State Budget & Seasonal Drinking Water System Updates
March 13, 2015
There are two items to share today that may not be related, but are important to many of our members. First is the Governor's State Budget Proposal, and the second involves Draft Guidance documents just released today by the DNR that impact properties with Seasonal Public Drinking Water Systems (such as many resorts).
First, we have already shared, in recent Capitol Insiders, our overview and links to official documents relating to the Governor's State Budget Proposal for 2015-16. The powerful Joint Finance Committee has now set up four public hearings around the state over the next two weeks, to allow the general public to weigh in on what they like and don't like in the Governor's Proposal.
The hearings are:
- Wednesday, March 18 from 10:00 am - 5:00 pm at the Brillion High School's Endries Performing Arts Center (W1101 County Road HR in Brillion)
- Friday, March 20 from 10:00 am - 5:00 pm at Alverno College's Pitman Theatre in Milwaukee (3400 S. 43rd Street)
- Monday, March 23 from 10:00 am - 5:00 pm at the UW-Barron County Fine Arts Theatre in Rice Lake (1800 College Drive)
- Thursday, March 26 from 9:30 am- 4:00 pm at the Reedsburg High School CAL Center Auditorium in Reedsburg (1100 S. Albert Avenue)
For those interested in providing comments, but are unable to go to the Hearings, new this year you may send your comments by email to BudgetComments@legis.wisconsin.gov, and your email will be shared with each of the 16 members of the Joint Finance Committee.
While there may be dozens of issues of interest to each member, from a personal and/or business perspective, it is always suggested to keep it simple and focus on just a couple of the ones most important to communicate on, with each topic noted clearly along with your request to support, oppose, or change it. It is also important to provide your name, property name and location, and email address to ensure they will read and retain it. With all of the communication coming to them, one can understand that less credibility may be given to comments that do not identify the sender.
WH&LA has already initiated separate meetings with members of the Joint Finance Committee to outline three issues that were addressed in the Governor's Budget Proposal that we feel it is important to weigh in on. To see an outline of our Priority Requests in this proposal click here.
For those who will be at the Governor's Conference on Tourism starting Sunday in LaCrosse, please be sure to stop by the WH&LA booth at the Marketplace on Monday afternoon from 3:30 - 6:00 pm where we will be happy to address any of your questions on the Budget or other issues or services.
Please don't forget to sign up for WH&LA's Action Day slated for Wednesday, April 22, starting at the Edgewater in Madison and ending in the state Capitol. This year we have many issues that will impact you that you will not only receive updates on, but have an opportunity to lend your voice to making sure Wisconsin legislators hear what is important to real businesses in their district and around the state. With the timing as it is, this just may be one of the most important Action Days for our industry in recent history.
The second update relates to the newly released draft documents from the DNR relating to the proposed Start-Up Procedures for Seasonal Public Drinking Water Systems that would go into effect in 2016. There is a limited window of opportunity to provide your comments on this until April 3. The link to the DNR program guidance section shows the following DNR draft documents (scroll down to look at the first program area listed in the chart), and provides a link to the DNR staff person that comments should be sent to by the deadline:
- Proposed guidance Cover Sheet
- Proposed booklet
- Proposed email that would go to all businesses with a Seasonal Public Drinking Water System
- Proposed flyer
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