(1) DEFINITIONS. In this section: (a) “Eligible applicant” means a county, municipality, town or agency thereof, a board of harbor commissioners organized under s. 30.37, or a person who owns a harbor facility. (am) “Harbor facility” has the meaning given in s. 30.01 (3). (b) “Harbor improvements” means any dock wall repair and maintenance, construction of new dock walls, dredging of materials from a harbor or the placement of dredged materials in containment facilities. (2) ADMINISTRATION. The department, in consultation with the Wisconsin coastal management council created under s. 14.019, shall administer the harbor assistance program and shall have the following powers: (a) To make grants for the purpose of reimbursing eligible applicants for moneys expended to make harbor improvements and to fund other harbor assistance and improvement projects. The amount of a grant may not exceed 80 percent of the moneys expended by the eligible applicant for harbor improvements. (b) To establish criteria for evaluating applications for harbor assistance grants in order to provide for the disbursement of grants. In establishing these criteria, the department shall give priority to applicants based on the amount of tonnage and waterborne transportation handled in the harbor. (c) To receive and review applications for grants under this section and to prescribe the form, nature and extent of the information which shall be contained in the applications. (d) To direct, with the approval of the governor, that state debt subject to the limitations in s. 20.866 (2) (uv) be contracted in accordance with ch. 18 to fund harbor improvements and other harbor assistance and improvement projects. (3) PLANNING REQUIREMENTS. (a) Except as provided in par. (c), no grant may be made under this section unless the eligible applicant submits information to the department regarding harbor projects for which the eligible applicant may request state aid under this section or federal aid, or both, during the next 3-year period. The information shall be submitted prior to the April 1 which precedes the fiscal year in which the eligible applicant seeks aid under this section. (b) The department shall, by rule, establish the starting date of each 3-year period and the form, nature and extent of the notice required under par. (a). (c) The department may waive the requirements under this subsection. (4) HARBOR IMPROVEMENTS ON MISSISSIPPI RIVER. An eligible applicant may receive a grant under this section for harbor improvements located on an island in the Mississippi River regardless of the state in which the island is located if the island is owned by a city, village, town or county in this state. (5) PRIVATE HARBOR FACILITY ELIGIBILITY. (a) Notwithstanding subs. (2) and (3), the department may award a grant under this section to fund harbor improvements and other harbor assistance and improvement projects to a privately owned harbor facility only if the harbor facility is to be held open for public use for at least 10 years following completion of the improvement or project for which reimbursement is provided under sub. (2) (a) or for any period specified by the department in any grant agreement, whichever is longer. (b) If the recipient of a grant described under par. (a) fails to hold the harbor facility open for public use for the period specified in par. (a), the grant recipient shall repay the grant funds to the department to the extent and in the manner directed by the department, and the department shall include this requirement in any grant agreement with the grant recipient.
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