February 7, 2012 - Introduced by Representatives Clark, Spanbauer, Bewley,
Hebl, Zepnick, Berceau, Roys, Grigsby, Sinicki, Mason, Fields
and C. Taylor,
cosponsored by Senators Holperin, Schultz, Taylor, Hansen and Risser.
Referred to Committee on Jobs, Economy and Small Business.
AB533,1,5 1An Act to renumber and amend 238.127 (2) (h) and 238.127 (2) (j); to amend
241.11 (1) (b), 238.127 (title), 238.127 (2) (intro.), 238.127 (2) (e) and 238.127 (2)
3(f) 1.; and to create 238.127 (1) (title), 238.127 (1) (af), 238.127 (3) (title) and
4238.127 (3) (b) of the statutes; relating to: the state main street program and
5business area revitalization services.
Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau
Under current law, the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation (WEDC)
is required to establish and administer a state main street program to assist
municipalities in planning, managing, and implementing programs for the
revitalization of business areas. Under the state main street program, WEDC assists
municipalities in increasing economic activity in a business area within the
municipality while preserving and building on the business area's historically
significant characteristics. From those municipalities that file applications, WEDC
may annually select up to five municipalities to participate in the program for five
years each. This bill increases the number of municipalities that WEDC may
annually accept into the state main street program from five to ten.
Under current law, WEDC may also provide training, technical assistance, and
information on the revitalization of business areas to municipalities that do not
participate in the state main street program. Current law further provides that
WEDC may charge reasonable fees for services and information it provides to a
municipality that is not participating in the state main street program. This bill

authorizes WEDC to establish and administer a program to provide business area
revitalization services to municipalities that include a business area and that are not
participating in the state main street program. Under this bill, a municipality that
includes a business area and is not participating in the state main street program
is called a downtown affiliate. This bill provides that WEDC may charge downtown
affiliates for services provided under the program.
Under current law, WEDC is required to expend at least $250,000 each year on
the state main street program. Under this bill, the state main street program and
the program for downtown affiliates are combined to create the Wisconsin downtown
development program. This bill requires WEDC to expend at least $750,000 each
year on the Wisconsin downtown development program.
Finally, this bill specifies that the Department of Tourism must promote travel
to communities that are participating in the state main street program.
The people of the state of Wisconsin, represented in senate and assembly, do
enact as follows:
AB533, s. 1 1Section 1. 41.11 (1) (b) of the statutes is amended to read:
AB533,2,52 41.11 (1) (b) Promote travel by citizens of this state to this state's scenic,
3historic, natural, agricultural, educational and recreational attractions, including
4communities that are participating in the state main street program under s.
5238.127 (2)
.
AB533, s. 2 6Section 2. 238.127 (title) of the statutes, as affected by 2011 Wisconsin Act 32,
7is amended to read:
AB533,2,9 8238.127 (title) State main street Wisconsin downtown development
9program.
AB533, s. 3 10Section 3. 238.127 (1) (title) of the statutes is created to read:
AB533,2,1111 238.127 (1) (title) Definitions.
AB533, s. 4 12Section 4. 238.127 (1) (af) of the statutes is created to read:
AB533,2,1413 238.127 (1) (af) "Downtown affiliate" means a municipality that includes a
14business area and is not participating in the state main street program.
AB533, s. 5
1Section 5. 238.127 (2) (intro.) of the statutes, as affected by 2011 Wisconsin
2Act 32
, is amended to read:
AB533,3,93 238.127 (2) State main street program. (intro.) The As part of the Wisconsin
4downtown development program, the
corporation shall establish and administer a
5state main street program to coordinate state and local participation in programs
6offered by the national main street center, created by the national trust for historic
7preservation, to assist municipalities in planning, managing and implementing
8programs for the revitalization of business areas. The corporation shall do all of the
9following:
AB533, s. 6 10Section 6. 238.127 (2) (e) of the statutes, as affected by 2011 Wisconsin Act 32,
11is amended to read:
AB533,3,2012 238.127 (2) (e) Annually select, upon application, up to 5 10 municipalities to
13participate in the state main street program. The program for each municipality
14shall conclude after 3 years, except that the program for each municipality selected
15after July 29, 1995, shall conclude after 5 years. The corporation shall select program
16participants representing various geographical regions and populations. A
17municipality may apply to participate, and the corporation may select a municipality
18for participation, more than one time. In selecting a municipality, however, the
19corporation may give priority to those municipalities that have not previously
20participated.
AB533, s. 7 21Section 7. 238.127 (2) (f) 1. of the statutes, as affected by 2011 Wisconsin Act
2232
, is amended to read:
AB533,3,2523 238.127 (2) (f) 1. Private and public sector interest in and commitment to
24revitalization of a business area selected by the municipality, including potential
25in-kind or monetary contributions from the private and public sector
.
AB533, s. 8
1Section 8. 238.127 (2) (h) of the statutes, as affected by 2011 Wisconsin Act 32,
2is renumbered 238.127 (3) (a) and amended to read:
AB533,4,93 238.127 (3) (a) Provide As part of the Wisconsin downtown development
4program, the corporation may establish and maintain a program to provide business
5area revitalization services to downtown affiliates, including
training, technical
6assistance, and information on the revitalization of business areas to municipalities
7which do not participate in the state main street program
. The corporation may
8charge reasonable fees for the services and information provided under a program
9established under
this paragraph.
AB533, s. 9 10Section 9. 238.127 (2) (j) of the statutes, as affected by 2011 Wisconsin Act 32,
11is renumbered 238.127 (4) and amended to read:
AB533,4,1312 238.127 (4) Funding. The corporation shall expend at least $250,000 $750,000
13annually on the state main street Wisconsin downtown development program.
AB533, s. 10 14Section 10. 238.127 (3) (title) of the statutes is created to read:
AB533,4,1515 238.127 (3) (title) Downtown affiliates.
AB533, s. 11 16Section 11. 238.127 (3) (b) of the statutes is created to read:
AB533,4,1917 238.127 (3) (b) The corporation may develop policies and procedures to
18administer the program under par. (a), including policies and procedures related to
19all of the following:
AB533,4,2120 1. Offering specialized services to a downtown affiliate on a contractual basis
21for a fee.
AB533,4,2222 2. Delivering individual services to a downtown affiliate on an as-needed basis.
AB533,4,2323 3. The duration of time that services may be provided to a downtown affiliate.
AB533,4,2424 (End)
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