Authorizing the creation of an electronics and information technology manufacturing zone, making changes to the enterprise zone tax credit program, authorizing limited use of the design-build construction process, granting contingent highway bonding authority, and making appropriations. (FE)

1. Supplies false or misleading information to obtain the tax credits.

2. Leaves the electronics and information technology manufacturing zone to conduct substantially the same business outside the zone.

3. Ceases operations in the electronics and information technology manufacturing zone and does not renew operation of the business or a similar business in the zone within 12 months.

Sales and use tax exemption The bill creates a sales and use tax exemption for the sale of building materials, supplies, and equipment used to construct facilities located in an electronics and information technology manufacturing zone if the capital expenditures for constructing the facilities may be claimed as income and franchise tax credits as certified by WEDC.

Tax incremental financing districts The bill creates special provisions that apply to certain tax incremental financing districts (TIDs) if WEDC creates an electronics and information technology manufacturing zone, and a city or village creates a TID that includes the zone.

Under the current tax incremental financing program, a city or village may create a TID in part of its territory to foster development under certain conditions.

Currently, towns and counties also have a limited ability to create a TID under certain limited circumstances. Before a city or village may create a TID, several steps and plans are required. These steps and plans include public hearings on the proposed TID within specified time frames, adoption of a resolution, submission of documents to the Department of Revenue within specified time frames, and the preparation and adoption by the local planning commission of a proposed project plan for the TID.

Generally, if a resolution creating a TID is adopted between January 2 and September 30, the TID is considered to have been created on the previous January 1, and if a resolution creating a TID is adopted between October 1 and December 31, its creation date is considered to be the following January 1. In addition, forms required by DOR must be submitted to the department by October 31 of the year in which the TID is created.

Also under current law, once a TID has been created, DOR calculates the “tax incremental base" value of the TID, which is the equalized value of all taxable property within the TID at the time of its creation. If the development in the TID increases the value of the property in the TID above the base value, a value increment is created. That portion of taxes collected on the value increment in excess of the base value is called a “tax increment" and is placed in a fund that may be used only to pay back the project costs of the TID.

The project costs of a TID, which are initially incurred by the creating city or village, include public works such as sewers, streets, and lighting systems; financing costs; site preparation costs; and professional service costs. DOR authorizes the allocation of the tax increments until the TID terminates or, generally, 20 years, 23 years, or 27 years after the TID is created, depending on the type of TID and the year in which it was created. Also under current law, a city or village may not generally make expenditures for project costs later than five years before the unextended termination date of the TID. Under certain circumstances, the life of the TID, the expenditure period, and the allocation period may be extended.

Generally, under current law, expenditures for project costs must be spent within the boundaries of the TID, although limited exceptions allow expenditures to be made within a one-half mile radius of the TID's boundaries. Also, with regard to TIDs created after September 30, 2004, the territory of which is mostly suitable for industrial sites or mixed-use development, the TIDs must generally terminate not later than 20 years after their creation.

Subject to a number of exceptions, under current law, the equalized value of taxable property of a new or amended TID plus the value increment of all existing TIDs may not exceed 12 percent of the total equalized value of taxable property in the city or village.

Under this bill, for TIDs that are created in an area that includes an electronics and information technology manufacturing zone, a number of exceptions apply to the normal provisions that apply to TIDs, including the following:

1. The TID that is created must be an industrial site or mixed-use TID.

2. If the resolution creating the TID is adopted between January 1 and December 1, the creating city or village may decide if the TID is considered to have been created on the January 1 of the year in which the resolution is adopted or on the following January 1, and the forms required by DOR must be submitted before December 31 of the year in which the resolution is adopted or between the following April 1 and the following December 1, depending on the TID's creation date.

3. The 12 percent rule regarding the total equalized value for taxable property in the city or village does not apply.

4. The city or village creating the TID may incur expenditures for project costs for any territory that is located in the same county in which the TID is located, provided the expenditure benefits the TID.

5. Instead of limiting to 20 years the period during which DOR may allocate positive tax increments, the allocation period is 30 years.

6. Instead of requiring the TID to terminate no later than 20 years after creation, the TID must terminate within 30 years after it is created.

Environmental impact statements Under current law, all state agencies are required to prepare environmental impact statements for every recommendation or report on proposals for legislation and other major actions significantly affecting the quality of the human environment. A state agency is required to consider an environmental impact statement in its decision-making process, but the statement has no regulatory consequence. Current federal law under the National Environmental Policy Act also requires federal agencies to prepare an environmental impact statement for any major federal action, including for federal permits that are necessary for actions in the state. Under the bill, a determination regarding the issuance of any permit or approval for a new manufacturing facility within an electronics and information technology manufacturing zone is not a major action for the purpose of the environmental impact statement requirement.

Wetlands and waterway permits exemption Under federal law, activities involving the discharge of dredged or fill material into “navigable waters” must comply with certain guidelines contained in regulations promulgated by the federal Environmental Protection Agency in order for a discharge permit to be issued by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (ACE).

