least 60 days each year.
281.61(1)(d)
(d) "Safe drinking water loan program" means the program administered under this section, with financial management provided under
s. 281.59.
281.61(2)
(2) General. The department and the department of administration shall administer a program to provide financial assistance to local governmental units for projects for the planning, designing, construction or modification of public water systems, if the projects will facilitate compliance with national primary drinking water regulations under
42 USC 300g-1 or otherwise significantly further the health protection objectives of the Safe Drinking Water Act,
42 USC 300f to
300j-26.
281.61(2g)
(2g) Ineligible projects. A local governmental unit is not eligible for financial assistance under this section if the local governmental unit does not have the technical, managerial or financial capacity to ensure compliance with the Safe Drinking Water Act,
42 USC 300f to
300j-26, or the public water system operated by the local governmental unit is in significant noncompliance with any requirement of a primary drinking water regulation or variance under
42 USC 300g-1 unless the financial assistance will ensure compliance with the Safe Drinking Water Act.
281.61(2r)
(2r) Methods of providing financial assistance. The following methods of providing financial assistance may be used under the safe drinking water loan program:
281.61(2r)(a)
(a) Making loans below the market interest rate for projects described in
sub. (2).
281.61(2r)(b)
(b) Purchasing or refinancing the obligation of a local governmental unit if the obligation was incurred to finance the cost of a project described in
sub. (2) and the obligation was initially incurred after July 1, 1993.
281.61(2r)(c)
(c) Guaranteeing, or purchasing insurance for, obligations incurred to finance the cost of projects described in
sub. (2) if the guarantee or insurance will provide credit market access or reduce interest rates.
281.61(2r)(d)
(d) Providing payments to the board of commissioners of public lands to reduce principal or interest payments, or both, on loans made to local governmental units under
subch. II of ch. 24 by the board of commissioners of public lands for projects that are eligible for financial assistance under the safe drinking water loan program.
281.61(3)(a)(a) A local governmental unit shall submit notice of its intent to apply for financial assistance under the safe drinking water loan program at least 6 months before the beginning of the fiscal year in which it intends to receive the financial assistance. The notice shall be in a form prescribed by the department and the department of administration.
281.61(3)(c)
(c) The department may waive
par. (a) upon the written request of a local governmental unit.
281.61(4)
(4) Engineering report. A local governmental unit seeking financial assistance for a project under this section shall submit an engineering report, as required by the department by rule.
281.61(5)
(5) Application. After the department approves a local governmental unit's engineering report submitted under
sub. (4), the local governmental unit shall submit an application for safe drinking water financial assistance to the department. The applicant shall submit the application on or before the June 30 preceding the beginning of the fiscal year in which the applicant wishes to receive the financial assistance, except that if funds are available in a fiscal year after funding has been allocated under
sub. (8) for all approved applications submitted before the June 30 preceding that fiscal year, the department of administration may allocate funding for approved applications submitted after June 30. The application shall be in the form and include the information required by the department and the department of administration and shall include plans and specifications that are approvable by the department under this section. An applicant may not submit more than one application per project per year.
281.61(6)
(6) Priority list. The department shall establish a priority list that ranks each safe drinking water loan program project. The department shall promulgate rules for determining project rankings that, to the extent possible, give priority to projects that address the most serious risks to human health, that are necessary to ensure compliance with the Safe Drinking Water Act,
42 USC 300f to
300j-26, and that assist local governmental units that are most in need on a per household basis, according to affordability criteria specified in the rules. For the purpose of ranking projects under this subsection, the department shall treat a project to upgrade a public water system to provide continuous disinfection of the water that it distributes as if the public water system were a surface water system that federal law requires to provide continuous disinfection.
281.61(7)
(7) Approval of application. The department shall approve an application received under
sub. (5) after all of the following occur:
281.61(7)(a)
(a) The project is ranked on the priority list under
sub. (6).
281.61(7)(b)
(b) The department determines that the project meets the eligibility requirements under this section.
281.61(7)(c)
(c) The department of administration determines that the local governmental unit will meet the requirements of
s. 281.59 (9) (b).
281.61(8)
(8) Funding list; allocation of funding. 281.61(8)(a)(a) The department shall establish a funding list for each fiscal year that ranks projects of local governmental units that submit approvable applications under
sub. (5) in the same order that they appear on the priority list under
sub. (6). If sufficient funds are not available to fund all approved applications for financial assistance, the department of administration shall allocate funding to projects that are approved under
sub. (7) in the order that they appear on the funding list, except as follows:
281.61(8)(a)1.
1. The department of administration shall allocate to projects for public water systems that regularly serve fewer than 10,000 persons 15% of the available funds in each fiscal year or such lesser amount that fully funds the eligible projects for those public water systems.
281.61(8)(a)2.
2. In any biennium, no local governmental unit may receive more than 25% of the funds that the department of administration projects will be available for that biennium.
281.61(8)(b)
(b) In allocating subsidy under this subsection, the department of administration shall adhere to the amount approved by the legislature for each biennium under
s. 281.59 (3s) (b).
281.61(8m)
(8m) Conditions of financial assistance. As a condition of receiving financial assistance under the safe drinking water loan program, a local governmental unit shall do all of the following:
281.61(8m)(a)
(a) Establish a dedicated source of revenue for the repayment of the financial assistance.
281.61(8m)(b)
(b) Comply with those provisions of
42 USC 300f to
300j-26 and this chapter and the regulations and rules promulgated under those provisions that the department specifies.
281.61(8m)(c)
(c) Develop and adopt a program of water conservation as required by the department.
281.61(8m)(d)
(d) Develop and adopt a program of systemwide operation and maintenance of the public water system, including the training of personnel, as required by the department.
281.61(8s)
(8s) Limitation on financial assistance. The amount of a payment under
sub. (2r) (d) may not exceed the amount of subsidy necessary to reduce the interest rate on the loan from market rate to the interest rate that would have been charged on a loan to the local governmental unit under
sub. (2r) (a).
281.61(9)
(9) Financial assistance commitments. The department and the department of administration may, at the request of a local governmental unit, issue a notice of financial assistance commitment after the local governmental unit's application for safe drinking water financial assistance has been approved under
sub. (7) and funding has been allocated under
sub. (8) for the local governmental unit's project. The notice of financial assistance commitment shall specify the conditions that the local governmental unit must meet to secure financial assistance and shall include the estimated repayment schedules and other terms of the financial assistance.
281.61(10)
(10) Deadline for closing. If funding is allocated to a project under
sub. (8) for a loan and the loan is not closed before June 30 of the year following the year in which funding is allocated, the department of administration shall release the funding allocated to the project.
