NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that pursuant to ss. 227.14 (4m) and 227.17, Stats., the Department of Commerce will hold public hearings on proposed rules relating to Community Development Block Grant Program.

Statutory authority:   ss. 16.358, 560.04 and 560.045

Statutes interpreted:   s. 560.045, Stats.

Under s. 560.045, Stats., the Department of Commerce has the responsibility of accepting and evaluating applications, and awarding grants. One mechanism of the Department in fulfilling this responsibility has been the promulgation of rules for the state community development block grant program, ch. Comm 108.

This rule revision relates to changes in definitions which occurred in the 1999 Wis. Act 9; additional program funds now available from U.S. Housing and Urban Development (HUD); revising the application schedule on a continuing basis; and updating the process of scoring applications.

Currently public facility grants to eligible communities are awarded annually. Under this proposal, grants can be awarded throughout the year making it easier for communities to prepare and submit their proposals.

A number of definitions have been updated to reflect changes in Statutory citations, to include the complete definition as a Note for the user, and to clarify terms that may have been used inter-changeably in the previous edition of the code.

The rule revisions reflect the expansion of funding programs for public facilities planning to issue grants to eligible local governments for public facilities planning up to $12,500 per plan.

Some sections relating to the scoring of applications are being amended to reflect the intent of both the issue as well as staff experience with ranking applications.

Other minor revisions throughout the chapter relate to code clarification, Statutory notes, and rule format.

Interested persons are invited to appear at the hearings and present comments on the proposed rules. Persons making oral presentations are requested to submit their comments in writing. Persons submitting comments will not receive individual responses. The hearing record on this proposed rulemaking will remain open until January 25, 2002, to permit submittal of written comments from persons who are unable to attend a hearing or who wish to supplement testimony offered at a hearing.

Written comments should be submitted to:

Jean M. MacCubbin, Department of Commerce

Administrative Services Division

P.O. Box 2689

Madison, WI 53701-2689

These hearings are held in accessible facilities. If you have special needs or circumstances that may make communication or accessibility difficult at the hearing, please call (608) 266-8741 or (608) 264-8777 (TTY) at least 10 days prior to the hearing date. Accommodations such as interpreters, English translators, or materials in audio tape format will, to the fullest extent possible, be made available upon request by a person with a disability.

The proposed rules and an analysis of the proposed rules are available on the Internet at the Safety and Buildings Division web site at:
www.commerce.state.wi.us/SB/SB-HomePage.

Paper copies may be obtained without cost from Jean M. MacCubbin, Department of Commerce, Administrative Services Division, P.O. Box 2689, Madison, WI 53701-2689, Email: jmaccubbin@commerce.state.wi.us, telephone (608) 266-0955 or (608) 264-8777 (TTY). Copies will also be available at the public hearings and on the Commerce webpage at:
http://www.commerce.state.wi.us/COM/Com-Community.html.

The proposed administrative code revision is categorized in ch. Comm 1, WEPA, Table 1.11-2 and determined to be a Type II action.

The proposed action is administrative in nature and has no potential direct effects on the quality of the human environment. Its direct effects on the human environment are positive in that it will provide more efficient environmental analysis and review of department actions in compliance with WEPA and NEPA policies and guidelines. The Department considers this action to have no potential for significant adverse impact.

The Department acknowledges that some projects funded in part by CDGB may require compliance with local, state or federal environmental review conducted by the applicant, which may be a unit of government, organization, business or individual. The Department acknowledges that it is not the sole decision maker in a project funded in part by CDGB.

The Department also acknowledges that some projects funded in part by CDBG may involve new development or rehabilitation and an application for rezoning and/or a conditional use permit at the local level. As specified in ch. Comm 1, these actions may be determined to be Type III actions. All CDBG approvals by the department contain conditions that each project shall, when necessary, comply with all applicable local, state and federal requirements.

1. Types of small businesses that will be affected by the rules.

The proposed rule revisions are subject to eligible local governmental units only.

2. Reporting, bookkeeping and other procedures required for compliance with the rules.

The reporting, bookkeeping and other procedures required for applicants or eligible local governmental units are expected to be more user-friendly, in that applications may be made throughout the year and that specific grant award requirements, scoring and award amounts are more clearly communicated in the rule and application materials.