Before ACE may issue a permit, the Department of Natural Resources must determine that the project complies with state water quality standards, including those for wetlands (water quality certification). Federal law defines “navigable waters” to be “the waters of the United States.” Generally, courts have interpreted “the waters of the United States” to exclude nonnavigable, isolated, intrastate waters (nonfederal wetlands).

Under current state law, subject to exceptions, no person may discharge dredged material or fill material into a federal or nonfederal wetland unless the discharge is authorized by a wetland general permit or individual permit, or the discharge is exempt from permitting requirements. Current law requires DNR to issue wetland general permits for discharges of dredged or fill material into certain federal and nonfederal wetlands. For a discharge into a wetland that is not authorized under a wetland general permit, current law requires a person to apply for and obtain a wetland individual permit. Before DNR may issue a wetland individual permit, it must require the restoration, enhancement, creation, or preservation of other wetlands to compensate for adverse impacts to a wetland resulting from the discharge, also known as mitigation. Under current law, a wetland general or individual permit issued by DNR constitutes water quality certification.

Under this bill, a person may, without a permit, discharge dredged material or fill material into a nonfederal wetland that is located in an electronics and information technology manufacturing zone if the discharge is related to the construction, access, or operation of a new manufacturing facility that is also located in the zone. With respect to a federal wetland located in an electronics and information technology manufacturing zone, the bill provides that no state permit is required and that the state waives water quality certification. Under the bill, a federal permit for such a discharge is still required. The bill requires any adverse impacts to functional values of federal or nonfederal wetlands in an electronics and information technology manufacturing zone to be compensated at a ratio of two acres per each acre impacted through the purchase of credits from a mitigation bank, participation in the in lieu fee subprogram or escrow subprogram administered by DNR, or completion of mitigation within this state. Under current law, the general minimum ratio is 1.2 acres for each acre affected by the discharge.

Under current law, subject to exceptions, no person may do any of the following without a permit issued by DNR: 1) deposit any material or place any structure upon the bed of any navigable water where no bulkhead line has been established or beyond a lawfully established bulkhead line; 2) construct or maintain a bridge or construct, place, or maintain a culvert in, on, or over navigable waters; 3) construct, dredge, or enlarge any artificial water body that connects with an existing navigable waterway; 4) construct or enlarge any part of an artificial water body that is or will be located within 500 feet of the ordinary high-water mark of, but that does not or will not connect with, an existing navigable waterway; 5) grade or remove topsoil from the bank of any navigable waterway where the area exposed by the grading or removal will exceed 10,000 square feet; and 6) change the course of or straighten a navigable stream.

Under the bill, DNR generally may not require a permit for any of these activities if they relate to the construction, access, or operation of a new manufacturing facility located in an electronics and information technology manufacturing zone. However, the bill provides that DNR may require a permit for the construction or maintenance of bridges and the construction or placement and maintenance of culverts if DNR determines that conditions specific to the site require restrictions in order to prevent significant adverse impacts to the public rights and interests, environmental pollution, or material injury to the riparian rights of any riparian owner.

Public Service Commission certificates and market-based rates This bill exempts public utility projects within an electronics and information technology manufacturing zone from obtaining a certificate of authority from the Public Service Commission, which current law generally requires for construction, improvement, and other projects of public utilities. The bill also exempts transmission line relocations within such a zone from obtaining a certificate of public convenience and necessity from the PSC, which current law generally requires before beginning construction of high-voltage transmission lines and associated facilities.

The bill also requires an electric public utility that provides service to an electronics and information technology manufacturing zone to file tariffs with the PSC for market-based pricing and options for new retail customers within the zone.

The bill requires the tariffs to be filed no later than January 1, 2020. The bill specifies requirements that must be included in the tariffs and requires the PSC to approve rates that are consistent with those requirements.

Grants to local governments This bill authorizes the Department of Administration to make grants to local governmental units for costs associated with development in an electronics and information technology manufacturing zone, including costs related to infrastructure and public safety. DOA may require a local governmental unit to match a grant in whole or in part.

Contingent highway bonding authorization This bill authorizes the state to contract up to $252,400,000 in general obligation public debt for the I 94 north-south corridor project. The Department of Transportation, however, may not expend the proceeds of these bonds unless the state receives an award of federal moneys for the project.

Design-build construction This bill authorizes a city or village in which an electronics and information technology manufacturing zone is located to contract for the acquisition of water and sewer systems, and wastewater treatment facilities, using the design-build system.

Under this system, the city or village invites developers to submit proposals to provide completed projects in these areas without following the bidding requirements for public works projects that would otherwise apply. Current law authorizes the use of this system by any city, village, or county for the acquisition of recycling or resource recovery facilities.

Enterprise zones Under current law, WEDC may designate areas within the state as “enterprise zones.” WEDC may certify a business in an enterprise zone to receive income and franchise tax credits if the business creates or retains jobs in the enterprise zone, subject to several limitations. The bill makes the following changes to the enterprise zone tax credit program:

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