The ability for an eligible local governmental unit to apply for CDGB funding throughout the year should serve as a valuable benefit for local government planning.

3. Types of professional skills necessary for compliance with the rules.

The rule revisions includes the ability to apply for various planning grants; no additional professional skills are expected to be required by applicants or eligible local governmental units.

The proposed rule revisions are specific to the processes and procedures in administration the federal funds, U.S. Housing and Urban Development (HUD). Eligible local units of government may be recipients of these funds.

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN That pursuant to ss. 118.045 (3) and 227.11 (2) (a), Stats., and interpreting s. 118.045, Stats., the Department of Public Instruction will hold public hearings as follows to consider the creation of ch. PI 27, relating to the commencement of a school term.

The hearings will be held as follows:

The hearing sites are fully accessible to people with disabilities. If you require reasonable accommodation to access any meeting, please call Lori Slauson, at (608) 267-9127 or leave a message with the Teletypewriter (TTY) at (608) 267-2427 at least 10 days prior to the hearing date. Reasonable accommodation includes materials prepared in an alternative format, as provided under the Americans with Disabilities Act.

The administrative rule is available on the internet at http://www.dpi.state.wi.us/dpi/dfm/pb/schstart.html. A copy of the proposed rule and the fiscal estimate may be obtained by sending an email request to lori.slauson@dpi.state.wi.us or by writing to:

Lori Slauson

Administrative Rules and Federal Grants Coordinator

Department of Public Instruction

125 South Webster Street

P.O. Box 7841

Madison, WI 53707

Written comments on the proposed rules received by Ms. Slauson at the above email or street address no later than January 9, 2002, will be given the same consideration as testimony presented at the hearing.

2001 Wis. Act 16 requires school boards to start a school term after September 1 unless a school board submits a request to the Department of Public Instruction stating the reasons it would like the school term to start earlier. The department may grant a request only if it determines there are extraordinary reasons for granting it.

The department is required to promulgate rules to implement and administer this provision. The rules establish a procedure for school boards to use in requesting an earlier start date and gives examples of extraordinary reasons for granting such requests.

The proposed creation of Chapter PI 27, rules relating to the commencement of a school term, is a result of statutory changes made under 2001 Wisconsin Act 16. The rules will not have a fiscal effect separate from the statutory changes made under the Act. The Act modified s. 118.045, Stats., requiring school boards to start a school term after September 1 unless a school board submits a request to the department stating the reasons it would like the school term to start earlier. The department may grant a request only if it determines there are extraordinary reasons for granting it.

By law, school districts must provide 180 days of instruction. By starting school later, school districts will likely have to make up days by having shorter winter or spring breaks, or by extending the school year later into summer. If school is conducted during Thanksgiving or winter break when schools would normally be vacant, heating and electrical costs may increase. These costs are indeterminate.

Additionally, current law requires school districts to provide transportation for pupils in private schools. If private schools choose to begin the school year prior to September 1, transportation costs may increase if school districts are required to run additional bus lines or otherwise accommodate the transportation needs of private school pupils when public school is not in session. For example, one public school district has 40 percent of its elementary student population in private or parochial schools. The business manager of the public district estimated that if the private schools chose to start school prior to September 1, it would cost the school district an additional $5,000 to $6,000 per day in transportation costs. The private schools started on August 26 in 2001. If the new legislation would have been in effect this year, it would have cost the public school district $25,000 to $30,000. It should be noted that excessive private school transportation costs are listed in the rule as an extraordinary reason to allow a school to begin a school term prior to September 1.

It is assumed this rule will have no state fiscal effect. These rules may affect small businesses. However, any costs or benefits will vary on a case-by-case basis depending on when such businesses need to employ pupils (at the beginning or end of summer).

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that pursuant to ss. 16.004 (1) and 16.25 (2), (3), (4) and (5), Stats., and interpreting s. 16.25 et seq., Stats., the Department of Administration on behalf of the Volunteer Fire Fighter and Emergency Medical Technician Service Award Board, will hold a public hearing on both the Board's emergency rulemaking order and proposed permanent order creating Chapter VFF-EMT 1 of the Wisconsin Administrative Code, relating to the creation of a length of service award program for volunteer fire fighters and emergency medical technicians.

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